This page is designed for players who are transitioning from beginner-level concepts to more advanced topics. It serves as an introductory guide to squeezes, an essential skill for intermediate players, while offering small, manageable steps and plenty of repetition to ensure a solid foundation.
It is tailored for individuals often referred to as “Improvers”—those eager to explore intermediate-level techniques but not yet prepared for the rapid pace and complexity typically found in most intermediate books and articles. This gradual approach aims to bridge the gap, providing a clear and accessible path to mastering more advanced concepts.
What is a Simple Squeeze?
A simple squeeze is a strategic play in which the declarer gains an additional winner by putting a defender in a position where they must discard a card that weakens their defense. Once the defender makes the undesirable discard, the declarer adapts their subsequent play to capitalize on the defender’s loss, turning the situation to their advantage.
By “a discard a defender doesn’t want to make,” I mean a discard that directly benefits the declarer by turning one of their cards into a winner. In essence, the defender is forced to give up a card that was critical to blocking or stopping the declarer’s potential winner, leaving the declarer with an additional trick.
Let’s explore how a position can be played in two different ways: first, without employing a squeeze, and then with a squeeze. By comparing these approaches, we can see how the squeeze technique creates an opportunity to gain an extra trick that might not otherwise be available through conventional play.
| Dummy ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ 5 ♦ – ♣ – | |
| West ♠ J T 9 8 ♥ – ♦ A ♣ – | East ♠ ? ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ? |
| You ♠ 5 4 3 ♥ A ♦ K ♣ – | |
The current inventory of the 5 tricks remaining is as follows:
West also controls the fourth round of spades, so Dummy’s ♠2 is not currently a skater (i.e., it’s not ready to win a trick). For these cards to become potential winners, you’ll need to force West into a difficult position, such as through a squeeze play.
West holds the master diamond, which means your ♦K is not yet a winner and will require the removal of West’s control to promote it.
Winning Four Tricks Without Squeezing
You could lead a spade to the dummy and cash your 3 spade masters, hoping for a 3-3 split. No luck. East discards on the third spade, confirming a 4-2 split.
At this point West would have two master cards – a big spade and the ♦A.
You can’t lead Dummy’s ♠2 because West would win the last two tricks. Instead you lead Dummy’s ♥5 back to your ♥A.
West plays last on this next-to-last trick, so he can see which hand you will lead from for the last trick before he decides which of his master cards to keep. Of course, he keeps his ♦A to capture your ♦K.
At the beginning of this example, you started with 4 winners for the last 5 tricks, and 4 winners is all you got. This sequence is a failure because it would have been possible to win all five tricks.
Winning All Five Tricks with a Successful Squeeze
Example 1 repeated
| Dummy ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ 5 ♦ – ♣ – | |
| West ♠ J T 9 8 ♥ – ♦ A ♣ – | East ♠ ? ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ? |
| You ♠ 5 4 3 ♥ A ♦ K ♣ – | |
To win all five tricks, you must start by cashing your ♥A, forcing West to make a discard before you decide which suit to lead next.
* If he discards his ♦A, cash your ♦K, discarding dummy’s ♠2, and win the rest with dummy’s spade honors.
* If he discards a spade, lead to the dummy and cash FOUR spade tricks, the last one being a skater.
Guards, Threats, and Squeeze Cards
This is a classic example of a simple squeeze. In this scenario, one defender holds critical cards, often referred to as guards, in two different suits:
- The ♦A is guarding the diamond suit, preventing your ♦K from becoming a winner.
- The fourth spade is guarding against Dummy’s ♠2 becoming a skater (a winning card).
By forcing the defender to discard during the play of the ♥A, you create a situation where they must relinquish one of their guards. This discard either promotes your ♦K to a winner or allows Dummy’s spades to sweep up the remaining tricks, showcasing the elegant power of the squeeze play.
In this squeeze play, your secondary holdings, often referred to as threats, are positioned in the same two suits where the opponent holds their guards:
- Your ♦K is a threat in the diamond suit, ready to become a winner if the opponent discards their ♦A.
- Dummy’s ♠2 is a seemingly insignificant card but serves as a threat in the spade suit, becoming a skater if the opponent discards a spade.
