In bridge, a knockout squeeze is a squeeze in three suits, one of which is the trump suit. [1] The defender's trump holding is needed to prevent declarer from making a successful play involving trumps, including one as prosaic as ruffing a loser. Because the knockout squeeze does not threaten to promote declarer's trumps to winners (they are often already of winning rank) it is termed a non-material squeeze. Other non-material squeezes include entry squeezes, single-suit squeezes and winkles.
| ♠ | 10 | ||||
| ♥ | 7 | ||||
| ♦ | 10 4 | ||||
| ♣ | 6 | ||||
| ♠ | 4 | N | ♠ | 8 | |
| ♥ | J | ♥ | — | ||
| ♦ | 8 5 2 | ♦ | K Q | ||
| ♣ | — | ♣ | J 8 | ||
| North on lead | ♠ | J 9 | |||
| ♥ | — | ||||
| ♦ | 7 | ||||
| ♣ | 7 5 | ||||
In a spade contract, declarer needs three of the last five tricks. He can't play for a crossruff because East will get the lead in a minor suit and lead his ♠8. Declarer leads dummy's ♥7 and East's hand collapses.
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The salient point in the diagram position is that because East holds a trump, South can't just duck a minor suit trick to set up a crossruff. If he does, East will win and lead his trump, killing the crossruff. East does not threaten to take a trump trick, just to lead his trump and stop dummy's ruff.
But if East gives up his guard in either minor, he gives South an additional trick in the side suit, and now South no longer needs the ruff.
Notice the entry-shifting mechanism in the trump suit. South chooses the card to ruff with depending on East's discard. If East discards a diamond on the ♥7, South ruffs high so that he can later win a trump trick with the ♠10. If East discards a club on the ♥7, South ruffs low so that he can later win the ♠J.
| ♠ | Q 2 | ||||
| ♥ | 7 | ||||
| ♦ | 4 | ||||
| ♣ | 8 | ||||
| ♠ | 5 | N | ♠ | A 6 | |
| ♥ | — | ♥ | J | ||
| ♦ | 9 6 5 | ♦ | A K | ||
| ♣ | 10 | ♣ | — | ||
| ♠ | K J 8 | ||||
| ♥ | — | ||||
| ♦ | 10 7 | ||||
| ♣ | — | ||||
A positional squeeze can entail an entry-shift, and in fact the squeeze given above is positional — it will not operate if the East-West hands are switched. But many knockout squeezes are not positional but automatic — that is, the threats are located such that the squeeze operates against either opponent. Here is an example:
With spades trump, North has the lead. South needs three of the last five tricks. He leads dummy's club to knockout-squeeze East. If East discards a trump, South will be able to take two trumps in his hand and ruff a diamond in dummy. If East discards anything else, South ruffs low and leads a diamond, to win two trumps and a red suit trick, or two trumps and a diamond ruff, depending on how East defends.
| ♠ | Q 2 | ||||
| ♥ | 7 | ||||
| ♦ | 4 | ||||
| ♣ | 8 | ||||
| ♠ | A 6 | N | ♠ | 5 | |
| ♥ | J | ♥ | — | ||
| ♦ | A K | ♦ | 9 6 5 | ||
| ♣ | — | ♣ | 10 | ||
| ♠ | K J 8 | ||||
| ♥ | — | ||||
| ♦ | 10 7 | ||||
| ♣ | — | ||||
The ruff of the ♣8 in South's hand still operates a squeeze if the East-West hands are switched, so the position is an automatic squeeze:
South ruffs the ♣8 with the ♠8, and West is backwash-squeezed. The threats are the same as in the prior case, where East is squeezed. But the position is characteristic of a backwash squeeze: West is squeezed in three suits; one of the threats is against West's ability to lead trump effectively; there is no structural two-card menace consisting of an entry and a threat card; West is squeezed as South ruffs a card in the fourth suit.
