If you looked at the cross table of the 2011 US Jun ior Championship, you’d think our young stars don’t know how to shake hands.

Only eight of the 45 games ended in a draw. That’s a remarkably low figure for a master tournament but shows the take-no-prisoners style of junior events.

In contrast, when America’s elite older players competed in the US Championship earlier this year, roughly half of the games were drawn.

Sixteen-year-old Gregory Young of San Francisco was rated seventh in the field of 10 when play in the US Junior began at the St. Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center. But he took the $3,000 first prize by a two-point margin, after scoring seven wins, a loss and one draw.

In this week’s game, from the Junior, John Bryant of Dallas uses a tricky move order as Black in a Modern Benoni Defense, delaying . . . Nf6 and confusing White’s development.

White may have overlooked 18 . . . Ng4! (19 Rxe7 Nf2+ 20 Kg1 Nxd1+ and . . .Bxc5). Black kept the initiative with 21 . . . Nf2+ and finished off with 24 . . . Qd4!, which wins in view of 25 Qxd4 Rxc1+ or 25 Rd2 Qe4+.