[inquiry]

"Loser" Defect in the Basic Simple Squeeze Position.

This is a continuation of the introductory squeeze material I presented in this forum, back in 2004. It is being posted in response to a question by SimonFa about "rectifying the count." In the first several installments, we covered the basic requirements for an automatic simple squeeze (clyde love's BLUE). Then off those requirements, changes in "E" (entry conditions) were investigated that gave rise to many different squeeze types (other squeeze, including criss-cross, vienna coup, positional simple squeeze, trump squeeze, guard squeeze, clash squeeze, entry-shifting squeeze, etc). Then we looked at remedies when there were errors with "B", which included such simple things as isolating a menace or transferring a menace to get to a simple squeeze, then double squeezes, compound squeezes, reciprocal squeezes, compound squeeze, double quard squeeze, compound guard squeeze, double clash squeeze, hexagonal squeeze, and hedgehog squeezes.

All the squeeze endings I have presented up until this thread require the loser count to be one. The next logical defect in the basic squeeze position that needs to be examined is when the loser count is defective. The most common defect is too many losers (greater than one), and this thread will deal with these endings. There is another type of loser defect that we will investigate later in thread where the loser count is either ZERO, or one but losers still loom due to a blocked entry condition. In the first case, the squeeze is needed to keep from losing a trick, in the second case, the squeeze is used to hold your losers to only one.

The most common position when loser count is defective is that you have two or more losers when you are trying to win just one extra trick. However, there are ending where you have two or more losers and you need to win not one, but extra tricks. Sometimes you will be able to do that. In fact, you will learn that having a defective "loser count" can sometimes be a blessing.

Before we are though with this thread, we will have covered:

• losing card squeezes
• correcting the count
• non-repeating triple squeezes
• repeating triple squeezes
• delayed duck squeeze
• strip squeezes (excessive winners squeezes)
• vulnerable stopper squeezes

Future thread will also cover some exotic squeezes with more than one loser, but also have other problems like a blocked entry conditions. These will be such squeeze as:

• winkle (squeeze)
• steppingstone squeeze
• knockout squeeze
• backwash squeeze

The easiest remedy to a defective loser count is to "correct the count" (or rectify the count). There is not a lot of strategy to most of the correct the count positions. You simply lose the trick(s) necessary to get the count down to where the squeeze can be executed. However, it is also common that complications will not let you correct the count at first. For instance, there are times that if you duck a trick, the opponents can return a suit that removes your necessary entry conditions before the squeeze card is played. So you have to be careful when choosing to "correct the count." Clyde Love's advice is to correct the count as soon as feasible. Let's look at an example *yeah for hand viewer*

You reach a reasonable 6NT. You have 11 top tricks (2♠, 2♥, 2♦, and 5♣). YOU HAVE plenty of entries, and threat in three potential suits (H+S+D), but loser is "wrong" for a simple or double squeeze). Six clubs would have been safer perhaps, but the trick is to win 12 tricks in notrump. If one of the majors splits 3-3, all you have to do is win AK and exit in that suit to establish the extra trick that you need. But if you play AK and exit in major and the suit is divided 4=2, they will cash the setting trick. A safer way is to guess a major to be 3=3 and duck a trick in that suit. Turns out, this "safer way" also solves the problem with "L" for a number of potential squeezes.

After you "duck" a major to try to establish a long suit winner in that suit, you also "rectify the count" in case either opponent is 4=4 in the majors. You also have a chance that someone might have the ♦QJ, or when you duck a major, they return a high diamond to establish the ♦T as a threat against one or the other opponents.

So the "solution" is to duck either a spade or a heart. It really doesn't matter on this hand. You might duck a spade to establish a spade as a threat in one hand opposite a diamond or a heart in the other. To do this duck, it is best to cash the king then duck 2nd round (to avoid blocking the suit). Or you can duck a heart.

Note after you duck a major (and then cash ♦A before running clubs), east is crushed by a simple squeeze in the majors. CHECK BLUE
B = EAST is busy in both majors
L = one (after losing the major trick)
U = heart threat is in the upper hand
E = heart Ace or KING if you duck a spade or if they return a non-heart, or spade king if they do return a heart.