| ♠ | Q J 8 | ||||
| ♥ | 8 5 4 3 | ||||
| ♦ | 6 3 2 | ||||
| ♣ | A 8 4 | ||||
| ♠ | 6 2 | N | ♠ | 7 5 4 | |
| ♥ | 9 7 2 | ♥ | K J 10 6 | ||
| ♦ | Q 9 | ♦ | A K J 10 | ||
| ♣ | Q 10 9 7 5 2 | ♣ | J 3 | ||
| ♠ | A K 10 9 3 | ||||
| ♥ | A Q | ||||
| ♦ | 8 7 5 4 | ||||
| ♣ | K 6 | ||||
Discussing the relationship between backwash and knockout squeezes, Ottlik and Kelsey [2] state, "The KO [knockout] squeeze is, in fact, the general form of the strategic squeeze against 'idle' trump cards, of which the backwash . . . is a particular case."
| ♠ | Q J | ||||
| ♥ | 8 5 4 | ||||
| ♦ | 6 3 2 | ||||
| ♣ | 8 | ||||
| ♠ | 6 | N | ♠ | 7 5 | |
| ♥ | 9 7 | ♥ | K J 10 | ||
| ♦ | Q 9 | ♦ | A K J 10 | ||
| ♣ | Q 10 7 2 | ♣ | — | ||
| ♠ | A K 10 9 | ||||
| ♥ | A | ||||
| ♦ | 8 7 5 4 | ||||
| ♣ | — | ||||
The backwash and the knockout squeezes can be distinguished by whether the squeezed defender must play before or after third hand ruffs: in the knockout squeeze, the squeezed defender plays prior to the ruff; in the backwash squeeze, after. The following example is from Kelsey and Ottlik:
Against 4♠, West leads a small trump. The defense is now a tempo ahead, if South plays to ruff a diamond in dummy. Seeing this, South wins dummy's ♠8, takes the heart finesse, and cashes the ♣K, the ♣A, and then ruffs the ♣8 with the ♠K in this position:
East is knockout-squeezed. On the ♣8:
|
| ♠ | Q J 8 | ||||
| ♥ | 8 5 4 3 | ||||
| ♦ | 6 3 2 | ||||
| ♣ | A 8 4 | ||||
| ♠ | 7 5 4 | N | ♠ | 6 2 | |
| ♥ | J 10 9 6 | ♥ | K 7 2 | ||
| ♦ | A K J 10 | ♦ | Q 9 | ||
| ♣ | J 3 | ♣ | Q 10 9 7 5 2 | ||
| ♠ | A K 10 9 3 | ||||
| ♥ | A Q | ||||
| ♦ | 8 7 5 4 | ||||
| ♣ | K 6 | ||||
But suppose that the East-West hands are switched, except that East retains the ♥K (the successful heart finesse plays no role in the squeeze itself):
South plays as before, winning the trump opening lead in dummy, taking the heart finesse, and then playing on clubs, to reach this position before leading the third club:
| ♠ | Q J | ||||
| ♥ | 8 5 4 | ||||
| ♦ | 6 3 2 | ||||
| ♣ | 8 | ||||
| ♠ | 7 5 | N | ♠ | 6 | |
| ♥ | J 10 9 | ♥ | K 7 | ||
| ♦ | A K J 10 | ♦ | Q 9 | ||
| ♣ | — | ♣ | Q 10 7 2 | ||
| ♠ | A K 10 9 | ||||
| ♥ | A | ||||
| ♦ | 8 7 5 4 | ||||
| ♣ | — | ||||
South ruffs the third round of clubs with the ♠K and West is backwash-squeezed. The defense has the same losing options as it does when East is knockout-squeezed. Regardless of the terminology, this matrix of threats results in an automatic squeeze.
In contract bridge and similar games, a finesse is a type of card play technique which will enable a player to win an additional trick or tricks should there be a favorable position of one or more cards in the hands of the opponents.
The simple squeeze is the most basic form of a squeeze in contract bridge. When declarer plays a winner in one suit, an opponent is forced to discard a stopper in one of declarer's two threat suits.
In the card game contract bridge, an entry-shifting squeeze is a mixture between a material squeeze and an immaterial squeeze. The material part is the same as in a trump squeeze or a squeeze without the count. The immaterial part is that depending on the choice of discards of the squeeze an entry into one or into the other hand is created. For that very reason an entry-shifting squeeze is always a positional squeeze.
