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Bridge card game, the most popular card game in the world |
Backwash squeeze is a rare squeeze which involves squeezing an opponent which lies behind declarer's menace. It was first attested by famous bridge theorist G?za Ottlik in an article in The Bridge World in 1974, as well as in his famous book Adventures in Card Play, co-authored with Hugh Kelsey.
By nature, backwash squeeze is a non-material trump squeeze without the count. It occurs when the declarer (or dummy) has high trump(s) but must not draw opponent's remaining trump(s). Instead, he ruffs a card high, and the opponent playing after, still having trump(s), must choose to under-ruff or give up one of menaces, either in form of a direct trick or an exit card, allowing later endplay. Since the squeeze is without the count, the squeezed defender will be allowed to take a later trick.
| ♠ | KJ | ||||
| ♥ | 32 | ||||
| ♦ | A5 | ||||
| ♣ | - | ||||
| ♠ | 854 |
N W E S |
♠ | - | |
| ♥ | - | ♥ | Q | ||
| ♦ | KJ | ♦ | 10942 | ||
| ♣ | 5 | ♣ | J | ||
| ♠ | A7 | ||||
| ♥ | - | ||||
| ♦ | Q83 | ||||
| ♣ | 9 | ||||
Spades are trumps, and South needs five of six remaining tricks, the last
trick having been taken by dummy. The material for those is theoretically there
by means of ♦A and
crossruffing,
but West's ♠8 is in the way, as he can overruff declarer's ♠7 if he tries to
ruff hearts. However, West also protects diamonds, and can be thrown-in with
that trump if the correct position is set up. The declarer now ruffs a heart
with trump Ace (establishing the suit), and West is backwash-squeezed. As he
must not unguard diamonds, and under-ruffing will allow the declarer to draw
trumps with dummy's KJ, he discards a club?his exit card. Now, the declarer
draws trumps and plays now high heart from dummy; when West overrufs, he has
only diamonds left and must give up a trick in the suit.
Bridge card game, the most popular card game in the world.