FISHING FOR RED HERRINGS

William Shakespeare made mention in “Twelfth Night” of “A plague o’ these pickle herring!” If he had been a bridge player, perhaps he would have rephrased that to a plague of pickle red herrings. On some deals there are cards, usually honors, that tempt declarer into a losing line of play. If only the honor were a low card, the contract would present no difficulty. Today’s deal is an example.

After North, via a transfer bid, showed a game raise with five hearts, South selected four hearts. He knew of an eight-card fit, and more importantly, the potential blockage in the heart suit threatened to kill three notrump. Here, though, three no-trump is laydown, and four hearts needs careful handling. You can’t bid every deal perfectly without seeing all of the cards.

West, with an unappealing lead, selected a trump. Declarer won in hand, played a diamond to dummy’s ace and finessed the club queen. West won with the king and played a second heart. Declarer continued with the king and another diamond, but East won and led a third round of hearts: down one.

The club queen was a blackcolored red herring! If declarer wins trick one, cashes the club ace and continues with the club queen, he cannot go down. West wins and leads a trump, but declarer crosses to dummy with a diamond to the ace and ruffs the club seven in hand. South takes one spade, five hearts, two diamonds, one club and the critical club ruff.

If a ruff can be taken in the short-trump hand, even if that is the declarer’s, it is almost certain to be the right play.