The gauntlet has been thrown down. At the edge of the earth. Let’s dive right into the results.
The national federations reacted with wide-eyed astonishment and open-mouthed disbelief to the news about the cost of living at the European Championships in Tallinn. But whether they pouted or not, they sent their young men and women to stay, eat, and compete in the sporting events. We note with sadness that many organizational shortcomings in hosting Europe’s premier competitions have remained unresolved for years. Perhaps this year, at least, we won’t see podiums shaped like car wheels.
The youngest age group includes participants from 7 countries among the girls and 8 countries among the boys. In these groups, it’s usually hard to predict the outcome. Basic training is virtually the same in all European countries. It’s worth keeping an eye on the young female athletes from Poland and Latvia. Among the boys, we’ll be rooting for two players: Ernests Andersons from Latvia and Leo Gancarz from Poland.
Results Classic Boys U10 / Girls U10
The mini-cadet group features players from 10 European countries. Leaders and promising young talents are already emerging in these groups. Players from the Netherlands may gradually begin to stand out in these groups. In the girls’ group, we favor the following players: Misane Alise and Varvara Ivanova from Latvia, Vakare Sabaliauskaite from Lithuania, and Vivienne Meijer from the Netherlands. However, the Damari sisters from Italy could also spring a surprise. As for the competition among the boys, we favor the following players: Kevin Kurik and Stanislav Ushkov from Estonia, Sven Schakel from the Netherlands, Toms Andersons and Aleksandrs Petrovs from Latvia, and Jan Guzicki from Poland.
Results Classic Boys U13 / Girls U13
In the older age groups, talented players are already developing their own styles, and the competition is taking place not only on the board but also among the coaching staffs. It is in these groups that draughts players from the Netherlands, Russia, and the Republic of Belarus begin to achieve high results. Meanwhile, weaker draughts schools experience an inevitable decline. Only a few players rise to the top. In the girls’ competition, players from 9 countries are competing. In the boys’ competition, there are representatives from 8 countries. In the girls’ competition, our top picks are: Widel Zofia from Poland and Kutsenko Vasylysa from Ukraine. In the boys’ competition, our top picks are: Delalicz De Laval Krzysztof from Poland, Ovsyanko Alex from the Netherlands, and Koliesnikov Matvey from Ukraine.
Results Classic Boys U16 / Girls U16
In the senior divisions, the competition will be very fierce, and it would take too long to list all the favorites. Our team will be rooting for the wonderful and amazing girls from the Netherlands: Fleur Kruysmulder and Yulia Bintsarovska.