These threats create pressure on the opponent, as they cannot protect both suits simultaneously. This imbalance is the essence of a simple squeeze: leveraging threats in multiple suits to force a defender into making a discard that ultimately benefits the declarer.
When you play a winner in a third suit, in this case, the ♥A, that card is referred to as the squeeze card. The purpose of the squeeze card is to apply maximum pressure on the defender holding guards in two critical suits.
- West’s Dilemma: When the ♥A is led, West must choose which guard to keep:
- If West discards the ♦A, your ♦K becomes a winner.
- If West discards a spade, Dummy’s ♠2 is promoted to a skater.
This forced discard creates an extra winner for you in one of the two threatened suits, demonstrating the effectiveness of a well-executed squeeze play.
For a simple squeeze to work…
- you must have winners for all the rest of the tricks except one.
- you must have threats in two different suits, at least one of them in the hand opposite from the squeeze card.
- you must have an entry to your threat card in the opposite hand.
- the same defender must guard both of your threats.#1, #2, and #3 are always known to declarer, but sometimes #4 is not. You may be able to figure it out with inferences from the bidding and the early play, or you may have to just hope one defender holds both guards.
In the hand we saw above (example 1)…
- there are five tricks remaining and you have four winners. That is a correct count for a successful squeeze.
- you have a diamond threat in your hand and a spade threat in the dummy.
- the squeeze card (♥A) is in your hand and the ♠A is your entry to the dummy’s spade skater threat.
- West guards both diamonds and spades.
Let’s look in more detail at these 4 requirements for a successful squeeze.
1. you must have winners for all the rest of the tricks except one.
Example 2
| Dummy ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ 5 ♦ 7 ♣ – | |
| West ♠ J T 9 8 ♥ – ♦ A 3 ♣ – | East ♠ ? ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ? |
| You ♠ 5 4 3 ♥ A 2 ♦ K ♣ – | |
I’ve added an extra card to each hand. Now there are 6 tricks remaining, but you only have 4 winners. That’s not “…except one” from our first guideline.
If you attempt to squeeze your opponent by leading what you thought was going to be a squeeze card (♥A), he has an idle card to discard, his ♦3.
He will not have to discard either of his guards, so the squeeze fails and he will win future tricks with both of his guard cards.
This illustrates why you need to count to see if there are too many remaining tricks left for your winners to be “all the rest of the tricks except one.”
If you could somehow remove the one extra card from each hand (your ♥2, West’s ♦3, and Dummy’s ♦7), West would no longer have an idle card to discard. Then you would have 4 winners for 5 remaining tricks, and your squeeze would work.
Let’s look at an example…
Example 2 repeated
| Dummy ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ 5 ♦ 7 ♣ – | |
| West ♠ J T 9 8 ♥ – ♦ A 3 ♣ – | East ♠ ? ♥ K Q J T 9 8 ♦ ? ♣ ? |
| You ♠ 5 4 3 ♥ A 2 ♦ K ♣ – | |
You have 4 winners, but there are 6 tricks left – not the correct count.
You can’t twist and flick your magic wand to increase your winners, but you may be able to play a loser to reduce the number of tricks remaining.
Suppose your right hand opponent has made a preemptive bid in hearts, and you know his last 6 cards are all hearts.
Now the squeeze can work. But not by leading your squeeze card, ♥A.
You must begin by leading your low heart, intentionally losing the trick. This is called “correcting the count.”
You have counted the tricks remaining and counted your winners, coming to the conclusion that there are too many cards left for the squeeze to work. But when you lose a heart trick, the count would then be correct – 5 tricks would be left with you holding 4 winners.
Remember that RHO has only hearts left, so he will win the first heart trick and be forced to lead another one.
Your ♥A wins this second heart trick, and West is squeezed. He discards his idle ♦3 on the first heart, and the second heart forces him to discard one of his guards.
Of course whenever you lose a trick intentionally, you must be able to recapture the lead to execute your squeeze. In the above example, It would be a failure if RHO had a diamond mixed in with his handful of hearts. Then he could win your heart lead and return the diamond. His partner would win with his ♦A, and lead a spade, eventually winning the fourth round of spades. Ouch! Losing 3 tricks would be a very bad result – worse than simply cashing the winners you started with.
