Stepping-stone squeeze

Stepping-stone squeeze

The Stepping-stone squeeze is an advanced type of squeeze in Contract Bridge. It is used when the declarer has enough high cards to take all but one of the remaining tricks, but does not have enough communication between the hands to cash them. It was analyzed and named by Terence Reese in the book "The Expert Game", also titled "Master Play in Contract Bridge".

The following position is an example of a Stepping-stone squeeze:BridgeHand
AJ|2|-|2
Q3|A|3|-
-|-|9876|-
K|K|2|A

South has three winners: The SpadesK, SpadesA, and ClubsA. Unfortunately, after cashing the SpadesK, there will be no entry to the North hand to enjoy the SpadesA. However, on the play of ClubsA, West is squeezed. Discarding a spade allows South to overtake the SpadesK to get two tricks in the suit. Throwing the HeartsA lets South cash the HeartsK. Therefore, West parts with the Diams3. Now South is able to play the SpadesK and lead the HeartsK, putting West on lead with only the SpadesQ remaining in hand.

The name "stepping-stone" alludes to South's use of West's HeartsA to cross over to the abandoned SpadesA.

This squeeze would work equally well with the East and West hands reversed.

An interesting variation is the following ending playing in no trumps with the lead in South:BridgeHand
AK62|-|5|-
Q95|A9|-|-
874|K8|-|-
J10|QJ3|-|-Needing all but one of the remaining tricks, the declarer leads the Spades10 covered by West, dummy winning with the SpadesA. When the winning diamond is led from dummy (declarer throwing a heart) "both" defenders are subjected to a stepping-stone squeeze. If they both throw spades then declarer cashes the spades in dummy. If one defender keeps two spades then declarer plays a small spade to the SpadesJ and leads a heart. Now the defender who kept spades wins his stiff honour and must lead a spade to dummy's winner. His partner cannot overtake as this sets up the HeartsQ.


References

* Terence Reese, "The Expert Game" (American title: "Master Play in Contract Bridge", ISBN 0-486-20336-0)


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