BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

YOu are still on course for 6NT from yesterday, and you require five of the remaining tricks, with the lead in dummy (east).

Can you see how critical it is to be in dummy at this stage, and, therefore, how important it can be to play your cards in a specific order?

When you lead dummy’s diamond, south has to make a fatal discard; either major will set up yours, so he throws ♣ J, and you play ♦ 8, allowing North to win the trick!

Remember that for a squeeze to take effect, we have first to ‘rectify the count’ which means to lose the trick we can afford to lose.

North is obliged now to play back a diamond, on which dummy discards a club, and south is powerless; whatever he does sets up winners for declarer.