Triple Squeeze - Example: Triple Squeeze With Potential Misdefense

Example: Triple Squeeze With Potential Misdefense

Here is an example of a triple squeeze that should not become progressive:

South, pushed to 5♥ by the nonvulnerable opponents, ruffs the second diamond lead and runs hearts to reach this position:

South cannot be prevented from winning six more tricks, and if West isn't careful South will win all seven. When South leads his last heart, West is triple-squeezed and must discard the ♦Q to stop the overtrick. Now South discards dummy's ♠2 and crosses to the ♠A. Dummy's ♦9 is cashed, South discards the ♣5, and West lets go the ♣10. South can now cash two clubs and a spade but must give up either a spade or a club at the end.

If West discarded from a black suit when South cashed the final heart, the position would progress to another squeeze, of the simple squeeze variety. The reason that this does not occur after the ♦Q is discarded on the ♥9 is that a squeezed position requires that at least one threat sit over the squeezed opponent. After West discards, say, the ♣10 on the ♥9, dummy discards a small club, keeping dummy's ♦9 as a threat sitting over West's ♦Q. Now South can cash the ♣A, the ♣K and the ♣9 to effect another squeeze, a simple two-suit squeeze in spades and diamonds, against West.

But if West discards the ♦Q on South's final heart, South cannot arrange for a threat to sit over West's black suit holdings, a progressive squeeze cannot mature, and South is held to the one additional trick he gets from the triple squeeze.