Another "Name this position"
Alan Malloy
863
QT96
QT73
53
AKT7 QJ2
J7 K8
AK8 J54
A964 KJ872
954
A6432
962
QT
Declarer wins the opening spade lead (nothing is better), and runs the
spades. Next he cashes four clubs (guessing the queen), to reach:
-
QT
QT7
-
- -
J7 K8
AK8 J5
- J
-
A6
962
-
On the last club, South is squeezed - if he pitches a heart, declarer
throws a diamond, ducks a heart, and wins HK. So instead South pitches
a diamond, and declarer discards H7. Now North is stuck for a discard
on the last club: a diamond is immediately fatal, setting up the D8,
so he gives a heart. Now declarer can cash the ace-king of hearts and
lead HJ - Q, K, A. Now South has to play a heart to dummy's H8.
So what is this position called? It looks like a stepping-stone
situation, with South's HA as a stepping-stone to dummy; it looks like
a double squeeze (but with only two threats?), with NS both being
squeezed in hearts and diamonds; it also looks vaguely like a clash
squeeze, with North's QT of hearts protecting South's spot, but I
think I'm probably wrong about that part.
Lorne
news:9b6a7a72-50dd-4dac...@q30g2000prq.googlegroups.com...
No idea what it is called but I would be pretty pleased with myself if I
ever pulled it off.
If you like analysing these types of play buy a book called "Adventures in
card play" by Geza Ottlik + Hugh Kelsey. ISBN 0-575-06436-6. It has 300
pages of extraordinary card play situations, the one you describe above
being at the more trivial end of those in the book. Set aside about 6
months if you want to read the book and understand every position.
Richard Pavlicek
On the CJ, South is caught in a "delayed-duck squeeze."
When he pitches a diamond (West a heart), North is caught
in a "vice squeeze." So it's a combination of the two...
or "delayed-duck vice squeeze." Maybe the word "double"
should be there because both opponents are involved...
a "double delayed-duck vice squeeze."
Better yet, how about a "Malloy Crunch."
--
Richard Pavlicek
Web site: http://www.rpbridge.net
Robin Barker
I spotted a very similar end play earlier this year.
http://rmbarkerlaws.blogspot.com/2008/08/john-armstrong-and-curious-end-play.html
If you cash a diamond honour before running the clubs the positions
are almost identical (even down to the suits!).
Robin
Alan Malloy
After posting my initial inquiry, I had the idea to look through the
Encyclopedia of Cardplay Technique, to see if I could find a similar
deal. After some searching, I found very nearly this exact position
(spots were different, and a diamond honor had been cashed already)!
Apparently it is known as a double stepping-stone squeeze: double,
because NS are both squeezed in H/D; stepping-stone, because you use
South's heart spot as a stepping-stone to the last heart, overcoming
the entry deficiency a simple squeeze would suffer from.
Richard Pavlicek
> -
> QT
> QT7
> -
> - -
> J7 K8
> AK8 J5
> - J
> -
> A6
> 962
> -
>
> After posting my initial inquiry, I had the idea to look through the
> Encyclopedia of Cardplay Technique, to see if I could find a similar
> deal. After some searching, I found very nearly this exact position
> (spots were different, and a diamond honor had been cashed already)!
> Apparently it is known as a double stepping-stone squeeze: double,
> because NS are both squeezed in H/D; stepping-stone, because you use
> South's heart spot as a stepping-stone to the last heart, overcoming
> the entry deficiency a simple squeeze would suffer from.
Should be _vice_, not stepping-stone...
Classic stepping-stone (squeezee thrown in):
A8
2
-
2
QT -
AK 43
- -
- KQ
K
Q
-
A3
Classic vice (partner of squeezee thrown in):
K8
-
-
2
QT A43
A -
- -
- -
2
K
-
A
Original position simplified (red jacks immaterial and
extra card removed):
K8
2
-
J
QT A4
QT J9
- -
- -
32
A3
-
-
Ending is clearly a vice, so either "Double vice squeeze";
or "Double delayed-duck vice squeeze" if you think the first
part should be included.
--
Little known facts department: The term "vice squeeze" is
British (named by Terence Reese) and should be "vise squeeze"
on our side of the pond. Alas, the British spelling is kept
despite its illogical meaning over here. Living in South
Florida, can I call it the Miami Vice squeeze?
danny...@aol.com
>
> - Show quoted text -
Richard, I believe the analogy should be Malachi Crunch, from Happy
Days fame..
Danny
Bob
I already had an analysis of the vice squeeze on my squeeze website,
bridgesqueezes.info. So I added this position (http://
bridgesqueezes.info/viceoutside.htm).
It also raised the question of squeezing out excess winners, which I
had not seen. To my memory, Reese just said that maybe the defender
would throw them. One of my examples:
K10
--
x
x
QJ Ax
-- --
KJ --
-- xx
xx
--
A
A
The lead of a diamond squeezes the excess club from RHO's hand.
Bob
Richard Pavlicek
> It also raised the question of squeezing out excess winners, which I
> had not seen. To my memory, Reese just said that maybe the defender
> would throw them. One of my examples:
>
> K10
> --
> x
> x
>
> QJ Ax
> -- --
> KJ --
> -- xx
>
> xx
> --
> A
> A
>
> The lead of a diamond squeezes the excess club from RHO's hand.
True, but so what? There's no diamond threat against West,
so you just lose two spades.
It seems the "double delayed-duck vice" (in a 4-card ending)
requires the squeeze card to come from North (as oriented
above) and for South to be void of that suit.
Bob
Embarassing. But thanks.
This seems to work. As you said, the lead of a high heart comes from
North and South is void in the suit.
K10
A
--
x
QJ Ax
-- --
KJ --
-- xx
xx
--
x
A
I was avoiding it because it required all four suits, hence would be
of little practical value (compared to even the normal vise squeeze).