The Simple Squeeze in Bridge

The simple squeeze is the foundation of all squeeze play in bridge. Get comfortable with this technique, and you’ll unlock an entire category of contracts that look hopeless at first glance. A simple squeeze forces one opponent to discard a winner because they must guard two suits, but they only get to keep one card.

Let’s say you need all the remaining tricks but you’re missing a high card. You run your long suit, and suddenly your opponent is stuck—they can’t hold onto winners in two different suits. Something has to give. That’s the simple squeeze in action.

What Makes a Squeeze “Simple”?

A squeeze is “simple” when one opponent controls both of the suits you’re attacking. This is different from a double squeeze, where each opponent guards a different suit. In a simple squeeze, your target opponent faces an impossible choice on the crucial trick.

Here’s the basic picture: you’re declarer, running winners from dummy or your hand. On the last winner (called the squeeze card), your opponent still guards two suits. When you cash that winner, they must discard—and whatever they throw away costs them a trick.

The beauty of the simple squeeze is that it’s automatic once you’ve set it up properly. You don’t need to read their mind or make brilliant discards yourself. The mechanism does the work.

Think of it like this: imagine someone holding a bag of groceries in one hand and their phone in the other. You hand them a third item. Something’s got to drop. In bridge, that “third item” is your squeeze card, and one of their “groceries” is the trick you’re about to win.

The BLUE Requirements Review

Every successful simple squeeze must satisfy four conditions. Bridge players use the acronym BLUE to remember them:

B is for Busy Card – Your opponent must be busy in two suits. They need to guard both suits, meaning they hold cards that will become winners if you can somehow strip them away. If your opponent only guards one suit, there’s no squeeze—they’ll just pitch safely from their other suits.

L is for Long Threat – You need a threat card (a potential winner) in one suit that sits opposite your squeeze card. This is called the long threat because it’s in the suit you plan to establish. After the squeeze card is played and your opponent pitches this suit, you can cross to dummy (or your hand) to cash it.

U is for Upper Threat – You need a second threat card in the other suit. This one sits with your squeeze card (or in the same hand). It’s called the upper threat because it’s typically a higher card than what your opponent holds. When they’re forced to discard from this suit, your upper threat becomes good.

E is for Entry – After the squeeze operates, you must be able to reach the hand with your long threat. Without this entry, you can’t cash your newly-established winner. The entry can be in the long threat suit itself, or in a third suit—but it must exist.

Let’s see BLUE in a concrete example:

        ♠ A 5
        ♥ —
        ♦ K 4
        ♣ —

♠ K Q            ♠ —
♥ —              ♥ J
♦ Q J            ♦ —
♣ —              ♣ Q J

        ♠ —
        ♥ A
        ♦ A 5
        ♣ —

You’re South, needing all four tricks. You lead the ♥A (your squeeze card). West is busy guarding both spades and diamonds (B). The ♦K in dummy is your long threat (L), sitting opposite your ♥A. The ♠A is your upper threat (U), in the same hand as the squeeze card. After West discards, dummy has an entry in whichever suit they abandoned (E).

West is cooked. If they throw a spade, you cash the ♠A and cross to the ♦K. If they throw a diamond, you cash the ♦A and cross to the ♠A. Either way, you take four tricks from three top cards.

Positional vs. Automatic Squeezes

Simple squeezes come in two flavors: positional and automatic. The difference matters because automatic squeezes are much more valuable—they work regardless of which opponent holds the critical cards.

A positional squeeze only works when a specific opponent holds both guards. The squeeze card and threats must be positioned correctly relative to that opponent. If the “wrong” opponent holds the guards, the squeeze fails—they’ll discard after you do, so they can see what you’re keeping and pitch safely.

In the example above, that’s a positional squeeze. It only works because West holds both spade and diamond guards. If East held them, they’d discard after dummy, seeing what dummy kept, and they’d match dummy’s discard.

An automatic squeeze works against either opponent. These are rare and precious. An automatic squeeze typically has both threats in the same hand (usually dummy), with the squeeze card in declarer’s hand. No matter which opponent holds the guards, they must discard before the hand with both threats—so they’re always squeezed.

Here’s an automatic squeeze:

        ♠ A 5
        ♥ —
        ♦ K 4
        ♣ —

♠ —              ♠ K Q
♥ J              ♥ —
♦ —              ♦ Q J
♣ Q J            ♣ —

        ♠ —
        ♥ A
        ♦ A 5
        ♣ —

Now East holds both guards instead of West. You still make it! You play the ♥A, and East must discard before dummy. If they pitch a spade, you cash the ♠A and the ♦K. If they pitch a diamond, you cash dummy’s ♦K and the ♠A. The squeeze works either way.

