[lamford]

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IMPS Transnational Teams Lead 8♠

Our auction was short and sweet. About five declarers made this slam including, I believe Welland and Jansma. How do you play and what lead would have beaten you?

[Lovera]

It seems a secondary squeeze ♥+♣. On last diamond is estabilished heart with entries sured in dummy or there is a club winner.

[nige1]

If the layout is something like this, then RHO will succumb to a stepping-stone squeeze, unless LHO finds the lethal ♣ lead.
If you swap RHO's ♥9 with one of LHO's ♥s (or if RHO started with a singleton or doubleton ♥ honour), then declarer can even succeed on a ♣ lead, by rising with dummy's ♣A and leading a ♥ honour from dummy.

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[lamford]

Indeed a club lead beats it. On the normal spade lead, you need to play one or other opponents for KQ of hearts, but also ruff out his exit card (which you have to guess). I think it is a stepping-stone squeeze with a dentist coup. West was the one with KQx of hearts, but he could not escape.

[nige1]

 lamford, on 2017-June-12, 16:15, said:

Indeed a club lead beats it. On the normal spade lead, you need to play one or other opponents for KQ of hearts, but also ruff out his exit card (which you have to guess). I think it is a stepping-stone squeeze with a dentist coup. West was the one with KQx of hearts, but he could not escape.

Great hand, Paul. I agree it isn't really a stepping-stone unless the hand with ♥KQ has ♣Q.
At double-dummy, on a ♠ lead, if LHO has ♥KQ, then you always make on a shape-shifter strip-squeeze.


A simplified layout on the left.
Cash all but one trump. LHO is triple-squeezed and must keep 3 ♥s. Dummy keeps ♥Jxx ♣A and a card of the same black suit as LHO. Cross to ♣A. If LHO still has 3 ♥s, then ruff dummy's black card and exit in ♥s.

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[Lovera]

 nige1, on 2017-June-12, 03:14, said:

If the layout is something like this, then RHO will succumb to a stepping-stone squeeze, unless LHO finds the lethal ♣ lead.
If you swap RHO's ♥9 with one of LHO's ♥s (or if RHO started with a singleton or doubleton ♥ honour), then declarer can even succeed on a ♣ lead, by rising with dummy's ♣A and leading a ♥ honour from dummy.

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Although this one has not to be a stepping-stone for two reasons: King of club not has any rule because squeeze position works also with x and fourthemore because in stepping-stone there is a menace - here instead in dummy - aside. Perhaps could be a "winner squeeze" type.

[nige1]

 Lovera, on 2017-June-13, 02:00, said:

Although this one has not to be a stepping-stone for two reasons: King of club not has any rule because squeeze position works also with x and fourthemore because in stepping-stone there is a menace - here instead in dummy - aside. Perhaps could be a "winner squeeze" type.

On a ♠ lead, Lovera is right. If either opponent holds ♥KQ, then the strip-squeeze suffices at double-dummy. No stepping stone is necessary.
On a ♥ lead, in this layout, you need the stepping stone.

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[rhm]

 lamford, on 2017-June-12, 16:15, said:

Indeed a club lead beats it. On the normal spade lead, you need to play one or other opponents for KQ of hearts, but also ruff out his exit card (which you have to guess). I think it is a stepping-stone squeeze with a dentist coup. West was the one with KQx of hearts, but he could not escape.

I do not understand this .
I presume the defender who has both heart honors also needs to hold the queen of clubs.
Assume declarer play all nine trumps, which 4 cards does the defender keep?
If he blanks the queen of clubs overtake.
If not cash the club king and play hearts from the top.

The only guess I can see is if it is East, who holds all the marbles and blanks the queen of clubs.
Then declarer might have to guess whether to overtake.

 Lovera, on 2017-June-13, 02:00, said:

Although this one has not to be a stepping-stone for two reasons: King of club not has any rule because squeeze position works also with x and fourthemore because in stepping-stone there is a menace - here instead in dummy - aside. Perhaps could be a "winner squeeze" type.

