Stepping-stone squeeze

Template:Short description 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: Template:BridgeHandNWES

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

The name stepping-stone alludes to South's use of West's Template:Cards to cross over to the abandoned Template:Cards.

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

An interesting variation is the following ending playing in no trumps with the lead in South: Template:BridgeHandNWES Needing all but one of the remaining tricks, the declarer leads the Template:Cards covered by West, dummy winning with the Template:Cards. 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 Template:Cards 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 Template:Cards.

References

• Template:Cite book Republications/reprintings by Arnold in 1959 and 1962 and Hale (London) in 1984 and 1990. Published in the USA as Master Play in 1960 by Coffin (Massachusetts); in 1966 by Simon & Schuster (New York); and as Master Play in Contract Bridge in 1974 by Dover Publications (New York), Template:ISBN, 143p. A 1997 revised and enlarged edition with Barry Rigall was published by Hale (London), Template:ISBN, 208p.