Jul 09 2008
Transfer Squeeze
Playing in the local duplicate game with a slightly inebriated partner, we are having a pretty poor game. However, this hand made it all worth it. I have a declarer play problem with:
Axx
Q9xx
Kx
AQxx
KJ942
A
QJT6
J95
My RHO had overcalled 1H (dummy opened 1C playing weak NTs), and we eventually landed in 4S. LHO leads the heart deuce.
Contract: 4S
Lead: 2H
T1: 2H 4H JH AH
4S is a normal place to be on these cards, so i need to go for overtricks if they’re there. I have to lose a diamond and maybe a trump and maybe a club. It looks like LHO has three hearts and did not raise his partner, so he can’t have much.
First things first, pull trumps. I start with a spade to the A and another to the J, which holds and everyone follows. Great – no trump losers. I pull the last trump and play a diamond to the K. RHO wins and continues with a diamond.
If the KC is offside, i’ll just concede a trick and claim, but if it’s not, is there a layout for me to obtain 3 club tricks? I’m considering all this when i realize that RHO played the JH at trick one. He doesn’t have the T.
I finesse the QC and it wins. Oh this is going to be cool. Play the QH, RHO covers, and ruff, transferring the heart guard to LHO. Now play off my 2 remaining diamonds and my last trump and watch LHO squirm as he is squeezed in hearts and clubs. He finally pitches a club, i throw the 9H and play a club to the A, dropping his K, and a club back to the good J. Making 6.
I’ve seen problem hands involving transfer squeezes, heard a few stories from others, and perhaps missed one or two along the way. But this was my first one actually executed at the table.