The 2001 World Junior Teams Final

The 2001 World Junior Teams Championship was held in a superb setting in a Brazilian coastal resort. For the next few days, we will be serialising the final, featuring USA and Israel.

After a convincing performance by both teams in their respective semi-final matches, Israel and USA1 met for the first of six sets of sixteen boards on the way to determine the new World Junior Team Champions.

The Americans, who started with a 6 IMP carry-over, had a flying start, when this grand slam opening to the final required very careful play:

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª A 6 5 2 © J 9 7 5 4 ¨ K 8 3 § 7
ª 3 © Q 8 3 ¨ Q J 7 6 5 § Q 8 5 4		ª J 10 8 © A K 10 6 2 ¨ 10 9 4 § J 2
	ª K Q 9 7 4 © - ¨ A 2 § A K 10 9 6 3

West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
	Pass	Pass	1§
Pass	1©	Pass	2ª
Pass	3ª	Pass	5NT
Pass	6ª	All Pass

It took Kranyak less than ten seconds to win the queen of diamonds lead with the king, play a club to the ace and ruff a club. He then cashed three rounds of trumps and conceded one club trick to West, to come up with twelve tricks; USA1 +980.

The Israeli pair was more ambitious at the other table:

West	North	East	South
Campbell	Roll	Wooldridge	Schneider
	2¨(i)	Pass	2NT
Pass	3§	Pass	3¨
Pass	3ª	Pass	5NT
Pass	6¨	Pass	7ª

(i) Both majors, 5-10 HCP

The play in 7ª revolves around the club suit. If trumps are 2-2 then only a dreadful club distribution will defeat you, so declarer's first move should be to cash the ace of spades in case spades are 4-0 with East. If everyone follows you can afford to draw a second round with the king. Now declarer should start on the clubs, cashing the ace and king. If an honour appears on declarer's left, as on the actual deal, the theory of restricted choice suggests that declarer should draw the last trump and then rely on the ruffing finesse. If it is West who produces an honour, declarer can still get home if the clubs are 3-3 or 2-4 as he can ruff two clubs in his hand. Finally, if no honour appears then declarer must decide if clubs are 3-3 or 4-2.

When Roll ruffed a small club at trick three, cashed two rounds of trumps and tried to ruff another club, East was able to over-ruff; USA1 +50, 14 IMPs and an early 20-0 lead.
The next board saw USA1 in action at both tables:

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª A 10 © Q 2 ¨ K Q J 10 9 5 2 § 3 2
ª K 8 7 6 5 © K J 9 7 3 ¨ 4 3 § 9		ª Q J 9 2 © 6 5 ¨ 7 6 § A Q J 8 5
	ª 4 3 © A 10 8 4 ¨ A 8 § K 10 7 6 4

In the Closed Room East opened the bidding and, as a result, East/West reached game with a combined 17 HCP.

West	North	East	South
Campbell	Roll	Wooldridge	Schneider
		1§	Pass
1ª	3¨	3ª	Pass
4ª	All Pass

Pretty aggressive stuff from Wooldridge. Campbell lost five tricks and quietly went two down; Israel +100.
At the other table East passed and South opened the bidding so it was North/South who reached game:

West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
		Pass	1§
2§	2ª	3ª	Pass
Pass	3NT	4ª	Pass
Pass	4NT	All Pass

Here South hoped that if there were nine tricks to take there might even be a tenth. It is easy to see that 3NT is cold, but when East led the queen of spades, everybody expected a swing in Israel's direction. Grue won the opening lead with the ace and played a diamond to the ace, on which East played the six of hearts instead of the six of diamonds. After a diamond to the king the revoke was established, so all declarer had to do now was to collect his nine winners and score his contract via the bonus trick; USA1 +630 and +11 IMPs, to increase their lead to 31-0.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª K Q 8 3 © 10 5 ¨ K 9 3 § 10 9 6 3
ª J 5 4 2 © K Q 9 3 ¨ A J 6 4 § Q		ª A 10 9 7 6 © J 7 2 ¨ Q 10 5 2 § J
	ª - © A 8 6 4 ¨ 8 7 § A K 8 7 5 4 2

West	North	East	South
Campbell	Roll	Wooldridge	Schneider
-	-	-	1§
Dble	1ª	Dble	3§
Pass	4§	4ª	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Schneider, confident that he had already told his story, passed his partner's penalty double. From Roll's point of view, doubling 4ª must have been the right thing to do, because he knew that five of his eight points were of no use to partner in the alternative club game. East lost one trick in each suit and emerged only one down; Israel +200.

In the Open Room South, who selected a more conservative bid at his second turn, felt he had something to spare when his opponents never got beyond 3¨.

West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
-	-	-	1§
Dble	1ª	Dble	2§
Pass	3§	3¨	5§
Dble	All Pass

Kranyak's optimism proved to be well founded. He ducked Amit's king of hearts opening lead and had an easy time to score his game when his opponent now laid down the ace of diamonds; USA1 +550, another 8 IMPs and an impressive 39-0 lead after only three boards of play.

