Transfer Squeeze

This is a type of squeeze play which results from transferring the menace, meaning that the threat card is transferred from one defender to another and then the new owner is squeezed out of it. The following illustration should clarify this concept, which is taken from a hand played by Mr. Alan Truscott in the 1958 European Championships.

Illustration 1:

	7642 Q8 Q972 AJ8
K 9653 J1085 K1094		9852 KJ K643 532
	AQJ10 A10742 A Q76

The contract is 4 Spades. South is the declarer. West leads the Jack of Diamonds. South plays low from the dummy and, after East plays small, South wins the trick with the Ace of Diamonds. South plays a small Heart to the Queen in the dummy, which West wins. West returns a Spade, South plays the Queen and loses to the King of Spades held by East. East leads a Heart, which is won by South in his hand. South then leads another trump and realizes the bad trump split. South then ruffs a low Heart, which East overruffs. East returns his last trump card. South then finesses the Jack of Clubs successfully in the dummy. South then leads the Queen of Diamonds from the dummy in order to transfer the Diamond menace. East covers and South ruffs with his last trump, and East discards a small Heart.

The final layout is shown below:

	97 A8
9 K109		64 53
	107 Q7

South then squeezes West by playing both Hearts, playing to the Ace of Clubs in the dummy and playing the good Diamond trick.

 

Illustration 2:

	105 85 KJ105 KJ1096
7 K742 Q64 Q8532		963 QJ103 A98732
	AKQJ842 A96 A74

Declarer:	South
Vulnerability:	None
Contract:	6
Lead:	2

Based on the auction, West leads a low 2, which East promptly trumps. East returns Queen. This card causes the declarer to infer correctly that East must have the Ace and that West must be played for the Queen. South therefore wins the Ace, enters the dummy with 10 and plays the King. East covers with Ace, the threat card, which is trumped by South, but which also transfers the threat card to West holding the Queen. South is envisioning a possible squeeze if West has to guard both Minor suits.

The declarer then cashes four trump and the layout is illustrated below:

	J K1096
Q Q853		J103 32
	4 96 A7

When South plays the last 4, West is forced to discard the Queen, the threat card, which was transferred to West when East was forced to play the Ace. This discard then establishes the Jack in dummy as a winner, on which South can discard one Heart loser. The second Heart loser falls then on a Club. If West, however, discards a 3 for example, South would then discard the Jack in dummy and pick up the Club suit for dropping both Heart losers on the Clubs in dummy.

 

 

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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