In the card game of contract bridge, to hold up means to play low to a trick led by the opponents, losing it intentionally in order to sever their communication. The primary purpose is to give as many tricks to opponents as needed to exhaust all the cards in the suit from one of their hands. If that hand regains the lead, it will not be able to put the partner on lead to cash its tricks. Hold up is one of basic techniques in play.
In trick-taking games, to ruff means to play a trump card to a trick. According to the rules of most games, a player must have no cards left in the suit led in order to ruff. Since the other players are constrained to follow suit if they can, even a low trump can win a trick. In some games, like Pinochle and Preferans, the player who cannot follow suit is required to ruff. In others, like Bridge and Whist, he may instead discard. Normally, ruffing will win a trick. But it is also possible that a subsequent player will overruff. Historically, ruff meant to "rob" i.e. exchange a card with the stock.
In contract bridge, coup is a generic name for various techniques in play, denoting a specific pattern in the lie and the play of cards; it is a special play maneuver by declarer.
An endplay, in bridge and similar games, is a tactical play where a defender is put on lead at a strategic moment, and then has to make a play that loses one or more tricks. Most commonly the losing play either constitutes a free finesse, or else it gives declarer a ruff and discard. In a case where declarer has no entries to dummy, the defender may also be endplayed into leading a suit which can be won in that hand.
In contract bridge, the trump squeeze is a variant of the simple squeeze in which one threat is a suit that if unguarded can be established by ruffing.
Morton's fork is a coup in contract bridge that forces an opponent to choose between
A compound squeeze is a type of play in the game of contract bridge. In this squeeze one opponent is squeezed such that some form of other squeeze emerges involving either or both players. Usually this term is used to reference a pentagonal squeeze. In this form of squeeze both players guard two suits, and one player guards a third suit. On the play of a card the player guarding three suits must give up one of the shared guards . Now each opponent singly guards one suit, and there is a third suit that is jointly guarded. This means that a double squeeze matrix exists. Note that there are pseudo compound squeezes, where the triply squeezed opponent can select the 'correct' shared suit, such that the entry situation precludes the proper functioning of the double squeeze.
A winkle squeeze is a rare squeeze/endplay in contract bridge in which a trick is offered to the defenders but whichever wins the trick is then endplayed. Often one defender would be forced to offer a finesse or ruff and discard while the other could overtake and thereby promote a trick in that suit for declarer. The winkle squeeze was named and analyzed by Terence Reese in Master Play in Contract Bridge.
The trump coup is a contract bridge coup used when the hand on lead has no trumps remaining, while the next hand in rotation has only trumps, including a high one that would have been onside for a direct finesse if a trump could have been led. The play involves forcing that hand to ruff, only to be overruffed. A similar motive is met in coup en passant, where indirect finesse is used instead of direct.
Coup en passant is a type of coup in contract bridge where trump trick(s) are "stolen" by trying to ruff a card after the player who has the master trump(s).
These terms are used in contract bridge, using duplicate or rubber scoring. Some of them are also used in whist, bid whist, the obsolete game auction bridge, and other trick-taking games. This glossary supplements the Glossary of card game terms.
A triple squeeze is a squeeze against one player, in three suits; a more explicit definition is "three simple squeezes against the same player."
Loser on loser play is a type of declarer's play in contract bridge, usually in trump contracts, where the declarer discards a loser card on an opponent's winner, instead of ruffing.
Backwash squeeze is a rare squeeze which involves squeezing an opponent which lies behind declarer's menace. A variation of this, known as the "Sydney Squeeze" or "Seres Squeeze", was discovered in play at a rubber bridge game in Sydney, Australia in 1965, by the Australian great Tim Seres; it was later attested by famous bridge theorist Géza Ottlik in an article in The Bridge World in 1974, as well as in his famous book Adventures in Card Play, co-authored with Hugh Kelsey.
In the card game of bridge, tempo is the timing advantage of being on lead, thus being first to initiate one's play strategy to develop tricks for one's side. Tempo also refers to the speed of play and more generally the rhythm of play over several tricks.
A forcing defense in contract bridge aims to force declarer to repeatedly ruff the defenders' leads. If this can be done often enough, declarer eventually runs out of trumps and may lose control of the hand. A forcing defense is therefore applicable only to contracts played in a trump suit.
An entry squeeze is a move in contract bridge