Both East/West pairs must have felt great about their result on the next hand, only to find out that it was only good enough for a push:

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	ª Q J 5 © Q 9 7 ¨ K J 6 4 § Q 4 3
ª A 9 8 7 4 © A K J 8 4 ¨ 10 9 § K		ª 10 6 3 © 6 3 ¨ 7 5 3 2 § 9 8 6 2
	ª K 2 © 10 5 2 ¨ A Q 8 § A J 10 7 5

West	North	East	South
Campbell	Roll	Wooldridge	Schneider
-	-	-	1NT
2§	Dble	2ª	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

The 2§ overcall showed both majors. A very peaceful layout in the majors led to an easy eight tricks; USA1 +670.
But of course it helped East/West in the Open Room as well:

West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
-	-	-	1NT
Dble	Rdbl	Pass	Pass
2©	Dble	2ª	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

Here, 2© showed the majors. Although South started with the two of spades to his partner's jack, and North immediately returned another trump to declarer's ace, nothing could be done to prevent one heart ruff, which was good enough to set up the heart suit; Israel +670 and no swing.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª 5 3 © A J 7 4 ¨ 7 6 5 § K J 10 5
ª J 6 2 © K Q 10 9 ¨ J 9 8 § A Q 8		ª A Q 10 9 © 2 ¨ K 10 4 2 § 9 6 3 2
	ª K 8 7 4 © 8 6 5 3 ¨ A Q 3 § 7 4

West	North	East	South
Campbell	Roll	Wooldridge	Schneider
-	Pass	Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1ª	Pass
1NT	All Pass

After a heart lead to the ten, declarer let the nine of diamonds run, which held the trick. The jack of diamonds then went to South's queen, and Schneider returned a heart to the king, which also held. And another ducking play was yet to come, when West played a spade to the nine. A third round of diamonds now set up declarer's seventh winner. In the end declarer even managed an overtrick; USA1 +120.

Had South taken the queen of diamonds at trick two to play back a club, the defence could have prevailed. North wins the club and plays back a spade, which South will win with the king to play another club. Declarer now continues with another diamond to South's ace, but now the defenders, who have already scored four tricks, can cash two more clubs and the ace of hearts for one down.

West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
-	Pass	Pass	1¨
Dble	1©	2ª	All Pass

In the Open Room Kranyak found a lead-directing 1¨ opening that worked well when Vax's response to a dubious double from West proved to be too high to score a plus.

South led a heart to the king and ace, and North switched to the seven of diamonds to the queen. Back came a club to the queen and king and the club jack to West's ace. Vax now discarded a club on the queen of hearts, played a spade to the ace and let the ª9 run. When South ducked he continued with another spade. This time Kranyak hopped up and led a heart, which declarer had to ruff. After a diamond to the ace, South cashed the eight of spades to collect the defenders' sixth trick for one down; USA1 +100 and 6 more IMPs, 48-1.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª A J 9 7 2 © 10 9 3 ¨ A K 5 § 10 4
ª 10 © Q J 8 5 4 2 ¨ Q 9 § A Q 9 2		ª K 6 5 4 © K 6 ¨ 6 4 3 § J 8 5 3
	ª Q 8 3 © A 7 ¨ J 10 8 7 2 § K 7 6

West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
-	1ª	Pass	1NT
2©	Pass	Pass	3ª
All Pass

The defence started with the king of hearts, which declarer ducked, and another heart to the ace. Grue then played a spade to the ten, jack and king. Back came another trump to the nine. Declarer cashed the king of diamonds, crossed to dummy with the ªQ and played the jack of diamonds to the queen and ace. He then drew the outstanding trump and cashed his diamond tricks; USA1 +200.
Of course, the defence could have been a little more taxing.

West	North	East	South
Campbell	Roll	Wooldridge	Schneider
-	1ª	Pass	1NT
2©	Pass	Pass	3ª
All Pass

Again East was allowed to score the king of hearts, but now Wooldridge switched to a club to the king and ace. West continued with the queen of clubs and another club, so North was forced to ruff.

The play record says that now declarer played a spade to the queen and cashed the ace of hearts, at which point the record ends. If he then went back to his hand with a diamond to ruff his last heart heart, he would go down, as now East discards a diamond, wins the spade return with the king and leads a fourth round of clubs to promote another trump winner for his side.

At the table, declarer did indeed go one down and the USA team had yet another good result; USA1 +100 and 7 IMPs to extend their lead to 56-2.

The first set ended with another double-figure swing to USA1:

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª J 9 8 6 4 2 © 9 5 3 2 ¨ 7 § 7 4
ª 5 3 © K J 8 6 4 ¨ A Q J 4 § K 8		ª 7 © Q ¨ 10 9 8 6 3 2 § A J 10 9 5
	ª A K Q 10 © A 10 7 ¨ K 5 § Q 6 3 2

West	North	East	South
Campbell	Roll	Wooldridge	Schneider
1©	Pass	1NT	Dble
2¨	2ª	4ª	Pass
2¨	Pass	Pass	5ª
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

When South trusted his opponents' bidding and sacrificed in 5ª doubled, USA1 collected five tricks to put declarer three down; USA1 +500.

West	North	East	South
Amit	Grue	Vax	Kranyak
1©	2ª	Pass	3NT
All Pass

After Grue's hyper-weak jump overcall, Vax did not find off-centre negative double that would have got his side to game, but passed. Now Kranyak tried a new kind of gambling 3NT. Amit led a diamond and Kranyak won and cashed seven more winners for one down; Israel +50, but once again 10 IMPs to USA1 who ended the set with a very useful 68-2 IMP lead.