Table of Contents Page Poland Complete Double 1 Round 23 Italy vs France 2 Poland v Israel – Juniors Round 23 3 Two Slams 4a Defensive Delicacies 4b Double Dummy Problem 5
The Polish Junior Team

As had looked likely for some days, Poland completed the double of Juniors and Schools Championships today. Congratulations to Konrad Araskiewicz, Krzysztof Buras, Jacek Kalita, Krzysztof Kotorowicz, Piotr Madry, Wojciech Strzemecki and npc Marek Markowski, who are the new Juniors Champions of Europe!

Israel took the silver medal, though Norway made them work hard in their final match. The silver medallists are Azizi Adi, Yotam Bar-Yossef, Eldad Ginossar, Ron Hoffman, Gilad Ofir, Ophir Reshef and npc Michael Barel. Congratulations to them.

Third were Hungary, who had looked like serious challengers for the title for a long time before fading at the end. Perhaps they will be thinking of waht might have been, but this was really a very good performance by the Hungarians to take the bronze medal. Congratulations to Peter Marjai, Gabor Minarik, Mate Mraz, Andras Reisz, Csaba Szabo, Balasz Szegedi and npc Laszlo Honti.

Norway took fourth place and France fifth, to complete the European qualifiers for next year's World Youth Championship in Sydney, Australia. Let us hope that one of these five teams can retain for Europe the title won by Italy in 2003.

Poland Power to Schools Championship

Poland have been the dominant team in this year's Schools Championship and they actually won with a match to spare. Congratulations to Marcin Malesa, Piotr Nawrocki, Filip Niziol, Przemyslaw Piotrowski, Jan Sikora, Piotr Wiankowski and npc Leszek Nowak. Wiankowski's relacement of World Junior Individual Champion, Michal Nowosadzki is the only change from the team that won the World Schools Championship in New York last month.

As in the Juniors, so in the Schools, as the silver medal goes to Israel. Well done to Eliran Aregelasi, Alon Birman, Dror Padon, Ron Segev, Dana Tal, Bar Tarnovski and npc Yaniv Zack.

The bronze medal was won by Netherlands: Vincent de Pagter, Bob Drijver, Jacco Hop, Marion Michielsen, Danny Molenaar, Tim Verbeek, npc Wil Buket and coach Wim Heemskerk. Congratulations to them also.

It remains only, on behalf of you all, to thank everyone involved in organising these Championships and to wish you all a safe journey home. I am sure we will all take home warm memories of the city of Prague. Until we meet again...