Squeezing the declarer

The opportunities for the defense to squeeze declarer are much less frequent than vice-versa.

Ken Kadis of Brookline, MA, sent me this hand in which he was the declarer subjected to a squeeze.  Playing with his wife Elayne, Ken and his team won both the match and the sectional Swiss event, but the hand he chose to share with me was a testament to the fine defense of his opponents, Bob McCaw of Sudbury, MA and Sheila Gabay of Newton, MA.

Dealer: S Vul:	North – Elayne K ♠ Jxx ♥ KJxx ♦ xxx ♣ T9x
West – Gabay ♠ Kxxx ♥ x ♦ Qxx ♣ AKxxx		East – McCaw ♠ Axx ♥ AQxxx ♦ JTxx ♣ x
	South – Ken K ♠ QTx ♥ T98 ♦ AKx ♣ QJ8x

Gabay led a low club and Ken chose to duck this to his hand, winning the ♣8.  He advanced the ♥T at Trick 2 and McCaw (who must have considered ducking), won with his queen.  McCaw led back the ♦J and Ken won in hand.  On a second heart lead, Gabay discarded a spade and McCaw disrupted declarer’s communications with dummy by ducking, a play which also helped “rectify the count”.  Ken now led a club and Gabay hopped with the ♣K, as McCaw showed out and discarded a heart.  Gabay played the ♦Q.  Ken ducked this and won the diamond continuation, perforce.  A third round of clubs was won by Gabay’s ace, McCaw discarding a spade.  Gabay switched to a spade and McCaw won the ace and cashed the ♦T, producing discards around the table: a heart by Ken, a club by Gabay and a spade from dummy.  Now McCaw continued the fine defense by cashing the ♥A in this position:

Dealer: Vul:	North ♠ J ♥ KJ ♦ — ♣ —
West ♠ Kx ♥ — ♦ — ♣ x		East ♠ x ♥ (A)x ♦ — ♣ —
	South ♠ QT ♥ — ♦ — ♣ Q

No matter what Ken discarded, he was destined to lose the last two tricks.  Gabay held spade and club threats and could discard the opposite of the suit discarded by Ken.  A spade next from McCaw led to down three!