Click through the play to see the problem East has on the last free club winner (play stops there). So here, trying to establish a long major by ducking one also serves to "rectify the count". As we shall soon see, it is not always this easy rectify the count early.

NOTE (NOT SHOWN).. if east had 2♠, ♦QJx and three hearts, this would be double squeeae
if east had 2♠, 4♥, ♦QJ the ending would be a red suit squeeze against him.
In all three potential squeeze endings, it was necessary to lose a trick early and to maintain an entry to the hand opposite the squeeze card. To empower the ♦T as a potential threat, I choose to duck the spade instead of the heart, especially in a double squeeze position.

---

[inquiry]

Losing Card Squeeze

Another way to correct the count is to lose a trick to one opponent that simultaneously squeezes his partner. What is actually happening is the "squeeze card" does not have to be a winner when you have two losers, and the opponent who wins that trick has no other winners to cash, nor any lead that could break up the squeeze. A typical ending might be this one.

South to play


Analysis of Blue
B: West busy in Spades and hearts
L: One winner (spade A), two losers
U: Both heart and spade in upper hand
E: Spade ACE

SQ: ? The diamond two which East wins with the Six.

---

In this ending when South leads the diamond two, west is squeezed. If he throws a spade, dummy lets go the heart ten, and wins the last two tricks in spades. If West throws his heart JACK, North lets go the spade JACK, and wins the last two tricks with the heart and the spade ACE. The fact that EAST wins the diamond lead has no effect on the way the squeeze works against WEST.

As noted in the first post in this thread, a simple rule to live by when thinking of a squeeze is to lose the necessary tricks as soon as feasible to set the squeeze up. The losing card squeeze is an example of correcting the count at the last possible minute. You will often see experts losing a trick very early in the hand to set up a potential squeeze later.

[BunnyGo]

Thanks for continuing this Ben, I couldn't find all the previous links (in particular the "B" deficiency thread). I'm enjoying your blog doing this as well.

[inquiry]

quiz one.

Let's ignore N/S bidding (but not east's).

WEST starts the ♦T, you can not win the diamond queen, but you consider playing it anyway. If you play the queen, east plays the king, if you play low, east plays the jack.

CONSIDER BLUE (possible menaces and which are upper, entries, losers)

What problems exist with BLUE

PLAN YOUR PLAY

---

[inquiry]

Unusual Problem with "L", zero losers and one loser where you are willing to lose a trick

The squeezes I have presented in all the beginner/intermediate threads have require the loser count to be one: even the ones above dealing with rectifying count in this thread. We will shortly turn to plays to help you compensate for endings in which the loser count is too high (L=2+), but bizarrely enough you will sometimes need a squeeze plays to help you compensate for when the defect is that you loser count is not too high (say 2 losers instead of 1), but rather it is too low! That's right, it is sometimes necessary to execute a squeeze play when your loser count is zero!!!

How can this be, you might ask? With zero losers your first impulse might be to assume you can simply claim all the remaining tricks. But in the first three threads on squeezes, you may realize that blocked entry conditions may exist that make it impossible to simply cash all your winners. This is when a squeeze play can come to your rescue. We will examine just such a blocked ending, and then, for completeness, show a similar ending where the loser count is one but due to the blocked entry condition you will be at risk of losing two tricks. In this second case, you will not be trying to squeeze to gain the extra trick, but rather to just get what is rightfully yours.

Proof of principle: Blocking ending squeeze with L = 0

Lead in south. You have two ♣ and one ♠ winner but no way to cash your ♣K and then get to dummy for the ♣A. But this is like a clash squeeze on just one person. He has little choice but to give you your third trick when cash the ♠A. OF course during play, you would try to avoid such blockage if you could.

---

That squeeze is neat, but hardly anything to get excited about. But how about an ending like this one?

Entry shifting squeeze with L=0

In this ending (with the lead in north), you have 6 winners (3♥ with two hooks, two ♦, and the ♠A). The ending looks simple, diamond to the ace, spade ace, pitch a heart on the spade ace, but then.... you get locked in dummy on the heart hook. How about diamond to the ace, pitch middle heart honor on the spade ace and then lead the heart ten? West covers the ten, and you lose a heart to the nine.