2. you must have threats in two different suits, at least one of them in the hand opposite from the squeeze card.
| Dummy ♠ 5 4 3 ♥ 5 ♦ 7 6 ♣ – | |
| West ♠ J T 9 8 ♥ – ♦ A 3 ♣ – | East ♠ ? ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ? |
| You ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ A ♦ K ♣ – | |
Let’s see what would happen if both of your threats (♦K and ♠2) were in your own hand.
Because neither of your 2 threats are winners, the position no longer satisfies the first requirement. With 2 losers in your hand, and no winners in the dummy, you don’t have winners for all the rest of the tricks except one.
Another way the look at it is… the second threat in your own hand means that you have an extra card, and so does West. So if you lead your intended squeeze card, he can discard his extra card (♦3) and keep both of his guard cards.
Our second guideline says that you don’t have to have your two threats in different hands, as long as…
…at least one of them…
is opposite from your squeeze card.
So one threat in each hand is good, but let’s see what happens with both threats in the hand opposite from your squeeze card.
| Dummy ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ – ♦ K ♣ – |
| You ♠ 5 4 3 ♥ A ♦ 4 ♣ – |
Now the squeeze only works against the opponent who discards before you do – West (for this example).
You lead your squeeze card (♥A), and West must discard one of his guards. Only then do you decide which of Dummy’s two threats to keep. (Of course you keep the one where he just discarded his guard.)
This doesn’t work against East because Dummy must discard a threat card before East chooses which guard to keep. (He’ll keep the one to capture the dummy’s remaining threat card.)
As with all squeezes, whoever discards a threat card or guard card first, loses an extra trick.
3. you must have an entry to your threat card in the opposite hand.
| Dummy ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ – ♦ – ♣ 2 |
| You ♠ – ♥ A ♦ K ♣ 5 4 3 |
If West has both spades and diamonds guarded, you can squeeze him by leading your ♥A.
But after he discards his spade guard, you have no entry to Dummy’s spade winners. So this squeeze is a failure.
In fact, Dummy’s spades are stranded regardless of what happens with your squeeze.
| Dummy ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ – ♦ – ♣ A |
| You ♠ – ♥ A ♦ K ♣ 5 4 3 |
I’ve added the ♣A as an entry to the dummy. This seems to solve the problem because you can cross the lead to the dummy after West discards his spade guard.
However, the squeeze is pointless, because you already have 5 winners for the remaining 5 tricks.
What West discards is irrelevant because you will always discard Dummy’s ♠2 on your ♥A squeeze card, leaving nothing but master cards in the dummy.
So… having an entry in the fourth suit doesn’t help.
| Dummy ♠ K 4 3 ♥ – ♦ K ♣ 2 |
| You ♠ A Q 5 2 ♥ A ♦ – ♣ – |
But the squeeze does work when you have transportation in a threat suit, like these spades.
You now have the correct count – winners for all the rest of the tricks except one.
When you lead your ♥A squeeze card, Dummy has an idle card ♣2 to discard, and if one defender (either one…) holds both guards, he will have to discard one of them.
Then spades provide entries to both hands so you can cash whichever threat has been unguarded.
How do I know the squeeze victim will have to discard one of his guards? After the squeeze card is played, there will be only 4 cards left. To guard both threats, a defender needs 5 cards – the master diamond and four spades. He can’t keep that many cards.
4. the same defender must guard both of your threats.
Our fourth guideline is different from the other three.
How is it different?
With the other three guidelines, declarer knows whether or not he has exactly what he needs for a simple squeeze – the count, the 2 threats, and the entries.
But he often doesn’t know whether or not the same defender holds both guards.
Nevertheless, declarer goes through the motions for a squeeze, even without knowing what the result will be.
It’s like taking a finesse. You only find out if your finesse wins or loses after you try it. Sometimes the bidding or the play will tell you where a critical card must be. Then you might know that a finesse is destined to win.
Similarly, declarer can sometimes figure out that a specific defender holds both guard cards. In such cases he knows his squeeze will work. Otherwise, he just tries it to see if it works.
When a finesse loses, you lose the trick and you lose the lead. Then the defense may use their newly acquired lead to cash additional tricks. So when the finesse fails, declarer may wish she’d never tried it.
A simple squeeze does not have the down side of losing additional tricks.
