Pressure

Dlr:
North
Vul:
None
North
♠ 8 7
7
Q 8 7 4 3 2
♣ 10 8 5 2
South
♠ A
A K Q J 10 9
K 5
♣A K Q 6
West North East South
2♠ Dbl
4♠ Pass Pass 6
All Pass

The deal, reported by Tim Bourke in the International Bridge Press Association Bulletin, features a nifty strip squeeze.

West leads the ♠10 to the ace. By playing five round of trumps and the ♣A, declarer arrives at this position:

Dlr:
Vul:
North
Q 8 7
♣ 10 8 5
West
A J 9
♣ J 9 7
East
♠ K Q J 6
10 6
South
9
K 5
♣ K Q 6

On the play of the 9, West feels unbearable pressure. He must let go of a diamond (dummy discards a club) or declarer’s clubs will run. Declarer then plays the ♦K and again West faces two bad choices. If he takes the A, dummy’s Q 8 will be good. If the ♦K is ducked, West is put on lead with another diamond and he must lead away from the ♣J.

Note that declarer cannot afford to cash two high clubs. If he does, in the end game dummy is forced to discard down to a singleton ♣10, and West can scuttle the contract by winning the second diamond and playing the ♣J.

The full deal:

Dlr:
Vul:
North
♠ 8 7
7
Q 8 7 4 3 2
♣ 10 8 5 2
West
♠ 10 9 5 4
4 3
A J 9
♣ J 9 7 3
East
♠ K Q J 6 3 2
8 6 5 2
10 6
♣ 4
South
♠ A
A K Q J 10 9
K 5
♣A K Q 6