The solution is a little hard to see. INSTEAD of playing a low diamond to the ACE, play the diamond king and overtake with the diamond ACE. Now when you play the ♠A what is West to play? IF he discards a heart, you throw the diamond from dummy and then led the ♥T and pick the entire suit up. So what if he discards a diamond? Here is what an entry squeeze does for you. The diamond discard doesn't really set up an immediate trick for you, since you were always winning two diamonds tricks. It may look like this is no squeeze at all because of that, but watch what happens, if by magic. You now discard a low heart from dummy, take the heart hook, and then led the ♦2 to the ♦3 and repeat the heart hook. The squeeze gave you the extra entry needed to finesse twice in hearts.

---

This is one of many "non-material squeezes" covered by Ottik and Kelsey in "Adventures and in card play", my absolutely favorite book. You have little chance of getting these ending right if you have never studied how to deal with block entry condition squeezes. This entry squeeze will turn up again later when you have a sure losers but a blocked position like this.

What have we learned

• Some squeeze work with an apparent loser count of zero but that block condition prevents you from winning all your tricks
• an entry squeeze may give you a vital entry when you are one entry short to unravel your winners
• Adventures in card play in inquiries favorite bridge book, nah, any kind of book

Next time we start looking at hands with Bigger Loser counts (L = 2+).

[inquiry]

Loser count = 2, you need all the rest of the tricks:
Part A. The triple squeeze

If you have gotten this far in the threads on squeezes, you have learned that when the loser count = 1, a squeeze can very often force another winner for you. But we were careful to keep the number of loser at 1. When loser = 2, it is possible, sometimes, for a squeeze to gain two tricks immediately, or set up a winner that when cashed executes another squeeze. These two trick gaining squeezes are often referred to as "progressive", and we shall see a variety of them that work either against one opponent, or against both.

Let's start with the easy progressive squeeze to find and to execute, the so called triple squeeze (there is a non-progressive version as well, which gains only one trick).

We have seen a large number of hands where one opponent was squeeeze in three suits (such as compound squeeeze, guard squeeze, clash squeeze), and we found that this squeeze worked on the next to last free winner, and you still had a squeeze card left to play. In those endings, L=1, so there was room for one more squeeze card. In a two loser squeeze, you will not have that extra squeeze card, but the last squeeze card can setup an extra winner. Let's look at a very simple ending...

Winners, four aces, so L = 2.
West is busy in all three suits
Loser = *defective (two)
HEARTS and DIAMONDS are both in the upper hand
Entries: primary ♥A and ♦A
secondary ♣A

*Loser count is defective only in the sense of a simple squeeze, actually two losers is the "right" number for a triple squeeze.

West alone protects against all three jacks.

When you cash the spade ACE, West is squeezed in three suits. If he throws a club, you win ♣A then ♣Jack to squeeze him in the red suits.

If he throws a heart, you win the ♥A then ♥J to squeeze him in the minors. And if he throws a diamond, you win ♦A and ♦J to squeeze him in the rounded suits.

---

This squeeze is progressive, the spade ACE forces WEST to discard a guard which sets up a second squeeze. For the second squeeze to work, BLUE has to be satisfied. This suggest that if WEST has an option which winner to set up for you he can do so that either A.) forces you to use your primary entry so the second squeeze will not work, or B.) sets up the winner in a suit that you no longer have an UPPER threat.


Let's make a minor change to the last hand, to see one time when a triple squeeze is not progressive.

---

Winners, four aces, so L = 2.


West alone protects against all three jacks.


When you cash the spade ACE, West is squeezed in three suits. If he throws a club, you win ♣A then ♣JACK to squeeze him in the red suits. If he throws a ♥, you win the ♥A then jack to squeeze him in the minors.


So far the results are the same as in the first diagram, but watch what happens if West discards a diamond in this ending. The diamond discard sets up a winner for you (the ♦J. So you can cash the ♦A and ♦J, but no extra trick appears. West will match south's discard on the ♦J.

You should see why the squeeze repeated in the first instance (two threats in the upper hand) and it didn't repeat in the second case (only one threat in the upper hand). What the clever West did was abandon the lone threat in the "upper hand". So that the second "squeeze" ending "U" is flawed (no remaining threat in the upper hand against west).


What we have learned.

