Overtaking Squeeze

This is a specialized form of Triple Squeeze whereby the squeeze trick may be won in either hand. The following illustration should clarify this concept.

	A9 K
A A A		QJ10
	K K K

South plays the contract in 3 No Trump. On the tenth trick, the situation is presented above. South leads the King of Spades. West is squeezed in three suits. If West discards either the Ace of Hearts and/or the Ace of Diamonds, South plays the 9 of Spades from the dummy.

If, on the other hand, West discards the Ace of Clubs, then South overtakes the King of Spades with the Ace of Spades, and plays the King of Clubs from the dummy, taking the two tricks to fulfill the contract.

 

Another example is the following illustration, which shows that the specialized form of a Triple Squeeze can result in the taking of all three tricks.

	87 K
A A A		10 87
	A K K

South plays the contract of 4 Spades. South needs the last three tricks to fulfill the contract. After having followed the play to the tenth trick, South has come to realize that West holds all the remaining three Kings and in which suits. On the tenth trick, South leads the Ace of Spades and this play squeezes West in all three suits. It does not matter which King West discards, all three tricks, by proper play, fall to South.

 

At the 76th Fall National Amercian Bridge Championship held from November 28 to December 8, 2002, in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, in the Daily Bulletin, Vol. 76, No. 9, Saturday, December 7. 2002, the following example of an Overtaking Squeeze occurred.

	4 KJ72 AQ93 KQ65
A96 3 J1062 AJ1073		QJ1073 10854 84 92
	K852 AQ96 K75 84

West		North		East		South
Petra Hamman		Stover		Joan Jackson		Keith Garber
		1		Pass		1
2		3		Pass		4
Pass		Pass		Pass

Petra Hamman led a devious 2 against 4 Hearts. Keith Garber went up with the Ace, played the Jack and a Heart to the Ace, learning the bad news in the process. Next he led a Club to the King and a Spade back, ducking Joan Jackson's Queen.

Back came a Diamond to Keith Garber's King. When he led another Club, Petra Hamman went up with the Ace. She shot back the Jack, covered and ruffed. Now Joan Jackson had to lead a Heart or declarer would crossruff in Spades and Clubs, eventually establishing the King.

So Joan Jackson played the Ten and Keith Garber played his Queen catching West in an Overtaking Squeeze.

	K7 9 Q6
A9   J J10		J1073 10
	K85 Q9

If Petra Hamman pitched a Spade, Keith Garber would win in hand and ruff a Spade, establishing the King. If Petra Hamman sluffed a Minor, it would immediately set up a winner in dummy, so declarer would overtake the Queen with the King. Contract made!

- Barry Rigal

 

 

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.

 

 

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