Pinning Ten doubleton and squeezing on the same deal

For once, I can say I have a clear favorite deal from a tournament. Playing with Bob Pearson, we won the Swiss at the Valdosta tournament Oct 9 with my dad and Larry Hayslip, then won the Saturday afternoon pair game this past weekend at the Athens tournament, then tied for 2^nd in the Swiss in Athens (teaming with Jimmy Fordham and Enrico Beretta). Not a bad string of games even if the quality of competition was only slightly better than the club.

 

This deal comes from the 25 table pair game we won with a 65.51% score. (hands rotated for convenience)
 

Dealer: N Vul: NS			North ♠ - ♥ AKQT942 ♦ KJ94 ♣ A3
West ♠ QJ94 ♥ 83 ♦ T7 ♣ KJ954						East ♠ AT8 ♥ J65 ♦ Q862 ♣ T87
			South ♠ K76532 ♥ 7 ♦ A53 ♣ Q62
	West	North		East	South
	—	1♥		Pass	1♠
	Pass	3♥		Pass	3NT
	Pass	Pass		Pass

I probably would have jump-shifted to 3♦ with Bob's hand and probably would have pulled 3NT to 4♥ but then I wouldn't have had the chance for this great play.

 

West led a low club, which went around to my queen. It's a fortunate lead for me but still fairly normal. I proceeded to test hearts, and when I saw that they were would run, I led the ♦J, not wanting to make all of my discards yet. This diamond play keeps the dangerous opponent off lead (east is the dangerous opponent because a spade through my K could be fatal) while potentially setting up a third diamond trick. When the ♦J held the trick, I cashed the CA and ran hearts, hoping for a squeeze against east. Here is the position with the last heart to be played.

 

Dealer: N Vul: NS	North ♠ - ♥ 2 ♦ K94 ♣ -
West immaterial		East ♠ A ♥ - ♦ Q86 ♣ -
	South ♠ K ♥ - ♦ A3 ♣ 6

 

Since east started with 4 diamonds to the Q and the ♠A, I was able to take all of the tricks. East can't pitch a spade or my SK will be my 13^th trick, but if he pitches a diamond, dummy's low diamond will win the 13^th trick. Kinda cute. Sean will appreciate this – I know how he loves pinning ten doubletons. Here is one time when it is clearly the right play.

 

Yes, east could break up the squeeze by covering the ♦J with the Q – that would cut off the entry to my hand so the ♠K no longer is a threat card and east would be able to win trick 13 with the ♦9. However, covering looks and feels wrong.

 

Actually either opponent could be squeezed – if west started with ♦Txxx and ♠A, he would be equally squeezed despite having the A behind the K because in the 3 card ending, I can still hold both the spade threat and the diamond threat.