6th October 2021

In a recent eight board BBO match John Roberts' team bid two grand slams, both makeable on squeezes.

Dealer W
 S
 A10872
    
Game All
 H
 AKJ32
    
    D
   
    C K72
    
S
 4
     S
 965
H
 Q76
     H
 10984
D
 A9864
     D
 QJ1053
C
 QJ63
     C
 4
    S
 KQJ3
    
    H
 5
    
    D
 K72
    
    C
 A10985
    

South
 West
 North
 East

Pass
 1S Pass
2NT
 Pass 3S  Pass
4C Pass 5D Pass
6C Pass 7S Pass
Pass Pass



This was the first one with Pete Foster North and John Roberts South.
Two notrump was Jacoby, a game hand with spade support, three spades showed a shortage in diamonds, four clubs was a cue bid, five diamonds exclusion Blackwood asking for key cards outside diamonds.  When South showed two with the queen of trumps with the six diamond bid North tried seven spades.
This turned out to be a less good contract than North had hoped for, but he ruffed out the hearts while drawing trumps and then ran major suit winners to reach the following position, with West still to discard.




 S
   

H
   
    D
   
    C K72
    
S
    S
 J96
H
    H
D
 A
     D
 J10
C
 QJ6
     C
 4
    S
   
    H
   
    D
 K
    
    C
 A10
    

West had to part with a club and now declarer could cash three club tricks for a 17 imp gain when opposition stopped in game at the other table.


Dealer E
 S
 J103
    
EW Vul
 H
   
    D J97432
    
    C Q873
    
S
 AK42
     S
 97
H
 1093
     H
 AKQJ875
D
 AQ10
     D
 6
C
 K64
     C
 A102
    S
 Q865
    
    H
 642
    
    D
 K85
    
    C
 J95
    

South
 West
 North
 East

Pass
 1H Pass
1S Pass 4H  Pass
4NT Pass 5D Pass
7H Pass Pass Pass

Now it was the turn of John Currie as West and Royce Alexander as East to bid a grand slam.
South found an excellent lead of the diamond five.  This convinced Royce that North held the diamond king, so he played for a double squeeze after ruffing one spade in hand to isolate the spade menace, with North to have the diamond king and South to have the last spade.  This proved unsuccessful and the team lost 17 imps.
However the slam could have been made even without the diamond finesse.

This is the end position after ruffing a spade and drawing trumps.

 S
   

H
   
    D J
    
    C Q87
    
S
 4
     S
H
    H
 5
D
 Q
     D
C
 K6
     C
 A102
    S
 Q
    
    H
   
    D
 K
    
    C
 J9
    

When East plays the last trump, South is squeezed in three suits.  If he lets a club go then a club to the king and a finesse of the ten makes the contract.  This is a guard squeeze.

Thanks to John Roberts for reporting these deals