by Ian Marshall, Editor

The event is organised every two years; the 18th edition will be staged later this year from Friday 7th to Sunday 9th September in Uppsala, a town some 40 minutes by car from the Swedish capital city of Sweden. Notably, it is less than 20 minutes from Arlanda International Airport.

Equally Uppsala is easily accessible by rail and if you have time take a walk along the banks of the Fyrisån river, visit one of the many cafés or take a step back in history. The city is renowned for its 13th century cathedral and Viking ancestry.

Also the city is the home of the Uppsala University, dating from 1477, it is the oldest university in the Nordic region.

Impressively, by the entry deadline of Sunday 24th June, a total of 400 entries had been received; basically it is a full house. The popularity of the tournament is undiminished.

Players from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland as well as the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will compete in Uppsala.