Bridge in the Kingdom of Denmark

The 56th European Team Championships are fast approaching. They will be played from 24 June to 4 July.

Where?

In the small city of Herning, in the heart of Denmark, in the Jutland peninsula. So, far away from the capital Copenhagen, which is located in the Danish Far East on the eastern island of Seeland.

How many events?

The Championships consist of 4 categories: Open, Women, Seniors and Mixed. The Women’s and Seniors’ Pairs Championships will be held ahead of the Team Championships.

How many teams?

Nearly 100 in total! 30 in Open, 22 in Women, 20 in Seniors and 23 in Mixed.

Which format?

No qualifiers followed by KO matches as for the Bermuda Bowl. The Championships will be played as a single complete round robin with all teams playing each other in 16-deal matches. This exhausting marathon will last 11 days for the Open Championship and 7 days for the other categories.

What is the recipe for success?

In this kind of long-distance race, regularity is the watchword of the favourite teams. Being heavily defeated by a team seen as weak (there are fewer and fewer of them…) is a huge missed opportunity which comes at a big price in the end. When two strong teams face each other, a clear victory keeps a potential rival at bay and these match points “count double” so to speak.

Who are the favourites?

During the previous Championships in Madeira, the Netherlands and Switzerland dominated the Open, leaving far behind Norway and even further Italy and Poland. These teams should be leading the race this time again. The event turned into an absolute disaster for France, ranked 15th out of 30. The French team can’t do any worse and will try to qualify for the World Championships. To do so, they will need to finish in the top 8 and the battle promises to be intense.

In Women, again, two nations should outclass their opponents: Poland and Sweden. A few outsiders will be on the lookout: Israel, Germany, Denmark and of course France (they finished 5th in Madeira).

In Seniors, Poland, the current title holder, is tipped to win again. Denmark, Sweden, Italy and Israel will be on their heels. France disappointed with a 9th place only in Madeira, but their medal hopes are real this time as players with years of experience on the international stage will be lined up.

Finally, in Mixed, France is currently on top of the world. They are the big favourites but will have to keep an eye on their usual contenders: Romania, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Israel and Belgium.

Place your bets!