I can not see how the strip squeeze is going to work without the club king and the club queen in place. Otherwise a defender could come down to ♠x and ♥KQx.
The strip squeeze is a different solution, neither better nor worse. Make the ♥T a small heart and the stepping stone solution is better because it works against both West and East.

Rainer Herrmann

[Lovera]

 rhm, on 2017-June-13, 04:25, said:

I do not understand this .
I presume the defender who has both heart honors also needs to hold the queen of clubs.
Assume declarer play all nine trumps, which 4 cards does the defender keep?
If he blanks the queen of clubs overtake.
If not cash the club king and play hearts from the top.

The only guess I can see is if it is East, who holds all the marbles and blanks the queen of clubs.
Then declarer might have to guess whether to overtake.


I can not see how the strip squeeze is going to work without the club king and the club queen in place. Otherwise a defender could come down to ♠x and ♥KQx.
The strip squeeze is a different solution, neither better nor worse. Make the ♥T a small heart and the stepping stone solution is better because it works against both West and East.

Rainer Herrmann

In the stepping-stone the King is a winner for getting a menace that here is not. My absumption needs to read if King is already lead or x/AQ vs Kx of opp in club suit.

[nige1]

 rhm, on 2017-June-13, 04:25, said:

I do not understand this .
I presume the defender who has both heart honors also needs to hold the queen of clubs.
Assume declarer play all nine trumps, which 4 cards does the defender keep?
If he blanks the queen of clubs overtake.
If not cash the club king and play hearts from the top.

The only guess I can see is if it is East, who holds all the marbles and blanks the queen of clubs.
Then declarer might have to guess whether to overtake.


I can not see how the strip squeeze is going to work without the club king and the club queen in place. Otherwise a defender could come down to ♠x and ♥KQx.
The strip squeeze is a different solution, neither better nor worse. Make the ♥T a small heart and the stepping stone solution is better because it works against both West and East.

In the shape-shifter squeeze-strip solution, either defender was dealt ♥ K Q . . .
When declarer cashes his penultimate trump, dummy comes down to ♠ x ♥ J T x ♦- ♣ A
Declarer's hand is now ♠- ♥ A x x ♦ x ♣ x

• if the defender keeps ♠ (s) e.g. ♠ A K ♥ K Q x ♦- ♣ -, then declarer crosses to ♣A. The defender must keep 3 ♥s, so declarer ruffs out the defender's remaining ♠ and exits with a ♥ to ♥J.
• If, instead, the defender keeps 2 ♣s, e.g. ♠- ♥ K Q x ♦- ♣ K Q, then declarer cashes his last trump. The defender must still keep 3 ♥s, so declarer crosses to ♣A and exits with ♥J.

[lamford]

One does need the Dentist Coup, and you have to read the four-card ending and ruff out the exit card in the correct black suit. East had AKQxxxx xx J Qxx and at my table West showed an odd number of spades and an even number of clubs and I believed him. Welland and Jansma also had a spade lead and read the ending. Welland's team-mate led the KH from KQxx and he had to pay for the meal that evening ... I think it is a trump squeeze without the count.

[Lovera]

 lamford, on 2017-June-14, 01:16, said:

One does need the Dentist Coup, and you have to read the four-card ending and ruff out the exit card in the correct black suit. East had AKQxxxx xx J Qxx and at my table West showed an odd number of spades and an even number of clubs and I believed him. Welland and Jansma also had a spade lead and read the ending. Welland's team-mate led the KH from KQxx and he had to pay for the meal that evening ... I think it is a trump squeeze without the count.

No, because in trump squeeze winner(s) and estabished suit are in the same hand.

[lamford]

 Lovera, on 2017-June-14, 01:31, said:

No, because in trump squeeze winner(s) and estabished suit are in the same hand.

OK, maybe a strip squeeze and endplay incorporating a Dentist Coup