A double squeeze is the act of squeezing both opponents. Mr. Bertrand Romanet, among many other bridge analysts and theorists, has devoted much to analyzing this part of the game of bridge.
Certain requirements are necessary in order that a double squeeze work. Every double squeeze play requires a squeeze card, a double menace, and two isolated menaces, guarded by only one opponent
The essence of the double squeeze is that one opponent is squeezed in two suits like Spades and Hearts, and the second opponent is squeezed also in two suits like Spades and Diamonds, or Hearts and Cubs. Each opponent is squeezed in a shared suit, and both are squeezed in a second, separate suit. There are many different forms of the double squeeze and all have a different name.
Simultaneous Double Squeeze, Balanced
South leads the Ace of Clubs, the squeeze card. Since West is void in Clubs, West is squeezed in both Spades and Hearts. West must discard a Spade. North discards a Heart. Since East is also void in Clubs, East is squeezed in both Spades and Diamonds. This is a positional squeeze.
Simultaneous Double Squeeze, Automatic
South leads the Ace of Clubs. Void in Clubs West becomes squeezed in both Spades and Hearts. West must discard a Spade. Being void also in Clubs East is squeezed in Spades and Diamonds.
Simultaneous Double Squeeze, Twin Entry
South leads the Ace of Clubs. West is squeezed in Spades and Hearts. West must discard a Spade. East is squeezed in Spades and Diamonds. This is a positional squeeze.
Non-Simultaneous Double Squeeze
The requirement for a non-simultaneous double squeeze are two separate squeeze cards. The last established trick in the fourth suit of the declarer squeezes one opponent. At a subsequent trick, the second squeeze card squeezes the other opponent. The other requirement is that the second squeeze card is opposite the first squeeze card, and that it accompanies the isolated menace guarded by the opponent who was squeezed first.
Non-Simultaneous Double Squeeze, Inverted Left
South leads the Ace of Clubs. As a result West is squeezed in Spades and Hearts. West must discard a Spade, and South discards a low Heart. However, East is not squeezed. South, on a subsequent trick, leads a Heart to the Ace in dummy. As a result East is now squeezed in Spades and Diamonds. This is a
positional squeeze.
The term inverted left refers to the fact that the double menace accompanies the squeeze card, which is unusual since the double menace ordinarily lies opposite the squeeze card. Left indicates that the isolated menace guarded on the left is accompanied by a winner.
Non-Simultaneous Double Squeeze, Inverted Right
South leads the Ace of Clubs. West is not squeezed, and discards the 6 of Diamonds. However, as a result East is squeezed and must discard a Spade. South, after winning the trick, now leads to the Ace of Diamonds in dummy. As a result of this play West is now squeezed in Spades and Hearts. This is an automatic squeeze. For this type of squeeze, an ordinary two-card menace against both opponents does not suffice. A recessed menace is required.
Non-Simultaneous Double Squeeze, Twin Entry Left
South leads the Ace of Clubs. This play squeezes West to discard a Spade since West must guard Hearts. South then leads to the King of Spades in dummy, and plays the Ace of Hearts. As a result this play squeezes East in Spades and Diamonds. This is a positional squeeze, and combines the elements of the Balanced and Twin-Entry positions.
Non-Simultaneous Double Squeeze, Inverted Left Recessed
South leads the Ace of Clubs. West is squeezed in Spades and Hearts. West must discard a Spade in order to guard the Hearts. South plays to the Ace and King of Hearts. This play squeezes East in Spades and Diamond. This is a positional squeeze. The isolated menaces are arranged as in a balanced double squeeze, but the double menace is inverted. In this positional squeeze, North must have two winning tricks, one of which must be an entry.
Mr. Clyde Elton Love, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, a professor of mathematics, applied his knowledge mainly to the theoretical specifics of squeeze plays and has included his conclusions in numerous magazine articles and in published works, which include Squeeze Play in Bridge, published 1951 by Richard R. Smith Publisher, Inc., in New York, United States, LC: 51010352, and Bridge Squeezes Complete: or Winning End Play Strategy, LC: 68025410, published c1959 by Dover Publications in New York, United States. Mr. Clyde E. Love classified the suits in a double squeeze by replacing them with letters, which are explained in the schematic below:
| B: |
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Suit held by both opponents |
| L: |
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Suit held by the left hand opponent of the hand containing one threat |
| R: |
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Suit held by the right hand opponent of the hand containing one threat |
| F: |
|
Free suit held by neither opponent |
The conclusion is that the B threat must be accompanied by an entry in its own suit, which must be present after the completion of the squeeze. It is also impossible to have a double squeeze with all three threats in the identical hand. Based on these conditions, Mr. Clyde E. Love classified them by what type of threat was on its own. Therefore, Type L is a single L threat opposite an R and opposite a B threat, and so on.
Mr. Clyde E. Love proved that there were three types of double squeeze, but he also proves that the Type L squeeze will never succeed, and he also split the Type B squeezes. The result is that there are then three types of double squeezes: Type B, Type B1 and Type B2. Conclusion: Type B: if the B threat is accompanied by one winner only, then it is a Type B1 squeeze. No winners is impossible since the squeeze must be accompanied by an entry. On the other hand, if Type B is accompanied by two or more winners, then it is a Type 2 squeeze.
Double Squeeze with Vienna Coup or Automatic Squeeze
The following illustration is a rare example and may not ever be experienced by a bridge player during the course of a bridge career. It is presented more as a curiosity.
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| North |
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KJ104 |
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A10983 |
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J |
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1064 |
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The auction is presented more as a convenience to the reader than as a system, upon which to base a partnership agreement:
| South |
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West |
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North |
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East |
| 2 |
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Pass |
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2 |
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Pass |
| 3 |
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Pass |
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3 |
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Pass |
| 4 NT |
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Pass |
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5 |
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Pass |
| 5 NT |
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Pass |
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6 |
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Pass |
| 6 NT |
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Pass |
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Pass |
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Pass |
| Dealer: |
South |
| Declarer: |
South |
| Vulnerability: |
North/South |
| Opening Lead: |
9 |
The lead of the 9 insured the contract even if the Spade finesse should fail. This was, however, not the target of the declarer. The field would play in 6 Hearts making seven, which would result in a score of 1460 for the field. The target becomes the taking of all 13 tricks for an end score of 1470 playing in No Trump.
East plays the 8 and the Queen wins. South then plays the Ace and finesses the 10. When this card holds, South plans for the necessary overtrick by cashing the Ace (which is the Vienna Coup) and then cashes all the Heart winners.
This play strips each hand of the defendants of four cards. West must guard the Qx and therefore could hold no more than two Diamonds. East would have to hold three Diamonds and the King. At the beginning of the ninth trick, the result is as shown below:
South, in dummy, plays the 3 and East safely discards the Jack and South discards the 3. Although the discard of the 6 by West did not seem to have any apparent effect on the remaining play, it became obvious later. This particular 6 discard subjected East to a simple Diamond-Club squeeze on the next trick.
The play of the King forces East to surrender either the King, which establishes the Ten in dummy as a winner, or a Diamond, which establishes all four Diamond tricks as winners in the hand of the declarer. Source is: More Bridge Brilliance and Blunders by Mr. Richard Miller.
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.