Jettison Squeeze

By Patrick Jourdain

Within an hour of arriving on Tuesday evening this reporter had a story worth the telling. "What about a slam made on a three-suit squeeze, with a twist?" asked Goran Mattsson, "and a trump coup at the other table?"

"Tell me more." The deal was from the Round 8 Seniors Bowl encounter between Germany and USA1:

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ Q 3 ♥ Q 8 ♦ K Q 10 9 8 4 ♣ J 8 4
♠ J 8 6 2 ♥ 9 7 2 ♦ J 7 6 2 ♣ 7 5		♠ K 10 5 ♥ J 10 6 5 ♦ 3 ♣ K 10 9 3 2
	♠ A 9 7 4 ♥ A K 4 3 ♦ A 5 ♣ A Q 6

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Strater	Weichsel	Kratz	Sontag
			1♣*
Pass	2♦	Pass	2♥*
Pass	3♦	Pass	3♠*
Pass	3NT	Pass	4♦*
Pass	5♦	Pass	6♦
All Pass

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Meltzer	Humburg	Hayden	Mattsson
			1♣*
Pass	2♦	Pass	3♦
Pass	3NT	Pass	6NT
All Pass

In the Open Room, Alan Sontag opened a strong 1♣ andreceived a natural positive response. After some asking bids they ended in 6♦.

East led a heart. Peter Weichsel, North, won in hand, and cashed two rounds of diamonds. When East threw a club,declarer took time out. He continued with a heart to the ace, the king of hearts, on which he threw a spade, ace of spades, a spade ruff, a club to the queen, a spade ruff, a club to the ace, a third spade ruff, and his top trump. Twelve tricks. East had a good club, and West a master trump but they felltogether at trick thirteen. Other tables in 6♦ followed similar lines. After the club to the queen at trick eight, you can also cash the ace next, then take the second spade ruff, and exit with a club, coming to two trumps at the end. You might think this is an improvement, guarding against the danger that West can throw his last club on the third spade, but as East has already followed to three hearts, West's shape cannot be 2-5-4-2.

In the Closed Room Mattsson's opening was Polish Club. The natural positive response showed at least 10 points. Three Diamonds was artificial, promising the strong version of the club, and two natural bids followed. The lead against Six No Trump was again a low heart. Hans Humburg as declarer had to win in dummy to preserve an entry to hand, and he followed with two top diamonds. This time, when East threw a club, things were much tougher. Declarer did not want to squeeze dummy too quickly so he followed with the ten of diamonds, throwing a spade from dummy. West, Rose Meltzer, won and correctly exited with a heart to declarer's queen. This forced declarer to cash his diamonds before the ending for a squeeze had been tidied up. The club finesse had to win, and East was likely to guard hearts. Butbecause declarer had been unable to cash the ace of spades, it was only the fact that East also guarded that suit that saved the situation. Declarer's problem appeared to be one of guessing which suit East had unguarded, but there was an amusing solution to this. East was actually squeezed by the penultimate diamond, in this ending:

	♠ Q 3 ♥ – ♦ 8 4 ♣ J 8 4
♠ J 8 6 2 ♥ 9 ♦ – ♣ 7 5		♠ K 10 ♥ J 10 ♦ – ♣ K 10 9
	♠ A 9 ♥ K 4 ♦ – ♣ A Q 6

East, Garey Hayden, correctly decided his only hope was to rely on his partner to hold the spade queen, so he threw his ten of spades. Humburg could not be sure that suit was providing the twelfth trick, so he also threw a low spade, temporarily blocking the suit. He then continued with the lastdiamond.

It looked as if the heart-club squeeze was dead but, when East had to dispose of the king of spades, declarer was able to resurrect it – he ditched the ace of spades from dummy, and followed with the now good queen from his hand. Hayden at last had to concede; 2 IMPs to Germany, but USA1 won the match 23-7.