The Adventures of Poor Frank, Part CLIV: The Archie Squeeze

The Adventures of Poor Frank, Part CLIV: The Archie Squeeze

By Ray Adams

frankandarchie@yahoo.com

The winner at the local duplicate just the other night depended on how Poor Frank did against Lucky Archie on the last board.

 

Lucky Archie was partnered with Queenie Hartz, a player who advocated opening weak notrumps when not vulnerable against vulnerable opponents. This explains Lucky Archie’s opening bid. Poor Frank’s double showed equal value and he was soon propelled to 6NT by his partner. Lucky Archie doubled, expecting to take two diamond tricks. Unfortunately for the Lucky One, his partner led the ten of clubs, giving Poor Frank a fighting chance.

The opening weak notrump told declarer where every one of the missing points were, so all Poor Frank had to do was exploit this knowledge. He won the opening lead perforce in dummy and tested spades, finding they were splitting. He left the high ten of spades in his hand. Next he tested hearts, finding that they, too, were running. Lucky Archie had to find three discards on the hearts. He chose two diamonds and one club. Poor Frank also let go of two diamonds and a club.

At this point, Poor Frank led a spade from dummy. Lucky Archie had to toss a club or the king of diamonds. After some thought, he chose the high diamond. Poor Frank won his spade and now knew he could endplay the Lucky One with a diamond. He led his last diamond, Lucky Archie won his ace and exited a small club. But Poor Frank simply inserted his jack, and when that held, he claimed. Readers can see that, if Lucky Archie had tossed a club instead, declarer would have cashed the king and jack of clubs and conceded the last trick. Either way, this was a top board for Poor Frank and allowed him to win that evening’s laurels.

Later, when he discussed the hands with Janet, he said, “That was a highly unusual squeeze. It was sort of a combination of a squeeze and an endplay.   I guess I could call it an Archie Squeeze.”

“Good name, darling,” Janet said, “but how about a Janet Squeeze for you?” And she put her arms around him and gave him a big hug.

“Much better than an Archie Squeeze,” Poor Frank said.

 

Poor Frank, Lucky Archie and Janet would like to thank Ralph Jungwirth of Modesto CA for showing them this interesting hand.