Bridge by Frank Stewart
Experience counts at bridge. It is the basis for accurate bidding and enlightened play. Few players below the expert level would make today's grand slam, since the technique involved would be unfamiliar. Against seven hearts, West led a spade, and South ruffed East's nine and had to find a way to dispose of his diamond loser.
Experience counts at bridge. It is the basis for accurate bidding and enlightened play. Few players below the expert level would make today's grand slam, since the technique involved would be unfamiliar. Against seven hearts, West led a spade, and South ruffed East's nine and had to find a way to dispose of his diamond loser.
Do you see a winning play?
South led a club to dummy, ruffed a spade, cashed the king of clubs, ruffed a club high in dummy, led a trump to his hand, and ruffed a club high. He drew trumps and cashed another trump, pitching dummy's last low diamond. After nine tricks, he had three low diamonds and a trump left. Dummy had two spades and the A-K of diamonds.
East, still to discard, couldn't hold the fort. If he saved three diamonds and one spade, South could lead a diamond to dummy and ruff a spade; dummy would be high. When instead East kept two diamonds and the A-J of spades, South diagnosed the position and took the A-K of diamonds. He ruffed a spade and won the 13th trick with a diamond.
In a "trump squeeze," a defender must unguard either of two suits, one of which declarer can then set up with a ruff. Keep it in mind.