Day 10, One Day to Go: Every Title Still Up for Grabs in Riga

Team Bridge • July 7, 2026

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July 7, 2026

With only three rounds remaining at the 2026 European National Teams Championships in Riga, none of the four team titles has been decided. While a few leaders have strengthened their positions, the margins remain small enough for dramatic changes on the final day.

Open

Norway remains on top after another consistent day. A narrow 10.31-9.69 victory over the Netherlands was followed by a convincing 16.26-3.74 win against Poland, increasing Norway’s total to 347.71 Victory Points.

Denmark stays within striking distance on 341.99 after defeating Switzerland 15.00-5.00, while Israel climbed to third place by beating Italy 15.38-4.62. The Netherlands slipped to fourth after losing the head-to-head encounter with Norway.

The battle for the final World Championship qualifying places is particularly intense. Only 1.83 VPs separate eighth-placed France from tenth-placed Germany, with Türkiye also sandwiched between them.

Women

The biggest move of the day came from the Netherlands. The Dutch swept all three matches, defeating Greece 19.43-0.57, Romania 18.87-1.13 and, most importantly, England 17.45-2.55 to overtake the long-time leaders and move into first place on 255.46 VPs.

England, despite leading for most of the championship, slipped to second, while Sweden remains comfortably in medal position. Denmark moved up to fourth after a 19.25-0.75 victory over Portugal, overtaking Norway.

Behind the leaders, the race for the eight World Championship qualification places remains competitive, with several teams still mathematically capable of climbing into the top eight during the final three rounds.

Seniors

France retained first place, but the lead narrowed considerably after a mixed day. Poland reduced the gap to fewer than two Victory Points, while Denmark remains less than three points behind the leaders.

Sweden also strengthened its medal hopes and sits just under nine points off first place. Türkiye, Iceland and England complete a tightly packed chasing group, ensuring that the podium remains completely open heading into the last day.

Mixed

Poland continues to set the pace after another impressive day, increasing its lead to 295.32 VPs. Belgium remains second, while England climbed into third place after overtaking both Latvia and Romania.

The standings behind the leaders are exceptionally close. Romania, Latvia and Israel are separated by fewer than four Victory Points, while Sweden, France and Switzerland all remain within realistic reach of the podium. Even the battle for the final qualification places is far from settled, with less than 20 Victory Points covering teams from seventh to sixteenth.