Monday, November 25, 2002 2:38 PM

Trump Squeezes

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Trump squeezes and their theory . Trump squeezes are basically just simple squeezes and are not that difficult . Know the conditions and positions and they are in the same league as simple squeezes. These conditions are generalizations for the type of squeeze being discussed.  Squeeze theory has to be studied not just glanced at . Knowing the conditions well and all of a sudden something will click and you are planning and executing squeezes.

 

 I have a theory on one reason  Osama overbids . His knowledge of squeezes encourages overbiding to try out various squeeze types !

 

TRUMP SQUEEZE CONDITIONS

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In NT hands , when a long suit is led, one of the opponents is forced to unguard a suit. In a trump squeeze, there is an advantage that by the ability to ruff , an established card of the opponent is ruffed out thereby promoting your card .

 

Conditions are:

 

(i)   Dummy has 2 cards each in 2 suits controlled by one opponent, and you are out of one of the two suits.

 

Unique criteria . No one card threat allowed must be two cards in each of the two suits .

 

(ii)  One of the two suits is accompanied by a master card, in the dummy the suit in which you are holding a menace card.

 

Bad English by the author . He is saying that you must have a “split threat” . Threat in your hand even though 2 cards and an entry in dummy in that suit.

 

(iii) In addition to the entry through master card in the dummy, there is one more entry in the dummy, either in the same suit in which master card is held or another suit.

 

Strict entry requirements . Double entry required in all trump squeezes.

 

(iv)  Two trumps are held in hand and only one played as squeeze card. After the opponent is forced to discard from one of the two guarded suits inthe dummy is established by ruffing.

 

Like all squeezes count has to be rectified . Trump squeezes are unique in that the squeeze occurs

on the second last trump .

 

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TRUMP SQUEEZE POSITIONS

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(i)

           NORTH

        S:AK10                          Hs are trumps

        H:--          

        D:95                              In 5 card position, dummy has two suits with 2

        C:--                               cards each. E is controlling both suits S and D.

        --------------                   Dummy has two entries in S, one of the suits in

  WEST  ||||||||||||||    EAST      the dummy. Now you play H8 discarding S10 from

S:83    ||||||||||||||  S:Q97           dummy and E is squeezed. If he discards a S,

H:--    ||||||||||||||  H:--               you cash SAK and ruff a D and SJ is good.

D:x     ||||||||||||||  D:Ax            If E discards a D, you go to dummy with SA and

C:xx    ||||||||||||||  C:--              ruff a D establishing D5 for which SK is still

        --------------                   an entry.

          SOUTH (D)

        S:J62        

        H:84         

        D:--         

        C:--         

 

Note split threat of J of spades in your hand.

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(ii)

           NORTH

        S:Jx                   Trumps are D

        H:Ax          

        D:--                                  There are 2 two card suits in dummy, one

        C:Q                                  accompanied by a master card. There is a second

        --------------                      entry via CQ in dummy. You have 2 trumps in hand.

  WEST  ||||||||||||||    EAST        Only W is controlling both the two card suits,

S:Ax    ||||||||||||||  S:9x                S and H. Now you play D6, W throws a C and you

H:Kx    ||||||||||||||  H:xx               discard a H from dummy. Then you play C to the

D:--    ||||||||||||||  D:--                  Q and W is squeezed. If he discards a H, you cash

C:x     ||||||||||||||  C:x                   HA, W drops the HK. Ruff a S, and HQ is good. If

        --------------                      W discards a S on CQ, you ruff a S, establishing

          SOUTH (D)                   SJ for which HA is an entry.

        S:--         

        H:Qx         

        D:65         

        C:x          

 

Split threat of Q of hearts . Q of clubs is squeeze card rather than a trump.

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TRUMP SQUEEZE EXAMPLES

 

        S:Kxx                     7S by S: Lead low D

        H:Kxx                     -------------------

        D:K109        

        C:AK10x                                Obviously DA is with E with either DJ or DQ.

        --------------                             You have one sure C loser. After putting D9

  WEST  ||||||||||||||    EAST               from dummy and ruffing E's Q, you have two

S:xx    ||||||||||||||  S:xx                       card suit in DK10 and 3 card suit in C,

H:xxxx  ||||||||||||||  H:xx                    accompanied by 2 entries in CAK in dummy. You

D:Jxxx  ||||||||||||||  D:AQ8xxx           are void in one suit viz D and your third

C:Qxx   ||||||||||||||  C:Jxx                  C may be a menace card. Therefore, take out

        --------------                            trumps, cash all 4 H and run S.

          SOUTH (D)

        S:AQJxxx     

        H:AQJx       

        D:---        

        C:xxx      

 

           NORTH

        S:--                                       Last 5 card position is as shown. You play 1

        H:--                                      more S, first W is squeezed. Say he throws a

        D:K10                                  D, you discard a C and E discards a C. Then

        C:AK10                                you play a C and pull out DK, ruffing DA and

        --------------                          dropping DJ of W. Your D10 is good and CK is

  WEST  ||||||||||||||    EAST            still an entry.

