As we get closer to September the bridge addicts will be feeling slightly more comfortable as it is a signal that the fall season is not far away.

The summer is always a tough time for those who like to play often and in good-sized fields.

The Friday afternoon games restart on September 11 and the first big event is the Open Pairs on September 21 and 25.

Squeezes in bridge is a topic that immediately gets most players to switch off as they find it too complicated, and for that reason I rarely cover squeezes in this column.

I do, however, fall off the wagon once in a while and this week’s hand is a good example of how easy some “simple squeezes” are — so give it a shot.

The hand is a simple one for experts, reasonably achievable for experienced players, but probably just outside the comfort zone of the intermediates. But the only way to get comfortable with the more difficult plays is reading and practice.

Board 13. Game All. Dealer North.

North

S 643

H K562

D 954

C K95

West

S 105

H 94

D J1032

C 108743

East

S J872

H QJ103

D 876

C J2

South

S AKQ9

H A87

D AKQ

C AQ6

South opened two clubs with his rockcrusher and after hearing a two diamond waiting bid from partner, bid 2NT which resulted in the partner raising to 3NT.

South now decided that looking for a Grand Slam was too much like hard work and bid to 6NT, knowing that a making slam usually gets you a lot of match points.

West led the jack of diamonds. The inexperienced player sees that he has 11 tricks and if spades are 3-3 he has 12. So he wins the diamond and immediately goes after spades. When this fails he eventually succumbs to a one-trick defeat.

The more experienced player sees that 3-3 hearts will also work and after winning the diamond ducks a heart to the defence. He wins the next trick, tries for 3-3 spades, then tries for 3-3 hearts and when both fail concedes — one down.

The expert is, as always, a little more patient. He also wins the diamond and ducks a heart.

When he wins the return, however, and before investigating the majors, he cashes all his minor suit winners. Look what happens to poor East when the last minor is cashed.

North

S 643

H K56

D None

C 5

West

S 105

H 9

D J

C 1087

East

S J872

H J103

D None

C None

South

S AKQ9

H A8

D None

C A

When declarer cashes the club ace which major East discards, it hands declarer the contract. Declarer has just executed a simple squeeze (where one defender is guarding both critical suits) to make the hand.

Nice! And not really that difficult.