The key difference: in a positional squeeze, the hand with both threats discards before the busy opponent. In an automatic squeeze, the busy opponent discards before the hand with both threats.

The Vienna Coup

Sometimes your squeeze looks perfect—you have all the BLUE requirements—but it doesn’t work. Why? Because you have a blocking card that prevents your threat from becoming a winner.

Enter the Vienna Coup: you deliberately cash a high card early, removing the blockage and preparing your threat to score.

Classic example:

        ♠ A 5
        ♥ K
        ♦ 4
        ♣ —

♠ K Q            ♠ —
♥ A              ♥ Q
♦ —              ♦ —
♣ —              ♣ J

        ♠ —
        ♥ —
        ♦ A
        ♣ A

You need all four tricks. If you just run your clubs and diamonds, West pitches hearts comfortably—your ♥K is blocked by West’s ace. You can’t establish dummy’s heart without giving up the lead.

The Vienna Coup is the solution: cash the ♥K first! Now the position is:

        ♠ A 5
        ♥ —
        ♦ 4
        ♣ —

♠ K Q            ♠ —
♥ A              ♥ Q
♦ —              ♦ —
♣ —              ♣ J

        ♠ —
        ♥ —
        ♦ A
        ♣ A

Now when you play your squeeze card (♣A or ♦A), West is truly squeezed. If they pitch a spade, you cross to the ♠A and the ♥5 is good (they had to keep the ♥A). If they pitch a heart, you cross to the ♠A and the ♦4 is good.

The Vienna Coup shows up constantly in real deals. You have AK opposite Qx, and you need to cash the ace early to unblock the queen. Or you have AQ opposite Kx, and you need to crash your own honors to create a small-card threat. It feels wrong to cash winners before you need them, but that’s exactly what squeeze technique requires.

Recognizing Squeeze Endings

At the table, you won’t see neat four-card endings printed in a textbook. You’ll be looking at a full 13-card position, wondering whether a squeeze exists. Here’s how to spot the potential:

Count your tricks. If you’re one trick short of your contract, and you’re about to run a long suit, think squeeze. Simple squeezes typically gain one trick.

Identify who might be busy. Which opponent has shown length in two suits? Who opened the bidding? Who showed up with points? Often the opening bidder holds both guards because they have the honor strength.

Check for the missing BLUE elements. Do you have two threat cards in different suits? Do you have an entry to the hand opposite your squeeze card? If any element is missing, can you create it?

Rectify the count. This is crucial. A simple squeeze works when you need all remaining tricks except one. If you need all five remaining tricks, the squeeze won’t operate—your opponent can pitch safely. If you need three out of five, same problem—too much breathing room. The count must be right: you run winners until you have exactly one trick to spare, then the squeeze bites.

Rectifying the count usually means ducking a trick early. Yes, you deliberately lose a trick you could win. This tightens the position so that when you run winners later, your opponent has no safe discards.

Here’s a practical example from a real deal:

You’re in 6NT, and after winning the opening lead, you count 11 top tricks: five spades, three hearts, two diamonds, and one club. You need one more. The opponents have the ♦Q and the ♣Q, probably split between them. If one opponent holds both queens, they’re ripe for a squeeze.

But you have two tricks to lose (the ♦Q and the ♣Q), and you can only afford to lose one in a slam. How do you rectify the count? You duck a club early. Now you can afford to lose just one more trick—the count is rectified. When you run your spade winners, whoever holds both red queens will be squeezed on the last spade.

Counting for Squeezes

Counting is the bridge player’s superpower, and it’s absolutely essential for executing squeezes. You need to know which opponent guards which suit.

Start with the opening lead and bidding. If West opened 1♠ and East supported, you know West has length in spades. If East showed up with diamond values during the auction, mark them for diamond length.

As the play progresses, count each suit. When someone shows out, you know their exact distribution in that suit. If West follows to three rounds of hearts and then discards, you know West started with three hearts. Keep a running tally.

By the time you’re down to five or six cards, you should have a near-complete picture. “West started with five spades, three hearts, two diamonds, three clubs. They’re now down to two spades and the ♦Q and ♣Q. If I run my last spade, they must give up one of those queens.”

Counting also tells you if a squeeze is impossible. If West has shown out of diamonds early, they can’t guard diamonds—East must have the ♦Q. No simple squeeze against West will work in diamonds. You might need to try a different line, or hope for a double squeeze.

The hardest part of counting is the mental discipline. It’s easy to get lazy, especially when you’re tired or the hand looks routine. But squeezes only work if you know the position. Make counting a habit, every single hand.

Example Simple Squeeze Hands

Let’s walk through a complete deal where you execute a simple squeeze from the opening lead.

