Simple squeeze

Earlier, Examples 1 and 4, illustrated positional and automatic squeezes; here, they also illustrate one way to satisfy a simple squeeze's entry requirement.

One of the threat cards is the ♠J. It lies opposite the squeeze card (the ♣A), and it is accompanied by an entry (the ♠A) in its own suit. The hand containing the squeeze card must of course have another card (here, the ♠4) that can be used to cross to the ♠A after the squeeze has taken place.

Another entry position in the simple squeeze gives dummy, for example, an immediate winner and a small card in declarer's threat suit. This position is termed a split two-card threat or split two-card menace. The split two-card threat "splits" the threat between declarer's hand and dummy.

In Example 5, the spade threat is the ♠J. The split two-card threat splits the spade threat's immediate winner, the ♠A, from the threat itself. Dummy holds an immediate winner in the suit where declarer holds the threat.

When the squeeze card, the ♣A, is played, West might discard the ♥A. Then dummy throws the ♠3 and cashes the ♠A and the ♥K. If West discards the ♠Q instead, dummy throws the ♥K. South plays the ♠2 to the ♠A, removing West's remaining ♠K, and takes the last trick with the ♠J.

Notice that the simple squeeze with a split two-card menace is a positional squeeze. It will not operate against East if West's cards in Example 5 are transferred to East, as in Example 6. In Example 6, the split two-card menace is still present but if dummy discards the ♠3 on the ♣A, East discards the ♠Q and declarer must still lose to the ♥A. If dummy instead discards the ♥K, East throws the ♥A and declarer must still lose to the ♠K.

The problem in Example 6 is that declarer does not hold an entry to the ♠J threat after playing the squeeze card. The twin-entry threat converts the positional split-threat squeeze to an automatic squeeze. See Example 7.

Dummy holds winner-and-small in declarer's threat suit, as with the split two-card menace in Examples 5 and 6, but now declarer also has a winner (the ♠K) in that threat suit. This is a twin-entry squeeze and is automatic: with these cards in North and South, either West or East could be squeezed.

In Example 7, declarer leads ♣A and dummy follows suit. If East discards a spade, declarer wins the ♠A, the ♠K and the ♠9. If East discards the ♥A, declarer wins the ♠K, the ♠A and the ♥K. The same sequence occurs if West instead of East holds the guards in spades and hearts.

The third general type of entry position in the simple squeeze occurs when declarer has an entry in dummy's threat suit and dummy has an entry in declarer's threat suit. This situation is termed a criss-cross squeeze. It is regarded as a comparatively rare position.[2]

Example 8 illustrates the criss-cross squeeze. Dummy's threat card is the ♥Q and declarer has an entry, the ♥A, in that suit. Declarer's threat card is the ♠Q and dummy has an entry, the ♠A, in that suit. When declarer cashes the ♣A, East is squeezed. South cashes the A in whichever suit East discards from, crosses to the other A, and cashes the remaining Q.

This is an automatic squeeze: it works regardless of which opponent guards the two threats. However, the position is usually ambiguous. After the squeeze has taken place, declarer is often uncertain which guard (in Example 8, the ♠K and the ♥K) is now a singleton.

For example, if East unguarded the ♠K earlier in the play, the situation might actually be as shown in Example 9. In this case, declarer cashes the ♣A and East throws a small heart. If declarer now judges that East has bared the ♥K, he will cash the ♥A. When the ♥K does not fall, declarer will subsequently be stuck in dummy, losing the final trick to the ♥K. A similar outcome can result if East bares the ♥K early in the play.

The possibility of this sort of ambiguity is inherent in the blocked entry position that characterizes criss-cross squeezes. A defender who can see what's coming can discard deceptively, putting declarer to a guess after the squeeze has matured.