Promoting the young ‘ens

Of late, many major bridge events in the ACBL have been won by younger players.  In the current team trials for USA2 for the next world championships, the trend of success by younger players continues.

On BBO VuGraph, I witnessed Joe Grue and Justin Lall produce a very nice result in both the auction and the defense against the Nickell team stalwarts of Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell.  Grue-Lall are playing for the Bathurst team which, at last check, was leading the Nickell juggernaut in the quarterfinals.

By memory, this was the board layout:

Dealer: West Vul:	North ♠ AT9xx ♥ x ♦ xxx ♣ Qxxx
West ♠ x ♥ Jxxx ♦ AKJxxx ♣ Jx		East ♠ K ♥ AKQTxxx ♦ Qx ♣ xxx
	South ♠ QJxxxx ♥ x ♦ xx ♣ AKxx

The same contract was reached in the other room, but only Grue found the double.

Grue led the ♦Q and continued with a second diamond to Lall.  Now Lall found the two plays not executed in the other room (where the auction and declarer were different, which can certainly influence the defense).  First Lall cashed the ♥J and then when declarer had no more losers to discard, he continued a third round of diamonds, thus promoting Grue’s stiff ♠K for a second, doubled undertrick.  Well done!

Post script: Apologies to Linda Lee.  I just now have noticed that she chose to blog on the same deal as did I, and had published before me.  Well, Linda, I surely like your taste in hands!