Haagensen's suicide winkle squeeze

Larry Hammick
larry@hammick.com
2002.02.07

For sheer technical uniqueness, this hand will be hard to top.

The occasion was the 1961 World Par Olympiad, one of the last big
tournaments to use composed hands. The composers did not anticipate
the stunning line of play found at the table by Sverre Haagensen of
Norway.
      QJ3
      A42
      J76
      AJ63
T986        K5
QJ8763      T
2           AQT954
Q9          T542
      A742
      K95
      K83
      K87
As is usual in a Par game, the contract and opening lead were
stipulated: South was in 3NT and West had to lead his singleton
diamond, since in a real game East would have bid that suit.

If East puts up the ace, he will later be thrown in with a diamond to
lead a club, giving declarer two club tricks. So East plays the 9 and
South must win. The second point of this composed hand is the internal
blockage in clubs. Declarer can remove East's spades and hearts, then
throw him in with a diamond. But now East should cash only two
diamonds before he exits with a club; to cash a third diamond would
allow declarer to clear the blockage in clubs. This, the composers
thought, would lead to the normal result of one down.

Well, after winning the first trick with DK, Haagensen took a club
finesse, led SQ to the K and A, cashed CK and SJ, and exited with a
third spade. West led a heart to the K and South exited in spades
again. Down to only hearts, West led HQ, ducked by declarer, and
perforce another heart in this position:
      -
      A
      J
      A6
-           -
J876        -
-           AQ
-           T5
      -
      9
      83
      8
East was caught in a "suicide" variation of what we now call a winkle
squeeze. He discarded DQ and was then thrown in with DA to lead a
club. Even on trick 12 he has a choice of ways to concede the last
two tricks.