There’s only one trick at stake, and declarer saves that one trick for last. If the squeeze works, she wins the last trick. If it doesn’t work, the defense wins the last trick – a trick they were going to win anyway if declarer doesn’t try the squeeze.
So… set your simple squeezes up properly with the correct count, threats, and entries. If you follow those three steps you will have nothing to lose. The fourth step will take care of itself, winning an extra trick when your squeeze succeeds and never losing more than the last trick of the hand – a trick you were destined to lose anyway if you hadn’t tried the squeeze.
Planning a Squeeze from Trick One
Example 3
| Dummy ♠ A K Q 2 ♥ 9 5 3 2 ♦ A 6 5 ♣ K 2 | |
| West ♠ J T 9 8 ♥ K J 4 ♦ K Q J T 3 ♣ 9 | East ♠ ? ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ? |
| You ♠ 5 4 3 ♥ A Q ♦ 9 4 2 ♣ A Q J T 3 | |
You are declarer in 5N, after West opens the bidding with 1♦.
The opening lead is ♦K.
Taking Inventory
What a miserable contract. Oh well… Let’s try to make it anyway.
You need 11 tricks, but you only have 10 winners.
Based on your opponent’s opening bid, he has to have all the missing honors, so you know the heart finesse is going to lose.
And it’s against the odds to have the spades split 3-3.
Your only other chance is a squeeze.
So let’s add a 4-step squeeze inventory to our planning.
1. you must have winners for all the rest of the tricks except one.
What is the count of winners and unplayed tricks?
What tricks could you lose to correct the count?
2. you must have threats in two different suits, at least one of them in the hand opposite from the squeeze card.
What are your threat cards?
What will be your squeeze card?
3. you must have an entry to your threat card in the opposite hand.
What will be your entry to the hand opposite your squeeze card?
4. the same defender must guard both of your threats.
We’ve figured out from the bidding that West holds one guard card, ♥K. We can’t tell if he actually holds a spade guard as well, so we’ll just hope he does.
Now all you have to do is lose the first two rounds of diamonds and you will have corrected the count. So you hold up on the first round of diamonds, planning to hold up again on the second round.
West Tries to Mess Up Our Plan
Unfortunately, your pesky opponent sitting West doesn’t lead a second round of diamonds. He switches to the ♠J.
Now what?
There are now 12 unfinished tricks, and you still have only 10 winners. You haven’t finished correcting the count.
How do you finish correcting the count?
Win whatever they return next (let’s assume another diamond trick). Then proceed to squeeze your helpless opponent by cashing all the winners in your hand.
With the squeeze card still to play, the last four cards will be:
| Dummy ♠ K Q 2 ♥ 9 ♦ – ♣ – | |
| West ♠ T 9 8 ♥ K ♦ – ♣ – | East ♠ ? ♥ ? ♦ ? ♣ ? |
| You ♠ 5 4 ♥ Q ♦ – ♣ A | |
When you lead the ♣A, any card discarded by West will create an opportunity for you to secure your 11th trick. This discard forces West into a difficult position, as they must choose which suit to weaken, ultimately giving you the advantage needed to reach your target. This strategic play capitalizes on the pressure placed on the opponent, ensuring that you can convert a potential loser into a winning trick.
Squeezes tend to unfold naturally once the essential conditions are in place. After identifying your threat cards, ensuring the count is corrected, and preserving an entry to the opposite hand, the process becomes straightforward. Simply proceed to cash your winners in the hand containing the squeeze card. This approach automatically applies pressure on your opponent, forcing them into an unfavorable discard and allowing you to capitalize on the situation to gain the extra trick you need.
You don’t need to memorize all of your opponents’ discards or painstakingly determine their exact distribution. The beauty of a squeeze play lies in its simplicity once the setup is complete. By focusing on the key elements—your threat cards, the corrected count, and maintaining the necessary entry—you can rely on the pressure created by your winners to force the defense into making a crucial mistake. The play essentially works on its own, without requiring intricate tracking of every card played.
On this hand, your focus should be on the ♥K. If the ♥K is played, immediately cash your ♥Q to secure the trick. If the ♥K does not appear, shift your attention to the dummy by crossing the lead and then playing your spades. This straightforward approach ensures you maximize your chances of success, depending on the appearance of the critical card.