Deal 1: The Classic Positional Squeeze

             North
             ♠ K Q 5
             ♥ A 6 4
             ♦ K J 3
             ♣ A 9 6 2

West                      East
♠ J 10 8 3               ♠ 9 7 2
♥ K Q J                  ♥ 10 9 8 5
♦ Q 10 6                 ♦ 9 7 2
♣ Q 5 3                  ♣ J 10 8

             South
             ♠ A 6 4
             ♥ 7 3 2
             ♦ A 8 5 4
             ♣ K 7 4

You’re South in 3NT. West leads the ♥K. You count 11 tricks: three spades, one heart, four diamonds, and three clubs. Whoops—that’s only 11. Actually, you have eight top tricks: three spades, one heart (the ace), three diamonds, and two clubs. You need one more.

West likely holds both the ♦Q and ♣Q based on the heart lead showing strength. If so, you can squeeze West in the minors.

First, rectify the count. Duck the first heart. Win the heart continuation with the ace. Now cash your major-suit winners: three spades and the heart ace. This is your preparation—you’re running winners and watching West.

After cashing the majors, this is the position:

             ♠ —
             ♥ —
             ♦ K J 3
             ♣ A 9

♠ —                       ♠ —
♥ Q                       ♥ 10
♦ Q 10 6                 ♦ 9 7
♣ Q 5                    ♣ J 10

             ♠ —
             ♥ —
             ♦ A 8 5 4
             ♣ K 7

Cash the ♣K (your squeeze card). West must discard. If they pitch a diamond, cash the ♦A and the ♦K-J are both good. If they pitch a club, cash the ♣A and the ♦A-K are your last three tricks. West is squeezed.

Deal 2: The Vienna Coup in Action

             North
             ♠ A K 5
             ♥ K 7
             ♦ Q J 10 9
             ♣ 8 6 4 2

West                      East
♠ Q J 10 9               ♠ 7 6 4
♥ A 6 4                  ♥ J 10 9 8 5
♦ 7 5                    ♦ 6 3
♣ Q J 10 9               ♣ 7 5 3

             South
             ♠ 8 3 2
             ♥ Q 3 2
             ♦ A K 8 4 2
             ♣ A K

You’re South in 5♦. West leads the ♠Q. You have 10 top tricks and need one more. West likely holds the ♥A (from the auction and opening lead). If West also guards spades, you have a squeeze—but the ♥K blocks your threat.

Cash the ♥K at trick two! This is the Vienna Coup. Then win the next spade continuation with the ace, draw trumps, and cash your clubs. The ending:

             ♠ 5
             ♥ 7
             ♦ Q
             ♣ —

♠ J                       ♠ —
♥ A 6                    ♥ J 10
♦ —                      ♦ —
♣ Q                      ♣ —

             ♠ —
             ♥ Q 3
             ♦ 8
             ♣ —

Play your last trump (♦8). West must pitch from spades or hearts. Either way, you take the last three tricks. The early ♥K unblocked the suit and prepared the squeeze.

Common Squeeze Mistakes

Even experienced players make these errors when attempting squeezes:

Mistake #1: Failing to rectify the count. You have plenty of tricks to lose, so your opponent can pitch freely. Squeeze play requires precision—you must duck early to tighten the position.

Mistake #2: Cashing winners in the wrong order. If you cash the hand with both threats before running your squeeze card, you’ve destroyed the position. The threats must still be intact when the squeeze card is played.

Mistake #3: Not preserving entries. You set up a beautiful squeeze, but you can’t reach your established winner. Before running your winners, verify you have the entry to the hand opposite your squeeze card.

Mistake #4: Misreading the position. You think West guards both suits, but East actually holds one of them. The squeeze fails. This is why counting is everything—you must know who’s busy in which suits.

Mistake #5: Missing the Vienna Coup. Your threats are blocked, but you don’t notice. You run your winners and nothing happens. Always check whether a high card is blocking your threats, and cash it early if needed.

Mistake #6: Trying to squeeze the wrong opponent. In a positional squeeze, only one opponent can be squeezed. If you run your winners and the busy opponent discards after dummy, the squeeze won’t work. You need to know whether your squeeze is positional or automatic.

Mistake #7: Getting fancy too early. You’re in 3NT with nine top tricks, but you see a possible squeeze for an overtrick. You try it… and go down when you misplay. Book the contract first. Overtrick squeezes are fun, but not at the expense of your contract.

The simple squeeze is the gateway to advanced cardplay. Master these fundamentals—BLUE requirements, positional vs automatic, the Vienna Coup, counting—and you’ll find squeezes at the table where others see only hopeless contracts. Start recognizing the telltale signs, rectify the count, and let the mechanism do its work. Your opponents will wonder how you consistently make “impossible” contracts, while you’ll know it’s just good technique.