Triple Squeeze - One Threat Opposite The Squeeze Card

One Threat Opposite The Squeeze Card

Clyde Love, in his classic book on squeeze play, classifies triple squeezes according to the number of threats opposite the squeeze card. (This article assumes, for consistency, that it is always South who holds the squeeze card.) In the example given above, only one threat, the ♦9, was opposite the squeeze card, the ♥9, and West was squeezed. In that case, and if West defends correctly, this triple squeeze cannot become a progressive squeeze.

Again with North holding one threat, the triple squeeze will become a progressive squeeze against East if the necessary entry conditions are present: both North and South have entries in their own threat suits. In the following example, North holds one threat card (the ♠9), and East is to be triple-squeezed. Given those conditions, and with the ♥J as an entry to South's ♥4 and the ♠Q as an entry to the ♠9, the triple squeeze must always work as a progressive squeeze against East:

At notrump, South plays the ♣3 and dummy discards the ♦4. East is triple squeezed, and regardless of his discard South can squeeze him in his two remaining suits, to win all five tricks.