Today’s Final Jeopardy – Friday, July 17, 2020


Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category International Disputes) for Friday, July 17, 2020 (Season 36, Episode 50):

A dispute over Etorofu, Habomai, Kunashiri & Shikotan has kept these 2 countries from ever signing a WWII peace treaty

This episode originally aired on November 15, 2019.

PSA: The best way to get ensure that Jeopardy! is able to resume production as early as possible is for everybody to abide by physical distancing guidelines and when you are not able to do so, properly wear a mask.

(correct response beneath the contestants)


Today’s contestants:

Emma Boettcher, a user experience librarian from Chicago, Illinois (Yesterday’s score: $26,400)
Emma Boettcher on Jeopardy!
James Holzhauer, a professional sports gambler from Las Vegas, Nevada (Yesterday’s score: $49,326)
James Holzhauer on Jeopardy!
Francois Barcomb, an 11th grade physics teacher from New Paltz, New York (Yesterday’s score: $1,800)
Francois Barcomb on Jeopardy!

Remember, today’s scores get added to yesterday’s to determine the champion! The winner gets $250,000, second gets $100,000, and third gets $50,000.

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Correct response: What are Japan and Russia?


Did you know that you can now find game-by-game stats of everyone, now including Jason Zuffranieri and James Holzhauer, who has won 10 or more games on Jeopardy!, here on the site?


More information about Final Jeopardy:

While the formal state of war between Japan and Russia (then the Soviet Union) ended in 1956 with the Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956, it did not end the territorial dispute between the two countries over Etorofu, Habomai, Kunashiri & Shikotan, as there were apparent ambiguities in the Yalta Agreement, the Potsdam Declaration, and the Treaty of San Francisco. The Russians believed those four islands were part of the Kuril Islands (an island chain between Hokkaido and Kamchatka) and occupied them, while the Japanese believed they were part of their Northern Territories (and not the Kurils) and refused to agree to this. (During the 1956 negotiations, Japan was offered the opportunity to renounce claims to the two larger islands (Etorofu and Kunashir), but refused to do so under U.S. pressure.) The two countries have been unable to reach an agreement (and then sign a peace treaty) since.

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Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Tonight’s results are below!

Scores going into Final:
Emma $21,600
James $17,785
Francois $1,600


Tonight’s results:
Francois $1,600 + $1,600 = $3,200 + $1,800 = $5,000 ($50,000)
James $17,785 + $9,812 = $27,597 + $49,326 = $76,923 ($250,000)
Emma $21,600 + $17,000 = $38,600 + $26,400 = $65,000 ($100,000)


James Holzhauer, today's Jeopardy! winner (for the July 17, 2020 game.)


Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
James $8,800
Emma $6,600
Francois $1,200



Opening break taken after: 15 clues


Daily Double locations:
1) THE NIFTY ’50s $1000 (8th pick)
James 2600 +2600 (Emma 2200 Francois 0)
2) FEMALE FIRSTS $800 (9th pick)
Emma 8600 +8600 (James 16000 Francois 1200)
3) “R”CHITECTURE $1600 (14th pick)
James 19200 -8615 (Emma 19600 Francois 1200)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 155


Unplayed clues:
J! round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total $ Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 88 (1.76 per episode average), 1 Daily Double


Game Stats:
James $24,800 Coryat, 30 correct, 3 incorrect, 54.39% in first on buzzer, 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 1 rebound opportunity)
Emma $13,800 Coryat, 18 correct, 0 incorrect, 29.82% in first on buzzer, 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Francois $1,600 Coryat, 6 correct, 1 incorrect, 12.28% in first on buzzer, 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $40,200
Lach Trash: $7,600 (on 5 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $6,200


James Holzhauer, stats to date:
1,307 correct, 45 incorrect
38/41 on rebound attempts (on 76 rebound opportunities)
56.91% in first on buzzer (1190/2091)
78/84 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $676,988)
35/37 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $30,000

Emma Boettcher, stats to date:
183 correct, 9 incorrect
5/5 on rebound attempts (on 25 rebound opportunities)
35.46% in first on buzzer (161/454)
8/8 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $37,800)
6/8 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $17,775

Francois Barcomb, stats to date:
159 correct, 15 incorrect
10/11 on rebound attempts (on 32 rebound opportunities)
31.79% in first on buzzer (144/453)
6/10 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $15,500)
6/8 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $17,175


Andy’s Thoughts:

  • Kudos to Emma for the fact that James was unable to make this tournament a runaway. (Emma’s maximum possible total was $69,600, whereas James had only accumulated $67,111 before Final Jeopardy.)

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5 Comments on "Today’s Final Jeopardy – Friday, July 17, 2020"

  1. I had forgotten that Emma won game 2 of this final series…meaning that she actually beat James 2 games to 1 in their 3 match-ups.

  2. Congratulations to Francois for making it to the finals.

    Although he met with formidable opposition , look at how many opponents he defeated to get there.

    • Francois Barcomb | July 17, 2020 at 3:34 pm |

      Thanks, Howard. It was a lot of fun but James and Emma were so fantastic I couldn’t get a rhythm going. I also want to thank Andy for everything he does for Jeopardy fans out there. I hope there is an opportunity to get invited back someday.

  3. Prithvi Sudhakar | July 21, 2020 at 10:53 am |

    Well, a great job to all three finalists!

    I say that everyone in the tournament did well!

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