Sunday, December 9, 2001		Bridge

SQUEEZES can be very dull to read about and are often difficult to follow but — as someone once said — if you play your cards in the right order they often work.

North opened One Spade at love all and South forced with Three Hearts. North jumped to Four Spades — conventionally showing a solid suit, for the partnership was in a game-forcing situation — and South, after checking on Aces, went on to the grand slam. He chose to bid it in No-trumps in case either long suit broke badly.

West led the ten of Diamonds to the Queen and Ace. This was the last entry to declarer’s hand so it was now or never with the Hearts.

Seven rounds of the suit left dummy with SAKQ10 CA but when declarer tested the Spades he discovered the bad news and had to concede the last trick.

There was a curious extra chance that South could have given himself. Clearly if the Spades had broken better he would not have needed dummy’s Ace of Clubs.

Suppose that he throws it away and keeps five Spades in dummy? On the last Heart East has to discard from SJ952 DK CK — a Spade is immediately fatal and if he throws either minor suit King declarer cashes the appropriate Queen and squeezes East again.