Youngsters Semifinal USA1 vs Israel: 1st 14 boards set

In the Youngsters Final: Poland will play against USA1

 In the Youngsters, USA1 won the semifinal to Israel 182 a 150. In this article we will analyze the first 14 hands set: Israel ended with a considerable advantage of 31 IMPs. 8 boards produced IMPs for different sides but three of them were big IMPs for Israel.

 Board 7, Dealer South None Vulnerable

 In the Closed Room:  Levy (ISR) passed in South, Jeng opened 1♣ and Asulin (ISR) intervened with his nice diamond suit with 1♦. Jeng (USA1) doubled in East and Levy support his partners diamonds. West declared 2♥…final contract.

 The lead was: ♥J. Declarer won the trick in his hand with the ♥Q and played the ♠A and continued with the ♠5, when North played his ♠9, declarer played dummy’s ♠10…South won the trick with his ♠K and played a heart. Declarer won the trick, played another heart and claimed 11 tricks. + 200 for E/W.

 In the Open Room, Israel players in E/W declared a spades game:

 Ben David (ISR) also opened his hand with 1♣,and Kaplan (USA1) also said 1♦ but Hershfang (ISR) chose to mention his spades, and after hearing his partner’s support, asked for help in hearts and his partner closed the game, The lead was a diamond, the defenders won the first two tricks and declarer ruffed the third diamond round. Hershfang continued, with the trump ace and another trump, playing dummy´s ♠10, South won the trick but he didn’t have more diamonds and so declarer, played his trumps and claimed 10 tricks: +620 and 9 IMPs for Israel.

 Three boards later came the next 2 digits swing: Board 10.

 Jeng (USA1) in East opened 1♥, Levy intervened with 1♠ and the other Jeng (USA1) in West passed. Asulin (ISR) supports his partner’s suit at the 3 level. East doubled and West chose to pass, looking for penalties. Declarer went 1 down when he couldn’t avoid losing: 1 heart, 2 diamonds and two clubs.

 In the other table, the bidding start in the same way but Ben Levi (ISR) in West didn’t pass over his partners double and declared a heart game. Declarer only loses de trump ace and the club ace: +650…another 10 Imps for Israel.

The next board that produced a big swing for Israel was board 13.

Kaplan (USA1) opened 1♦, Hershfang (ISR) said 1♠, Brescoll (USA1) in South passed, and Ben David in West showed his clubs and Kaplan mention again his diamonds. East showed his second suit (heart) and west closed the heart game. The lead was a diamond, declarer won with his diamond A. Played the trump A and K, and begun to run his clubs, he got ruffed the third one. Defenders played the trump queen and the spade ace…but the rest was for the declarer: + 620. 

  In the other table, Asulin (ISR) in North opened his hand with a 2♦ bid. Jeng (USA1) in East said 2♠ and Levy in South 3♦. The West Jeng (USA1) closed the game in spades and his brother didn’t stop before slam. The heart queen position makes the contract impossible to win, declarer ended 1 down: +100 for E/W and another 12 IMPs for Israel.

Next board produced 8 IMPs for Israel…so they begun the next set with a lot of IMPs in their pockets.