Criss-cross squeeze

In contract bridge, the criss-cross squeeze is a variant of the simple squeeze where both menaces are blocked. However, the blocking card in one suit provides the necessary entry to the other menace. Unblocking in the right order will establish the additional winner, but requires an exact count of the hand.

Examples

Example 1		♠	Q 5
		♥	A
		♦	—
		♣	2
♠	K 3	N W                  S
♥	K 3
♦	—
♣	—
		♠	A
		♥	Q 5
		♦	—
		♣	A

The menaces are major-suit queens, blocked by corresponding aces. An ace will serve as an entry to a menace which is established by the squeeze. When South cashes the ♣A, West must blank one of his kings. The declarer just cashes the ace of the suit in which West has bared his king and then can "cross" to the other ace, which serves as an entry to the established queen.

Example 2		♠	Q 5
		♥	A
		♦	—
		♣	2
♠	4 2	N W               E S		♠	K 3
♥	4 2			♥	K 3
♦	—			♦	—
♣	—			♣	—
		♠	A
		♥	Q 5
		♦	—
		♣	A

This squeeze is, technically, an automatic squeeze, i.e. it works against either opponent, but a guess as to which defender (if any) is squeezed may be required in the end position. If the complete hand is as noted then East would be squeezed, but if the declarer does not have the count from the previous play and bidding, he has to guess which suit to play first if the defenders discard in different suits. With kings split, there is no squeeze, as both defenders will have idle cards to discard in the honorless suit.