Yes, if playing in 6H the problem is not losing both a club trick and a diamond trick.. The computer says its possible, but when sitting at the table is it possible?
Yes, at trick 1 count your tricks. 1S, 5H, 2D, 2C. Looks like u need the club finesse for #11, so the 12th has to be the 4th club or the 4th diamond. You could just play the suits and hope there is a 3-3 break. 4-2 breaks are far more probable however, and in this case even more so given your knowledge of the oppo hands with South holding 7S. After ruffing a spade, drawing trumps, and playing 3 rounds of clubs and diamonds u know that south is 7=2=2=2, meaning north started with 4-4 in the minors. u will come down to an ending with -, x, x, x opposite x,-,jx,- On the lead of the last trump North is squeezed holding xx, QC. Welcome to squeezes.
1. Pick south has doubleton dK and play ace and a low one from both hands.
2. Leave a trump outstanding and play to ruff a club in the dummy.
3. Ruff two spades and the fourth diamond in hand - dummy reversal.
4. The squeeze above.
When playing the squeeze you have to be a little careful on the timing.
a. Say you take a diamond finesse and it is covered now you have not lost a trick and the squeeze will not operate. And you cannot duck a diamond if you have played three clubs as north will have a club to cash. If you play that way then you might have to duck the dK when the dQ is covered to rectify the count for the squeeze and to preserve an entry the dA to the hand with the squeeze card (the last trump).
b. If you play the three rounds of clubs first then play dA and another to the queen. South wins and has to play a spade by force. This spade is ruffed and squeezes north. I think this sort of squeeze is named a fratricide squeeze - killing one's brother (partner).
c. In practice I think you need to play the diamonds before you unblock three clubs in case north has the dK. Perhaps to preserve entries two rounds of clubs, ace first early before drawing trumps then run the jack - north can't cover without giving you the 12th trick in clubs. Then a low diamond towards the QJxx. Keeping the ace as an entry. Now you win if the dK is onside (with north) or if the squeeze operates.
Wayne, I agree the other ways are possible, but they seem like low probability events - 1 requires South to have Kx of diamonds, which is unlikely a priori and even more unlikely given the bidding. 2. requires the hand with short clubs to also have short hearts. 3. looks pretty scary as u have to play on diamonds before drawing 2 rounds trumps - if u draw trumps first they play play the third round when in with the KD. The best logical play for diamonds is A then over to the QD, if North has the KD then your problems are solved, but not on this hand.
Couple of additional points: a) a nice little app for learning about suit combinations such as how to the diamonds is called SuitPlay. b) the best way to recognise a squeeze situation at the table is to practice them- pattern recognition is a key part of good bridge. Get a book on squeezes and do the exercises, several times. David Bird's book is good don't know about others.
After north shows up with sKT and the cQ then the only values left for south are sQJ and dK. In addition south should have seven spades for 3S and has shown up with two hearts and two clubs so can have at most two diamonds. The unfavourable 3S is light with the dK it would be very light without it.
Good bidding by EW. Spot how to make 6H? No-one in the Intermediate room made 6 (whether in 6 or 4H).
ReplyDeleteYes, if playing in 6H the problem is not losing both a club trick and a diamond trick.. The computer says its possible, but when sitting at the table is it possible?
ReplyDeleteYes, at trick 1 count your tricks. 1S, 5H, 2D, 2C. Looks like u need the club finesse for #11, so the 12th has to be the 4th club or the 4th diamond. You could just play the suits and hope there is a 3-3 break. 4-2 breaks are far more probable however, and in this case even more so given your knowledge of the oppo hands with South holding 7S. After ruffing a spade, drawing trumps, and playing 3 rounds of clubs and diamonds u know that south is 7=2=2=2, meaning north started with 4-4 in the minors. u will come down to an ending with -, x, x, x opposite x,-,jx,- On the lead of the last trump North is squeezed holding xx, QC. Welcome to squeezes.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of ways to make.
Delete1. Pick south has doubleton dK and play ace and a low one from both hands.
2. Leave a trump outstanding and play to ruff a club in the dummy.
3. Ruff two spades and the fourth diamond in hand - dummy reversal.
4. The squeeze above.
When playing the squeeze you have to be a little careful on the timing.
a. Say you take a diamond finesse and it is covered now you have not lost a trick and the squeeze will not operate. And you cannot duck a diamond if you have played three clubs as north will have a club to cash. If you play that way then you might have to duck the dK when the dQ is covered to rectify the count for the squeeze and to preserve an entry the dA to the hand with the squeeze card (the last trump).
b. If you play the three rounds of clubs first then play dA and another to the queen. South wins and has to play a spade by force. This spade is ruffed and squeezes north. I think this sort of squeeze is named a fratricide squeeze - killing one's brother (partner).
c. In practice I think you need to play the diamonds before you unblock three clubs in case north has the dK. Perhaps to preserve entries two rounds of clubs, ace first early before drawing trumps then run the jack - north can't cover without giving you the 12th trick in clubs. Then a low diamond towards the QJxx. Keeping the ace as an entry. Now you win if the dK is onside (with north) or if the squeeze operates.
Wayne, I agree the other ways are possible, but they seem like low probability events - 1 requires South to have Kx of diamonds, which is unlikely a priori and even more unlikely given the bidding. 2. requires the hand with short clubs to also have short hearts. 3. looks pretty scary as u have to play on diamonds before drawing 2 rounds trumps - if u draw trumps first they play play the third round when in with the KD.
DeleteThe best logical play for diamonds is A then over to the QD, if North has the KD then your problems are solved, but not on this hand.
Couple of additional points:
Deletea) a nice little app for learning about suit combinations such as how to the diamonds is called SuitPlay.
b) the best way to recognise a squeeze situation at the table is to practice them- pattern recognition is a key part of good bridge. Get a book on squeezes and do the exercises, several times. David Bird's book is good don't know about others.
After north shows up with sKT and the cQ then the only values left for south are sQJ and dK. In addition south should have seven spades for 3S and has shown up with two hearts and two clubs so can have at most two diamonds. The unfavourable 3S is light with the dK it would be very light without it.
DeleteThat was meant to be 3 rounds of clubs and 2 rounds of diamonds.
ReplyDelete