Progressive squeeze

In the card game contract bridge, the progressive squeeze is a squeeze that gains two tricks by squeezing one and the same player twice, hence the name. It is also called triple squeeze for the simple reason that the squeezee is squeezed in three suits.

The first diagram shows a basic example:

(1)                    A J 10
                       -
                       -
                       6          K Q 
      immaterial                  A
                                  A
                       3          -
                       K
                       K
                       A

When the ace of clubs is cashed East is squeezed and has to discard one of his red aces, the established king is cashed (this is the progressive squeeze card) and East is squeezed for another trick. This is an automatic non positional squeeze. In the above example an extended menace, threatening the immediate loss of two tricks was present. That is not always necessary, a progressive squeeze still works if we have an additional entry as compensation.

(2)                      A J
                         3 2
                         -
                         6         K Q
           immaterial              K Q
                                   A
                         2         -
                         A J
                         K
                         A

When the ace of clubs is cashed East can either discard the diamond ace, after which the heart king will seal his fate, or bare one of his major suit holdings in which case the jack in that suit will be the progressive squeeze card. This is still an automatic squeeze but it is also a positional squeeze. Had West East's cards the best defense to discard a spade will break the second squeeze.