Tartu Ärtu 2026 rules and regulations
- Tournament organisers and goal
ThinkKing is proud to organize the Tartu Ärtu 2026 Junior Bridge Tournament, held at Raadimõisa Hotel in Tartu. Our mission is to promote bridge among junior players and bring together young enthusiasts from various countries to learn, make new friends, and enjoy competitive yet friendly bridge play. In addition to the tournament, participants will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful city of Tartu and experience Estonian culture firsthand. We warmly welcome juniors of all nationalities and skill levels, as our goal is to unite people through the love of bridge and foster connections across Europe and possibly even beyond.
The tournament is led by main organizer Riko Piirisild. For inquiries, you can reach him via email at riko.piirisild@gmail.com, by phone at +372 58177077, or through social media.
- Time and place
The tournament will take place from May 8th to 10th at Raadimõisa Hotel in Tartu.
Address: Mõisavärava tn 1, Raadi, 60534 Tartu maakond, Estonia
Timetable:
Friday 8th May
10:00-10:40 Gathering and check-in to rooms
10:40-10:50 Opening ceremony
10:50-14:00 First 2 pair sessions 12 boards each (small break in between sessions)
14:00-15:00 Lunch
15:00-19:50 3 pair sessions 12 boards each
19:50-20:50 Dinner
20:50-… Free time for activities with other juniors
Optional 21:30-01:30 18+ goulash teams tournament
Saturday 9th May
08:00-09:00 Breakfast
09:00-13:15 4 rounds of 8 board team tournament qualification
13:15-14:15 Lunch
14:15-18:30 4 rounds of 8 board team tournament qualification
18:30-19:30 Dinner
19:30-… Free time and extra optional activities
Sunday 10th May
08:00-09:00 Breakfast
09:00-12:05 2 rounds of 12 board team finals (A,B,C,D.. with 4 teams in each final based on qualification results)
12:05-13:05 Lunch and cleaning the rooms for check-out
13:05-14:35 1 round of 12 board team finals
14:45-15:00 Prize giving ceremony and farewell
Optional
Players who arrive early are invited to a warm-up event on Thursday, May 7th, at JaaniSuss (board game venue at Jaani 8, Tartu), starting at 14:00. Join us for an afternoon of board games, darts, table football, table tennis, and more, followed by a fun and Crazy Bridge tournament at 19:00. You’ll also enjoy a guided tour of Tartu with the tournament’s local hosts.
Players who leave later are also welcomed to JaaniSuss where there will be dinner with different activities and the option to explore Tartu with local hosts of Tartu Ärtu 2026.
- Participants
The tournament is open to all juniors who are born in the year 2001 or later. (are in u26 category) Pre-registration on our website thinkking.ee/Tartu2026 guarantees you a spot and also contains all the important information for the tournament.
Registration will open soon and we will send a reminder to all those pre-registered. Registration will close one week before the competition.
- Participation fee
Pre-registration offers special benefits for those who inform us of their arrival plans for 2025. Registration details can be found at thinkking.ee/Tartu2026. The participation fee is 170€ per person, which includes two nights of accommodation, all meals during the stay, and entry to all tournaments. For added flexibility, participants can pay an additional 40€ to extend their stay by one night before and/or after the event, with breakfast included.
- Tournament regulations
The Tartu Ärtu 2026 Junior Tournament will feature both pairs and teams championships.The pairs championship will include five sessions, each with 12 boards, played using matchpoints scoring. The teams championship will begin with an 8-round Swiss qualification on Saturday. Based on these results, the finals will take place on Sunday in Round Robin format, with groups of four teams playing 12 boards per round. In the event of tied results in either tournament, ties will be resolved based on the head-to-head result or, if necessary, by the tournament director in accordance with European Bridge League rules and guidelines.
- Prizes
(TBA in August at thinkking.ee/Tartu2026)
- Prizes will be awarded to the top three pairs in the U16, U21, and U26 categories.
- In the Teams Championship, prizes will be given to the top three teams in the A Finals, as well as to the winners of each group.
- Additional special prizes will also be announced during the event.
- General
- The event will be held in a hotel exclusively reserved for the tournament. To help maintain a clean and comfortable environment, please remember to wear indoor shoes in the playing area.
- By participating in the tournament, you consent to photographs being taken during the event and agree to your name being published in the results and used for the promotion of future events.
- Any matters not specifically addressed will be handled by the organizing committee in accordance with hotel rules, fair play principles, and general standards of conduct.