• When loser is flawed such that :L = 2, the squeeze may still gain two tricks if one opponent holds guards in all thre suits
• This repeating triple squeeze requires necesssary entries, and two threats in the upper hand
• A good defensive measure to break up the three suit squeeze is to establish the threat in the upper hand

Next time, ways to overcome the lack of TWO threats in the upper hand or entry problems.

[inquiry]

Triple squeeze, Loser =2, only one threat in the upper hand

Last time we examined a squeeze that would gain TWO tricks if

• only one hand was guarding against threats in three suits,
• if the entries were right, and
• if two of the three threat suits lay in the upper hand.

This last requirement is easy to see, once you figure out who you are squeezing. Your victim can escape the squeeze for the second trick by establishing the threat in the upper hand if the upper hand has only one threat. That is simple. The solution that often repairs this problem is also simple if you think about it. What would that be?
If the person you squeeze has to give up two tricks immediately if he establishes the threat in the upper hand. When will this gift occur? When the threat in the upper hand is what is often referred to as an "extended threat".. here is an example.

This ending should look familiar...this is almost exactly the losing position at the end of the post above, but notice, we move one small club from north's hand to diamonds.

What a difference that 3 of diamonds makes!

When you cash your spade ace now, West is deprived of his killing defense in the last post of establishing north's diamonds. You can see why now. If he discards a diamond, you win not one extra diamond trick (the JACK), but two (the diamond 3 will be established too).

Extended threats will be useful in a lot of multiple loser squeezes. Be sure to learn to look for them, and not to squander small cards in one of your potential threat suits if you can help it.

---

What have we learned?

• What an extended threat is, how it can be useful
  
• In a triple squeeze with only one threat in the upper hand, if that threat is an extended threat, the squeeze will be progressive

[BunnyGo]

inquiry, on 2012-March-12, 15:17, said:

quiz one.

Let's ignore N/S bidding (but not east's).

WEST starts the ♦T, you can not win the diamond queen, but you consider playing it anyway. If you play the queen, east plays the king, if you play low, east plays the jack.

CONSIDER BLUE (possible menaces and which are upper, entries, losers)

What problems exist with BLUE

PLAN YOUR PLAY

---

Spoiler

I would duck the diamond all around. Win the continuation, pull trump, and play a double squeeze hoping for LHO to have 5 hearts and spades as the double threat. There's probably something better, but I don't see it.

[BunnyGo]

inquiry, on 2012-March-12, 21:07, said:

Adventures in card play is inquiries favorite bridge book, nah, any kind of book.

And I was also interested to see how you apply the possessive to your nom.

[Zelandakh]

Ben, in your "entry shifting squeeze with 0 losers" it looks like cashing ♠A followed by ♦K-A does the trick - no need for the extra entry for a second heart finesse. North comes down to ♥AQJ, South ♥xx + ♣K; West must keep ♣A so only has space for 2 hearts. It is kind of funny that the answer to this hand appears to be "cash all your winners ending in hand and take a heart finesse"! I suspect many club players would get this right without ever realising a squeeze had operated.

[inquiry]

Zelandakh, on 2012-March-13, 02:47, said:

Ben, in your "entry shifting squeeze with 0 losers" it looks like cashing ♠A followed by ♦K-A does the trick - no need for the extra entry for a second heart finesse. North comes down to ♥AQJ, South ♥xx + ♣K; West must keep ♣A so only has space for 2 hearts. It is kind of funny that the answer to this hand appears to be "cash all your winners ending in hand and take a heart finesse"! I suspect many club players would get this right without ever realising a squeeze had operated.

Thanks for pointing out that I screwed up the ending. The entry squeeze would have worked as I drew it up, but as you point out was not needed thats to a different squeeze. I hope I have fixed it now so the entry squeeze is needed.

[inquiry]

quiz two

OPENING LEAD WAS THE ♦JACK, EAST FOLLOWED WITH THE TWO (UDCA)

(CLICK NEXT TO FOLLOW THE PLAY)

Hoping to drop the ♣Q with ♣AK and a single ruff which solve all your problems, you ignore the chance for the diamond finesse (winning the ace) and cash one top club trick, and ruff the second club HIGH.

After the club ruff, you play three rounds of trumps (east had one trump), and cashing the ♣A hoping to drop the queen, but to your dismay that hope was crush when when west showed out (marking east with five clubs on this hand).
Here you have 2♣ winners, 6♠ winners, 2♥ winners, and 1♦ winner.


