The 18th World Youth Teams Championships is taking place this week in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. The photo above shows the playing room one minute before the start of the first Under 16's match. The Non-playing captain for the Under 16 team, Paul Barden, has written the below from from the teams first day:
Monday 31st July
Six players, one captain, one coach, two fathers, and three mothers had all arrived on Sunday or before, in good time to play today. The earlier arrivals had a chance to try out the tablets which are to be used, instead of bidding boxes, for bidding throughout the event. I went to the captains' meeting, where we were briefed on regulations and procedures, and we all attended to the opening ceremony, where each country's players were applauded in turn.
Play started for real at 9:30am this morning: England played Canada, while I sat in the communal area watching the results online - one can see the auctions, as recorded on the tablets, but not the play. We started quietly but confidently, winning an overtrick IMP on the first board of the event, then contrived to lose 25 over the next three boards by missing two games and conceding rather too large a penalty in exchange for a third. Not to worry, we won 25 back over the following three, including a board where Thomas made a very thin take-out double of 1C, which I would not have done, Harriet made an aggressive penalty pass which I might well not have done, and they took it 500 off. At the other table Will upgraded his unexciting 14-count into a strong no trump, and somehow made an overtrick. Evidently any advice I might offer about how to bid sensibly is going to be in the teeth of the evidence. We lost the match by a game swing near the end, when 9xx opposite J was worth a stop and a trick in 3NT - there are not going to be many flat boards.
The second match was against Poland, among the favourites for the event. We had some good luck - Will & Aman's thin slam made, while Poland's rather thicker slam did not - and won by 25. Then India, which looked on paper like an easier match. It started well, then turned to dust: we could do no right, they could do no wrong, some tricky defences went awry, and we lost by 33.
In the fourth and last match of the day we played Greece, who were well up the table. Fortunately I had some student finance paperwork to sort out: unjinxed by my attention the players built up a 34-0 lead, by dint of better defence, better play, and better luck. Then I started watching again and Greece won two thirds of the IMPs back, by means of reversing all three advantages. Not to worry, we ended the day having won two, lost two, and scored almost exactly average.
I see that Maks & Aleks have escaped a mention so far, by playing something like normal bridge: guys, if you're reading this, please carry on.
There are 15 matches still to play in the round-robin. The players, parents, and coach have all been great: this is going to be nerve-racking but fun.
By Paul Barden