Simple squeeze in 2 suits

Deal analysis

Unlike the bridge game, tarot does not make possible for the declarer to intentionnaly squeeze an opponent, for the simple reason that he plays only one hand whereas at bridge the declarer plays its hand and the dummy's hand. The squeeze requires at least a communication between two hands to be set up. In a tarot game, a declarer must obtain the unintentionnal help of one of the defenders to make a squeeze. On the other hand, it's possible that 2 defenders squeeze the declarer intentionnaly but honestly, I have not witnessed such coup in several years of play.

The following deal illustrates an involuntary squeeze of a defender by his partner. This variant, which we could name suicide-squeeze, is the most likely to occur in a game of tarot. For the anecdote, I specify that the deal is authentic, that I was the unhappy WEST and that I was so excited to witness my first tarot's squeeze that I forced everyone to put cards on table at 3 cards of the end, to be sure that the declarer discards correctly and that the squeeze succeeds !

Tarot at 3 players
South dealer and declarer (garde)

DOG: : 5-3, : 6-2, : K-4

Distribution

WEST	EAST
18​-17-13-12-8 K-Q-C-9-4 K-Q-3 Q-C-10-7-5-1 9-7-5-4-2	16​-15-14-11-7-6-4-2 7 C-10-9-8-5-4-1 8-3 K-C-J-8-6-3

SOUTH
Ex-21-20-19-10-9-5-3-1 J-10-8-6-5-3-2-1 - K-J-9-6-4-2 10

DISCARD: : J-7-6-2, : Q-1

The play of the hand:

Trick 1 to 3

TRICK	WEST	SOUTH	EAST
1	17	Ex	.2
2	.8	10	12
3	18	19	.4

The opening trump lead by EAST is not a hunt for the Petit but an anticipation of a strong holding in declarer's suits. This anticipation is inspired by the configutation of the 4 suits in the EAST's hand. Since bad breaks generally mean a strong holding in the declarer's suits, the trump lead is logical.

Trick 4 to 7

TRICK	WEST	SOUTHth>	EAST
4	2	.10	C
5	12	21	.6
6	R	.10	7
7	.13	20	7

The declarer bluffs at trick 4 with the 10 (he should have kept the ace to do it because his 10 force an honor), losing a tempo which could prevent him to set up the . WEST follows the plan of play of EAST at trick 7, especially when the declarer switches to , a suit where he has a good holding.

Trick 8 to 11

TRICK	WEST	SOUTH	EAST
8	4	.2	14
9	5	3	.15
10	R	5	.16
11	D	9	.8

East forgets to cash the 16 before the 15, losing a valuable discard from WEST (declarer having been able to mask the 16 at trick 7, West cannot be sure where the 16 is located). Trick 11: WEST could have saved his Q because the declarer ruffs undoubtedly this suit and has only 2 trumps left.

Trick 12 to 15

TRICK	WEST	SOUTH	EAST
12	9	.1	6
13	.3	1	4
14	C	.3	5
15	.4	9	8

Trick 12 : EAST must find some discards and could dream to lock up the king of if declarer bluffed in (and all seems to indicate that it is the case). He must discard the and not the . Trick 14: WEST plays the C before the queen to indicate to his partner that he still controls the suit.

Trick 16 to 19

TRICK	WEST	SOUTH	EAST
16	1	4	.C
17	7	6	.10
18	5	5	.9
19	10	6	.1

EAST could repair his errors by giving the lead to his partner with the 9 so that WEST can cashes his D, on which he could discard one of its damned . Unfortunately, he decided to cash the top ...

Trick 20 to 24

TRICK	WEST	SOUTH	EAST
20	7	8	.R
21	9	9	.V
22	D	V	.3
23	D	R	.8
24	C	.V	3

At trick 22, WEST is defenseless! He must discard before declarer and no matter which suit he plays, declarer will discard the other suit to make the last 2 tricks. Check by yourself...

If WEST discards the Q, the declarer will discard the J and makes the last 2 tricks with K-J. Notice that the simple play of a by EAST at trick 22 prevents this disastrous end (note: this deal is authentic and I report the way it was played, I do not pretend that it's exemplary well played).

The threat cards are the 3 cards of the declarer which can make tricks and to which the squeezed player try to opposite his cards. The threat cards must absolutely be located behind the squeezed player.

The squeeze operates only after reducing the count, i.e. at the time when there is no more superfluous cards in WEST and declarer's hand. We can make the following rule: the squeeze operates only at X tricks of the end, X being equal to the number of threat cards (here 3).

Now, just for fun, let us add the Q in declarer's hand, the K in WEST, the 2 in EAST and lets play this famous 3 by EAST, but this time at 4 tricks of the end. WEST discards the Q and declarer tosses the J. Now EAST plays the 2... you are not victim of a squeeze but of 2 successive squeezes, which is prettily named cascading squeeze! WEST has just made an exploit by not making any tricks with the combination K-Q-QC facing Q-J-KJ !

The squeeze in a game of tarot is very rare because in the majority of deals the trumps are in play until the end, also because it requires several conditions to occur. Most of the time, it will be due to a error in defensive play as in the example which we had just seen. Actually, the exact term to define this type of squeeze should be suicide-squeeze since one of the defenders execute his partner unintentionnally.

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