S:--       ||||||||||||||  S:--                    Suppose W discards a C on your S6, you still

H:--      ||||||||||||||  H:--                    discard C10 from dummy. If E discards a C,

D:Jx      ||||||||||||||  D:A8                 you cash CAK and come to hand by ruffing a D,

C:Qxx   ||||||||||||||  C:Jxx                and third C in hand is good. If E discards

        --------------                          D8, you play D10 and ruff the A in hand,

          SOUTH (D)                       establishing DK for which CK is still an

        S:6x                                      entry.

        H:--         

        D:--         

        C:xxx        

 

Bad example . This is actually a guard trump squeeze.

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(ii)

           NORTH(D)

        S:J10                       6S by S: Doubled by E: Lead H

        H:KQ73                      -----------------------------

        D:AQxx        

        C:Kxx                            E has overcalled 1H over 1D call by N. E takes HA and

        --------------                   back a HJ, dummy taking it with HQ. You

  WEST  ||||||||||||||    EAST      have 7S, 1H, 1D and 2C=11 tricks. You are

S:xxx   ||||||||||||||  S:x                already in the n-1 position. You could have

H:xxx   ||||||||||||||  H:AJ109x    thought of double squeeze if one opponent

D:932   ||||||||||||||  D:K10x        is controlling H and D and other is control-

C:Jxxx  ||||||||||||||  C:Q10xx     ling D and C, and therefore, none could

        --------------                    guard D, but then one of the two 1 card

          SOUTH                       menaces in H and D should be rightly placed.

        S:AKQxxxx                   Here it is known that E is controlling both

        H:x                                 H and D and N's menaces are to his right.

        D:Jxx                              Even transferring D menace to hand is not

        C:Ax                              going to help as W is not controlling D, but

 

           NORTH(D)

        S:--                                is controlling only C. Thus only hope is

        H:73                              Trump squeeze, by retaining 2 two-card suits

        D:AQ                             in dummy viz D and H. You already have an

        C:K                                additional entry in CK in dummy. Therefore,

        --------------                    run S. Last 5 card position is as shown.

  WEST  ||||||||||||||    EAST      Now on S6, you throw DQ from dummy and E

S:---   ||||||||||||||  S:--                 throws CQ. Now you play low C to K and E is

H:---   ||||||||||||||  H:109            squeezed. If he throws a H, you ruff a H,

D:932   ||||||||||||||  D:Kx           and H7 becomes good, DA being the entry. If

C:Jx    ||||||||||||||  C:Q               E throws a D, you cash DA, dropping DK from

        --------------                   E and then you ruff a H and DJ is good.

          SOUTH

        S:62         

        H:--         

        D:Jx         

        C:x          

 

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(iii)

           NORTH(D)

        S:AQxx                    7H by S: Lead DJ

        H:xxx                     ----------------

        D:AQ9         

        C:Axx                               N had opened 1C and E had bid 1D. Contract

        --------------                       depends on S finesse, but with E's overcall,

  WEST  ||||||||||||||    EAST         finesse is not going to work. S may be

S:10xx  ||||||||||||||  S:KJxx           protected by both E and W. You take DA, and

H:xx    ||||||||||||||  H:x                  start running H, cashing CKQ in between.

D:J10x  ||||||||||||||  D:K87xxx     You will have 2 two-card suits in dummy viz.

C:J10xxx||||||||||||||  C:xx             SAQ and DQ9. You are ruffing one of the two

        --------------                      suits. One of the suits is accompanied by

          SOUTH                         master card SA and therefore, one more entry

        S:9x                                  in CA will be required in dummy. If only E

        H:AKQJxxx                     is controlling both D and S i.e. holding DK10

        D:x                                   and SKJ10, he will be squeezed. If S is also

        C:KQx                              being controlled by W, then squeeze will not

 

           NORTH

        S:AQ                                 work unless he also has to guard D with D10.

        H:--                                   You play H6, W discards S and you discard SQ,

        D:Q9                                 and E SJ. Now you play low C to A and E has

        C:A                                   to throw D in which case you will pull out DQ,

        --------------                       ruffing E's DK and dropping D10 from W. SA is

  WEST  ||||||||||||||    EAST          still an entry for cashing D9. If W had

S:10xx  ||||||||||||||  S:KJ               discarded a S on CA, then you cash SA and come

H:---   ||||||||||||||  H:---                 to hand ruffing D and S9 is good. Let us say E

D:10x   ||||||||||||||  D:K8x            had discarded a D on H6 and W a S. Now on CA,

C:--    ||||||||||||||  C:---                 W has to choose again between S and D for a

        --------------                      discard. If he discards a S, E will be have

          SOUTH (D)                   to retain SKJ and bare his DK. Then D9 is

        S:9x                                  played and ruffed and DQ is good.

        H:6x         

        D:--         

        C:x          

 

 

 Also trump guard squeeze .