Hi all
My preparation for the Marin sectional consisted of sleeping in a tent, watching deer and chipmunks, and drink Pinot Grigio from a bottle as Sanne and I both had forgotten to bring glasses on our camping trip.
Geoff and I teamed up again with Drew and Bill. There was not a lot of room to score, throw in some random successful insanity by your opponents and you go home having scored just above average.
If I were a Roman gladiator meeting my RHO in the arena would bring an eager smile to my face. Man, I don’t understand how one person can contain so much hostility, sourness and anger.
Anyway, on the deal above I had to declare 3NT from South. West started with a 
for my King. I can count eight tricks and there are several options for a ninth. I decide to go after an extra 
trick so I lead small to the Queen, losing to the King. The continuation I take in dummy and I cross to my 
King to lead another . LHO fumbles through her cards for ten seconds, then says “Sorry, I don’t have any problem!”, and with that bit of poisonous information I have to take the right path. I request the Jack from dummy and I’m glad it wins the trick. I have nine now, but I’m hungry for a tenth. I exit in , leading to this position:
When West decided to cash the thirteenth East could pitch a 
, so did I from dummy and my hand. The thumbscrews got really painful on East when West played a for my Ace. Such a beautiful round squeeze, executed by your own partner! She spit some angry remarks, but she knew she got owned. The overtrick was worth an IMP.
Doesn’t the squeeze work regardless of whether West plays the last spade? What is East going to discard on a diamond return? And that squeeze seems to work fine on any other return too (
must be taken with the Queen).
Hi Jeroen
You’re right. But the straightforward squeeze transforms into a strip squeeze if West doesn’t cash the
.
On the
return East has to let go of a 
, you cash the 
Queen and after three rounds of 
East gets fatally placed.