Automatic Squeeze

6th September – Board 1. Love All. Dealer North.

I love the fact that N/S can bid on a combined five count with impunity although it might have been better to stay silent and hope the opposition gets too high.

	North: S Q 10 9 6 4 3 H J D J 10 8 5 4 C 10
West: S J 7 5 H A 4 3 D 9 3 C A K Q 7 6		East: S A K 2 H K Q 7 6 D A K Q 7 C 8 4
	South: S 8 H 10 9 8 5 2 D 6 2 C J 9 5 3 2

West	North	East	South
	2S	Dbl	No
3S	No	4NT	No
6NT	End

It’s hard to know exactly how the bidding would go if North opens with a weak 2S. (As they should.) East has an easy take out double leaving West to find a forcing bid on his good fourteen count and cue-bidding the opponent’s suit is the most practical way. Now 4NT by East is just a big hand and not Blackwood as no suit has been agreed and West can hardly do less than bid 6NT. If clubs break there are thirteen tricks on top but with that suit breaking 5-1 and hearts 4-2 even twelve tricks are hard to find. But if South has five clubs and only one spade then he must have four cards at least in one of the red suits so if declarer ducks a club, wins the return and cashes winners then South will be automatically squeezed and will have to give up his guard in either clubs or his four-card red suit. Note that on a heart lead declarer must duck a club immediately or else the entries get tangled, spurning the chance of an overtrick, and playing pairs that might not be so easy!