Knockout Squeeze - Example 1

Example 1

♠ 10
♥ 7
♦ 10 4
♣ 6
♠ 4

N

W E

S

 ♠ 8
♥ J ♥ —
♦ 8 5 2 ♦ K Q
♣ — ♣ J 8
North on lead ♠ J 9
♥ —
♦ 7
♣ 7 5

In a spade contract, declarer needs three of the last five tricks. He can't play for a crossruff because East will get the lead in a minor suit and lead his ♠8. Declarer leads dummy's ♥7 and East's hand collapses.

  • If East discards a diamond, South ruffs with the ♠J and leads a diamond, to win two spades and a diamond.
  • If East discards a club on the ♥7, South ruffs with the ♠9 and leads a club, to win two spades and a club.
  • And if East discards his trump, South can overruff with either the ♠J or the ♠9 and play a minor suit, eventually making his two remaining trumps separately.

The salient point in the diagram position is that because East holds a trump, South can't just duck a minor suit trick to set up a crossruff. If he does, East will win and lead his trump, killing the crossruff. East does not threaten to take a trump trick, just to lead his trump and stop dummy's ruff.

But if East gives up his guard in either minor, he gives South an additional trick in the side suit, and now South no longer needs the ruff.

Notice the entry-shifting mechanism in the trump suit. South chooses the card to ruff with depending on East's discard. If East discards a diamond on the ♥7, South ruffs high so that he can later win a trump trick with the ♠10. If East discards a club on the ♥7, South ruffs low so that he can later win the ♠J.

Read more about this topic:  Knockout Squeeze