You will make an extra spade trick if either…
- West discarded his spade guard, or…
- the spades split 3-3.
Attempting the squeeze does not jeopardize your chances of making an extra trick when the spades split 3-3. In this scenario, the outcome remains identical to a situation where West holds a spade guard and is forced to discard it. Therefore, regardless of the actual spade distribution, executing the squeeze sequence offers a strategy that either achieves the same result or improves your position. It’s a low-risk, high-reward play that maximizes your chances of success without compromising your opportunities.
Practice Hand
Example 5
| Dummy ♠ A K 3 ♥ A 4 3 ♦ 9 5 2 ♣ 8 5 3 2 |
| You ♠ 8 6 5 ♥ K 2 ♦ A K Q J T 4 ♣ A Q |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1♥ 2♥ | P 2N | P P | DBL 6♦ |
The opening lead is a small diamond. It’s an unexpected choice, as a heart lead might have been more logical. This lead can actually work to your advantage, assisting you in managing the trump suit more efficiently. It almost feels like a strategic gift, providing you with an opportunity to take control of the play sooner than anticipated.”
Take Inventory
You need 12 tricks, but you have only 11 winners.
Your clubs look like a finessing position. What are the chances the finesse could win? (hint: count hcp and review the bidding)
West opened the bidding, and rebid his suit even though his partner passed. How many hearts does he have?
If West has at least 6 hearts, what is the maximum number of hearts East can have?
The young learner looks confused. “Why are you asking those questions? I thought we were going to practice squeezes. Why does it matter how many hearts East has?”
Ah, a fair question! Understanding the distribution of suits is crucial because it will help you identify the two key threat cards necessary to execute the squeeze effectively. Mastering this technique requires more than just mechanical play—it’s about recognizing the right conditions and pinpointing the defenders’ vulnerabilities.
Without a squeeze you have no prospects for a 12th trick. So we turn our attention to a squeeze inventory.
1. you must have winners for all the rest of the tricks except one.
What is the count of winners and unplayed tricks?
What will you plan to lose to correct the count?
2. you must have threats in two different suits, at least one of them in the hand opposite from the squeeze card.
The club finesse is a sure loser because West needs all the missing honors for his opening bid. So we’ll use the ♣Q as a threat card and plan not to take the finesse.
But where’s the threat card in the dummy?
Good news! We know West has both guards, so we know our squeeze is going to work.
The threat in the dummy may appear unimpressive at first glance. However, even a seemingly minor threat demands attention from the defense. West is compelled to guard against it, regardless of its apparent weakness. The critical issue is that West cannot simultaneously maintain protection over both threatened suits. This creates the necessary tension for a successful squeeze, where even the most modest threats can force a defender into an impossible position, ultimately leading to a decisive advantage for the declarer.
3. you must have an entry to your threat card in the opposite hand.
What is the entry to the dummy’s threat card?
4. the same defender must guard both of your threats.
✓ West has both of them.
Making your contract
Example 5 repeated
| Dummy ♠ A K 3 ♥ A 4 3 ♦ 9 5 2 ♣ 8 5 3 2 |
| You ♠ 8 6 5 ♥ K 2 ♦ A K Q J T 4 ♣ A Q |
The opening lead is a diamond.
What is the full plan for making 12 tricks?
| Dummy ♠ – ♥ A 4 ♦ – ♣ 8 |
| You ♠ – ♥ 2 ♦ 4 ♣ Q |
This is what the squeeze position will look like before you lead your squeeze card (♦4).
What will be West’s last three cards?
You have 2 winners for the last three tricks. If West discards his ♣K, your ♣Q will be your 12th trick. Or if he discards a heart, Dummy’s small heart will become a skater for your 12th trick.
Summary
A simple squeeze can produce an extra trick by forcing a defender to make a discard that turns one of your lesser cards into a winner.
For a simple squeeze to work…
- you must have winners for all the rest of the tricks except one.
- you must have threats in two different suits, at least one of them in the hand opposite from the squeeze card.
- you must have an entry to your threat card in the opposite hand.
- the same defender must guard both of your threats.
You can use this 4-point checklist to plan a squeeze when taking inventory at the beginning of the hand.