My hand of the tournament from the recent Roswell sectional this past weekend is this cute hand where I was all set to squeeze RHO in the black suits until Michael White made it easy for me by leading the ♣J.
Dealer: N Vul: NS | North ♠ Qxxx ♥ Q ♦ AJx ♣ KTxxx | |
| ||
South ♠ A ♥ KJx ♦ KQxxxx ♣ A9x |
North | East | South | West |
1♣ | Pass | 1♦ | 2♥ |
Pass | Pass | 3NT | Pass |
Pass | Pass |
After winning the heart lead in dummy, I crossed to my hand with a diamond and played another heart, already planning to attempt to squeeze RHO in the blacks. With the 1 heart loser and 11 sure winners, I would be able to arrange to score up a 12th trick in a black suit if RHO started with ♠K and 3 clubs. This is what the 4 card ending would be like with the last diamond to be played from my hand:
Dealer: E Vul: EW | North ♠ Qx ♥ ♦ ♣ Kx | |
West ♠ x ♥ x ♦ ♣ Jx | | East ♠ K ♥ ♦ ♣ Qxx |
South ♠ ♥ ♦ x ♣ A9x |
West ditched a heart on the last diamond, dummy a small spade, and east could not protect both spades and clubs so my ♣9 would score the last trick.
In reality, Michael White shifted to the ♣J after he took the ♥A, thereby breaking up the squeeze because I needed both club entries for the squeeze because the 2 threat cards (♠Q and ♣9) are in different hands. However, in doing so, he allowed me to make the extra trick by simply taking the K and finessing for the ♣Q. I wasn't happy because I didn't get to execute the squeeze, RHO wasn't happy because he thought Michael had made the only lead that let me make an extra trick, but Michael knew I was making 6 anyway and that 6♦ would make so he wasn't unhappy.
Very nice; but you would have been less happy if he had ducked the second heart as well! Looks like 11 tricks to me.
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