The stepping-stone squeeze is an advanced type of squeeze in Contract Bridge. It is used when the Declarer has enough high cards to take all but one of the remaining tricks, but does not have enough communication between the hands to cash them.
The following position is an example of a Stepping-stone squeeze:
S A J
H 2
D -
C 2
S Q 3 S -
H A H -
D 2 D 9 8 7 6
C - C -
S K
H K
D 3
C A
South has three winners: The SK, SA, and CA. Unfortunately, after cashing the SK, there will be no entry to the North hand to enjoy the SA. However, on the play of CA, West is squeezed. Discarding a Spade allows South to overtake the SK to get two tricks in the suit. Throwing the HA lets South cash the HK. Therefore, West parts with the D2. Now South is able to play the SK and lead the HK, putting West on lead with only the SQ remaining in hand.
It is called a Stepping-stone squeeze because West's HA is used as a stepping-stone to reach the abandoned SA.
This squeeze would work equally well with the East and West hands reversed.