EVALUATE your chance and BLUE, then plan your play (what do you play EAST to have).

---

[BunnyGo]

inquiry, on 2012-March-13, 14:14, said:

quiz two

OPENING LEAD WAS THE ♦JACK, EAST FOLLOWED WITH THE TWO (UDCA)

(CLICK NEXT TO FOLLOW THE PLAY)

Hoping to drop the ♣Q with ♣AK and a single ruff which solve all your problems, you ignore the chance for the diamond finesse (winning the ace) and cash one top club trick, and ruff the second club HIGH.

After the club ruff, you play three rounds of trumps (east had one trump), and cashing the ♣A hoping to drop the queen, but to your dismay that hope was crush when when west showed out (marking east with five clubs on this hand).
Here you have 2♣ winners, 6♠ winners, 2♥ winners, and 1♦ winner.


EVALUATE your chance and BLUE, then plan your play (what do you play EAST to have).

---

Spoiler

I guess I'll play E for the K♦ and 4 hearts. I pitch the ♦ from hand, and ruff a ♣. Then on the last trump I pitch a heart. Declarer can't pitch another heart or give me the contract then, but when he pitches a diamond or club the squeeze repeats after entering dummy with a heart and cashing the set up winner.

[Zelandakh]

inquiry, on 2012-March-13, 12:44, said:

Thanks for pointing out that I screwed up the ending. The entry squeeze would have worked as I drew it up, but as you point out was not needed thats to a different squeeze. I hope I have fixed it now so the entry squeeze is needed.

It is still not quite right Ben. Now South can win by running the ♥10 and playing up to the ♥8 if it is covered (although that does require an extra card right). Perhaps give East ♥9xxx?

[inquiry]

Zelandakh, on 2012-March-14, 06:34, said:

It is still not quite right Ben. Now South can win by running the ♥10 and playing up to the ♥8 if it is covered (although that does require an extra card right). Perhaps give East ♥9xxx?

Actually, I think it is right. Let's review the ending.

I actually think the ending is correct. Here it is again, we will walk through a few possible lines. Remember, the lead is in north.

To lead any heart you have to get to south, let's imagine for a minute you play a small diamond to the ace, and then lead the heart Ten

---

Here is the position after south wins the diamond ace. Let's see what happens on the three most obvious lines.

Line one, you play the heart ten now. WEST covers, you win ace in dummy, but will eventually lose the ♥8 to West's heart nine

Line two, you cash the spade ace, west discards a diamond, and you discard the 8 of hearts. Now when you lead a heart (for argument, the ten), west plays low, dummy wins the queen or jack, and you lose a heart to west king later as no way off dummy.

Line three, you cash spade ace, west discards a diamond, dummy discards the diamond king. This looks better, you can now cash the high diamond and both west and north play a heart. BUT what heart do you discard on the diamond? If the heart 8, then when you lead a heart, west plays low, and you are forced to win in dummy and will lose a heart to the king after all. What if you discard a heart honor (say the jack) and lead the ♥T? Now west covers, you win in dummy with the ace, but have to lost a trick to the heart nine.

---

All is not lost however, lets go back to the original position and play the diamond king to the diamond Ace. Now cash the spade Ace. West will have to discard a diamond again, not giving you anything you didn't already have (you always had two diamond winners), but he is giving up something of great value, an extra entry to south. On the spade ace, you can discard the heart 8 from dummy. Now you play a heart to the jack, and re-enter south by leading the diamond 2 to the diamond 3 to repeat the heart finesse.

If you don't have that ♦2 left in dummy this will not work (see ending above).

---

[inquiry]

Quote

quiz one.

Let's ignore N/S bidding (but not east's).

WEST starts the ♦T, you can not win the diamond queen, but you consider playing it anyway. If you play the queen, east plays the king, if you play low, east plays the jack.

CONSIDER BLUE (possible menaces and which are upper, entries, losers)

What problems exist with BLUE

PLAN YOUR PLAY

---

BunnyGo, on 2012-March-13, 01:09, said:

I would duck the diamond all around. Win the continuation, pull trump, and play a double squeeze hoping for LHO to have 5 hearts and spades as the double threat. There's probably something better, but I don't see it.

