Squeezes strike twice in the round of 16

In the round of 16 in the Open World Bridge Championship, Romania trailed China by 5 going into the last set of 15 boards, but lost by 34. I had a look to see what happened and 2 hands stood out. Note that I am only guessing about how the play went -- I can only see the result and the lead.

First a quiz:

1. You are declarer in 5S looking at:

♠ A K Q 3
♥ A K Q 6 4
♦ A 6
♣ Q 3

♠ J 9 7 4 2
♥ J 7
♦ Q 9 5 4
♣ J 2

The  defenders cash the AK of clubs and exit with a heart to your J. Plan the play.

2. You hold:

♠ J 9 4
♥ J 4
♦ Q 8 6 5 4 3
♣ 8 4

The opposition are in 6S, and you are sure from the auction that declarer has 5 spades to the AK. Do you lead a spade? Which one?

1. The whole hand is

	♠ J 9 7 4 2 ♥ J 7 ♦ Q 9 5 4 ♣ J 2
♠ 8 5 ♥ T 9 8 5 2 ♦ K T ♣ K 9 8 6		♠ T 6 ♥ 3 ♦ J 8 7 3 2 ♣ A T 7 5 4
	♠ A K Q 3 ♥ A K Q 6 4 ♦ A 6 ♣ Q 3

There's no problem if the hearts are 3-3 or 4-2. The trick is to see that there is a residual chance if the hearts are 5-1 if the player with 5 also has the diamond K. The trick with squeezes is to imagine the last few tricks. We play off all the spades coming down to AKQ6 of hearts in South and a the single heart 7 in North with Q95 of diamonds, West can't keep the diamond K and a heart stopper. However we have to play off the diamond A before running the spades, so that we don't block the diamonds when we discard the 6 on the last trump. If Romania had made this then they gain 4 instead of losing 12.

2. The whole hand is

	♠ J 9 4 ♥ J 4 ♦ Q 8 6 5 4 3 ♣ 8 4
♠ A K 7 6 5 ♥ K Q 7 ♦ A ♣ A K 7 2		♠ T 3 2 ♥ A 9 6 3 ♦ K T 9 ♣ 9 6 5
	♠ Q 8 ♥ T 8 5 2 ♦ J 7 2 ♣ Q J T 3

The Chinese declarer is in 6S with losers in spades and clubs. Unless one player guards both hearts and clubs. And indeed South does! The only problem is that declarer has to cash the K of diamonds before running the spades (after giving up a spade). There is no useable entry to the East hand, since we need the heart A to get across after the squeeze.

Except for the spade lead. It is true that if AK is on leader's right then the spade lead can't cost a trick. And indeed North does get their spade. The problem is that after South plays the spade Q, the spade 10 is an entry to cash the diamond K. Now we envisage the last few tricks: west has a small club and a small heart, east has A9 of hearts having thrown the diamond 10 on the last trump. We squeeze north if they have 4 hearts and QJ of diamonds, and either player with 4 hearts and 4 clubs.

It would not be right for south to play the 8 at trick one, since declarer might be the one with the 9. But maybe north should lead the 9. Can that ever cost? That trump lead and south's play of the Q lost 17 imps. 

If Romania gets both of these right then they only lose by 1.