Prelude to a squeeze.
Bridge Column for May 26, 2007, Harvey Bernstein
Special To The Plain Dealer
Both sides vulnerable.  North deals.
                              North
                              S: A 9  
                              H: A 10 8 7   
                              D: A 9 4 3   
                              C: A K 10   
            West                             East
            S: J 4                           S: 8 7 2        
            H: Q J 6 2                       H: 9 5 3      
            D: K Q 10 7 5                    D: J 6 2            

            C: 9 8                           C: J 7 5 4     
                              South                         
                              S: K Q 10 6 5 3     
                              H: K 4         
                              D: 8           
                              C: Q 6 3 2 
          The Bidding:  
                  North    West    Sorth    East                 

                   1D      Pass     1S      Pass
                   2NT     Pass     4C      Pass
                   4D      Pass     5C      Pass
                   5H      Pass     7S      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
          Opening lead: KD
     Thanks to Gary Sikon of North Royalton for this hand from a
matchpoint duplicate bridge game.  After North showed a balanced
19 or 20 points, South bid four clubs which was the Gerber
convention, asking for aces.  The four diamond response indicates
zero or four aces.  Five clubs asked for kings and five hearts
showed one king.
     Seven spades is a very aggressive bid, but there are twelve
top tricks so long as spades divided 3-2, and there is a real
play for thirteen.  Clubs could divide 3-3 or there could be a
squeeze available.  
     The opening lead helped a little.  From the lead, declarer
knew the location of the queen of diamonds.  He won the ace and
immediately trumped a diamond.  A spade to the ace allowed
declarer to trump another diamond.  East played the jack.  Two  
rounds of spades and three rounds of clubs left this position: 
                              North
                              S: Void 
                              H: A 10 8     
                              D: 9       
                              C: Void 
            West                             East
            S: Void                          S: Void         
            H: Q J 6                         H: 9 5 3      
            D: Q                             D: Void             
            C: Void                          C: J           
                              South                         
                              S: Q              
                              H: K 4         
                              D: Void        
                              C: 6
     Declarer played the queen of spades and West was squeezed in
the red suits.  Trumping two rounds of diamonds early had the
effect of isolating the diamond threat in the West hand. This
action is what set up the squeeze position.  Also, note that if
both defenders follow to three rounds of clubs, the six of clubs
would have been the thirteenth trick.

     Congratulations to the following local players who have
achieved new levels of success in their bridge careers.
     Lewis Bernard of Solon and Patricia Novak of Mentor have
passed the 2,500 master point level and are gold life masters.
     Elmerice Traks of Cleveland, June Sanders of Parma Heights,
Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, and Robert Wood of Wadsworth have
passed the 1,000 master point level and are silver life masters.
     J. C. Lamkin of Bratenahl, Diane Peltz of Solon and James
Pivarski of Munroe Falls have passed the 500 master point level
and are bronze life masters.
      Roger Edwards of Stow has satisfied all of the requirements
and is now a life master.
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon. 
To reach Harvey Bernstein:
hjb0416@yahoo.com