U16s Three Seas Trophy

This past weekend some of the under 16 squad were busy playing an online tournament, the Three Seas Trophy.

Giorgio Provenza, squad leader for the U16s, has written a blog with news on the squad's recent activities - which you can read below.

This weekend coming (20th - 22nd December) there is action for three more junior squads - the U26W, U26 and U21. These teams will be playing in the Channel Trophy in Utrecht, Netherlands. More details of squad selections here.

U16s 3 Seas Trophy

Giorgio Provenza, Under 16 squad leader

Last time you heard from me the U16s were about to sail (or so Greta would have wished, we flew instead) to Norway for the Europeans.

What happened there is well known – or so I hope – with a Bronze medal and a ticket for next year’s World Championships, which will be held in Salsomaggiore Terme, in Italy.

Five of the six players who stepped up onto the podium in Oslo have outgrown the category, so the challenge is now to build a new team that can walk in the footsteps of those who have been there before.

The squad has taken the task very seriously; online training goes on weekly and we have held two training weekends this autumn.

With the support of Richmond and Oxford Bridge Clubs which have hosted us and with the brilliant contributions from Alan Shillitoe and Sally Anoyrkatis the work has been intense and productive.

It was then time to check our progress against the opposition!

Over the past weekend we have battled with Norway, France and Greece in the 3 Seas Trophy, played online on BBO.

Each nation has fielded two teams divided in two groups, Red and Blue.

On Saturday we played a full Round Robin and both our teams qualified for the final.

On Sunday the Blue team faced France, who had beaten us the day before by 3 IMPs. The team built a massive lead in the first set and comfortably added to it in the second, ending up the winners.

The Red team faced Norway, who had prevailed by 2 IMPs the day before. The final was as close. Norway won by 7 the first set. England came back in the 2nd and were leading at the half way point. Norway retook the lead with a couple of double digit swings and our final charge was not enough to overturn the lead once more. Second place it was.

The teams were:

    Blue

    Amelia & Antoinina Mauve
    Aman Parekh & Martin Hawkes
    Lucy Norman & Sam Wakefield

    Red

    Raphaela Sinclair & Venetia Anoyrkatis
    Jamie Fegarty & Thomas Gardner
    Bjorn Ahl & James Cater

A bridge hand to finish, if you are wondering how 14 year olds play bridge. Watch Jamie make this 5D. Yes, East could have broken the endplay by cashing the second Heart, but you have to take your chances when they give them to you!

December 16, 2019