Squeeze play (bridge)

A squeeze play (or squeeze) is a tactic, often occurring late in the hand, used in contract bridge and other trick-taking games in which the play of a card (the squeeze card) forces an opponent to discard a winner or the guard of a potential winner. Although numerous types of squeezes have been analyzed and catalogued in contract bridge, they were first discovered and described in whist.

Most squeezes operate on the principle that declarer's and dummy's hands can, between them, hold more cards with the potential to take extra tricks than a single defender's hand can protect or guard. Infrequently, due to of the difficulty of coordinating their holdings, two defenders can cooperate to squeeze declarer or dummy on the same principle.

Context

Complexity

Squeeze plays are considered by many "to be the domain of the experts but many of the positions are straightforward once the basic principles are understood."[1] And according to Terence Reese, the squeeze play "in its practical aspects is not particularly difficult. It takes time, admittedly...and has...to be learned - it cannot be 'picked up'".[2]

Significance and prevalence

Squeeze plays are important in difficult-to-make high-level contracts and in matchpoint play where the taking of one more trick than generally achieved by the field is a real difference-maker likely to result in a top board. The opportunity to employ a squeeze play arises sufficiently frequently that it essential to learn if aspiring to become an advancing player.[3], [4]

Terminology

Conditions

The most basic forms of squeeze require all the following conditions to be in place before the squeeze can operate:[6]

Examples

Example 1 AJ
K
KQ

N

W               E

S

A QJ10
South to lead 4
2
A

South needs all three remaining tricks in a notrump contract. South leads the squeeze card, the A, and West is squeezed in hearts and spades. If West discards the A, North's K becomes a winner. If West discards either spade, North's J becomes a winner.

Note the following features of this position:

  1. One defender, West, holds the defense's only guards in declarer's two threat suits, spades and hearts.
  2. The count is rectified. Three cards remain, and declarer has two immediate winners (the A and A). Another winner will be established by the squeeze (either the K or the J).
  3. The K and the J are the threat cards. At least one threat card (in this case, both the K and the J) lies opposite the squeeze card (the A).
  4. At least one threat card (in this case, both the K and the J) is in the hand that plays after the squeezed defender.
  5. The A is an entry to either threat card.

This is an example of a positional squeeze, because both threat cards are in the same hand, North's. No threat card lies over East and therefore the squeeze can take effect only if West is to be squeezed.

If West's cards are transferred to East, as shown in Example 2, the squeeze fails because the fourth condition above is not satisfied. In that case, one of the menaces must be discarded before it is East's turn to play. If the K is discarded, East can safely discard the A. If the J is discarded, East can safely discard a spade.

Example 2 AJ
K

N

W               E

S

KQ
QJ10 A
South to lead 4
2
A

Classification

There are several ways to classify squeezes:

Most of the common types of squeezes (and some of the rare ones) have names:

Type of SqueezePositional or
Automatic
OpponentsSuitsMaterial or
Non-material
Count
Rectified
Simple squeezeEitherSingle2YesYes
Criss-cross squeezeAutomaticSingle2YesYes
Trump squeezeEitherSingle2YesYes
Progressive squeeze
(aka Triple squeeze)
PositionalSingle3YesYes
Double squeeze
(also: Simultaneous double squeeze
Non-simultaneous double squeeze)
EitherDouble3YesYes
Compound squeezePositionalDouble3YesYes
Entry-shifting squeezePositionalSingle2YesYes
Single-suit squeezePositionalSingle1YesNo
Strip squeezePositionalSingle2-3YesNo
Backwash squeezePositionalSingle2YesYes
Cannibal squeeze
(aka Suicide squeeze)
PositionalSingle2YesYes*
Stepping-stone squeezePositionalEither2NoNo
Guard squeezePositionalEither2-3YesYes
Vice squeezePositionalSingle2-3YesNo
Winkle squeezePositionalSingle3NoNo
Clash squeezePositionalEither3YesYes
Saturated squeezePositionalDouble4YesYes
Pseudo-squeezeN/AN/AN/ANoN/A
Entry squeezeEitherEither3NoNo
Knockout squeezeEitherSingle3NoNo

See also

Notes

  1. Moon (2010), Preface.
  2. Reese and Jourdain (1980), Preface.
  3. Reese and Jourdain (1980), Preface. Reese states that "squeeze possibilities - not always fulfilled, of course - arose on about one hand in every six or seven."
  4. Moon (2010), p. 23 states "about one deal in 12 contains the possibility of a squeeze."
  5. According to the Official Encyclopedia of Bridge, the concept of a squeeze card was developed by Sidney Lenz. Although squeeze card may be useful as a pedagogical device, the Encyclopedia suggests that the concept of a squeezed position is more useful at the table as a means of arriving at the position necessary for a squeeze to occur.
  6. Clyde Love, in Bridge Squeezes Complete, uses terminology that results in the acronym BLUE to summarize these conditions: a defender must be busy in two suits, the loser count must be right, at least one threat must be in the upper hand, and there must be an entry to the threat card.
  7. Clyde Love in Bridge Squeezes Complete proposes the term quintuple squeeze as it is a triple squeeze followed by a double squeeze

Further reading

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