Knockout Squeeze - Example 3

Example 3

Discussing the relationship between backwash and knockout squeezes, Kelsey and Ottlik state, "The KO squeeze is, in fact, the general form of the strategic squeeze against 'idle' trump cards, of which the backwash . . . is a particular case."

The backwash and the knockout squeezes can be distinguished by whether the squeezed defender must play before or after third hand ruffs: in the knockout squeeze, the squeezed defender plays prior to the ruff; in the backwash squeeze, after. The following example is from Kelsey and Ottlik:

Against 4♠, West leads a small trump. The defense is now a tempo ahead, if South plays to ruff a diamond in dummy. Seeing this, South wins dummy's ♠8, takes the heart finesse, and cashes the ♣K, the ♣A, and then ruffs the ♣8 with the ♠K in this position:

East is knockout-squeezed. On the ♣8:

But suppose that the East-West hands are switched, except that East retains the ♥K (the successful heart finesse plays no role in the squeeze itself):

South plays as before, winning the trump opening lead in dummy, taking the heart finesse, and then playing on clubs, to reach this position before leading the third club:

South ruffs the third round of clubs with the ♠K and West is backwash-squeezed. The defense has the same losing options as it does when East is knockout-squeezed. Regardless of the terminology, this matrix of threats results in an automatic squeeze.