Winkle squeeze

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This article concerns contract bridge and uses terminology associated with the game. See Contract bridge glossary for an explanation of unfamiliar words or phrases.

A winkle is a rare squeeze/endplay in contract bridge in which a trick is offered to the defenders but whichever wins the trick is then endplayed. Often one defender would be forced to offer a finesse or ruff and discard while the other could overtake and thereby promote a trick in that suit for declarer.

An example end-position, South needing 4 tricks:

		♠	-
		♥	-
		♦	J64
		♣	AK
♠	-	N W         E S		♠	-
♥	-			♥	T8
♦	KT2			♦	Q87
♣	Q2			♣	-
		♠	2
		♥	J9
		♦	A3
		♣	-

On the play of the last spade, West and North let go clubs, and East is squeezed. Pitching a heart yields an immediate trick in that suit, but if a diamond is pitched declarer follows with Ace and 3 of diamonds. If East wins the trick, they must lead hearts conceding the last two tricks there. If West saves partner by playing the king of diamonds on the second diamond trick, they must then concede the last two tricks to dummy's now high Ace of clubs and Jack of diamonds.