Let's consider BLUE. It is often best to start with "L" and possible "U" and go from there. You have six club winners, 4 major winners, and a diamond for 11 tricks. You need 12, so L = 2 (which is defective for a squeeze, but other things might exist). You have, as potential threats dummy's 3rd heart and your 3rd spade and diamond.

Possible squeezes based upon these threats (ignoring the problem with "L" now are:
Simple squeezes (none likely)

• heart-spade on west (if he is 5 hearts and 6 spades) -- not likely, especially without michaels cue-bid
• heart-diamond on east (if he has 5 hearts and 6 diamonds)
• spade-diamond on east (if he has 6 spades and 6 diamonds)

double squeezes:

• diamond against east (he has 6), spades against west (he has six) and both in hearts (hearts 4-3 or 3-4)
• diamond against east (he has 6), heart against west (he has five) and both in spades (spades 5-3, 3-5, 4-4 or 4-4)

compound squeeze

• diamonds against east, hearts and spades split evenly (this squeeze will often fail, unless east's three or four hearts include the three or more of the ♥QJT9, if he has all four, it is a simple squeeze again). Of course, even when the squeeze should fail (give east ♥qjx and ♠qjx), the defense might get their discards wrong.

From the bidding, especially since EW have so few hcp, it is reasonable to think East has at least six diamonds. One fear is that he has seven, and if you duck, west can ruff a diamond setting you immediately. Alternatively, you can hope that east has just six diamonds and correct the count immediately. The advantage of ducking immediately can not be overstated. If you win the first trick, and pull trumps, then duck a diamond to east, he will return a high diamond and wipeout your diamond threat against him.

AFTER ducking the first diamond, if east has 6D and 2H, or 6D and something like ♥QT9, OR ♥JT9, the double or compound squeeze will work. The play is just as bunnygo suggested. You have to risk ducking the first trick, win the diamond continuation, and run clubs... the actual hand was

This was the actual hand. Bunnygo got it right. It is hard to duck the first trick due to the fear of a diamond ruff, but, what choice do you have?

---

[SimonFa]

inquiry, on 2012-March-13, 14:14, said:

quiz two

OPENING LEAD WAS THE ♦JACK, EAST FOLLOWED WITH THE TWO (UDCA)

(CLICK NEXT TO FOLLOW THE PLAY)

Hoping to drop the ♣Q with ♣AK and a single ruff which solve all your problems, you ignore the chance for the diamond finesse (winning the ace) and cash one top club trick, and ruff the second club HIGH.

After the club ruff, you play three rounds of trumps (east had one trump), and cashing the ♣A hoping to drop the queen, but to your dismay that hope was crush when when west showed out (marking east with five clubs on this hand).
Here you have 2♣ winners, 6♠ winners, 2♥ winners, and 1♦ winner.


EVALUATE your chance and BLUE, then plan your play (what do you play EAST to have).

---

ben,

Great stuff, thank you.

O/T but you tell us E/W playing UDCA. I understood that good players usually give present count on declarer lead but in this case both play clubs low high showing even - was this deliberate to show that good players often think about making declarer's life harder or just an oversight? If both players give honest count it makes the play a bit easier.

Or have I lost the plot, which is quite likely.
Thanks,

Simon

[inquiry]

SimonFa, on 2012-March-15, 15:30, said:

ben,

Great stuff, thank you.

O/T but you tell us E/W playing UDCA. I understood that good players usually give present count on declarer lead but in this case both play clubs low high showing even - was this deliberate to show that good players often think about making declarer's life harder or just an oversight? If both players give honest count it makes the play a bit easier.

Or have I lost the plot, which is quite likely.
Thanks,

Simon

The play has stopped with you to discard on the ♣A. I have told you in the problem that west is going to show out on this trick. So west had two clubs, east five clubs. On trick one, East played a very low diamond, suggesting, as you now hope, that east has the diamond king.

So you have to decide what to discard on the ♣A (assuming you are not ruffing it), and what you need to hope for to make the hand. IT helps to run through BLUE. When west shows out...
1. how many losers do you have
2. what threats do you have
3. which ones are in the upper hand
4. what are the entries

how are you going to make it?