The Italian city of Turin is no stranger to big competitions. In 2006, it was home to the Winter Olympics, just another historic event in the city that served as Italy’s first national capital. Today, it will provide the backdrop for the most important Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG tournament in Europe this year, and competition in Torino has never been so heated!

For countless European countries and more than 600 qualified duelists, the entire 2006-2007 dueling season has been leading up to this: a fifteen-round showdown drawing duelists from all across Europe. Things are different here in Europe, as competitive spirits are being fired not only by a strong urge to win for one’s self and for one’s team, but by strong, clashing senses of national pride. Every duelist here wants to win the title of European Champion, not just for personal glory but also for the right to take title gold back to his or her home country. The national conflict is at such a fevered pitch that it’s recognized by the Tournament Organizers: National Champions are given flags to carry to and from their matches, each bearing his or her standard as the duelists wade through two days of competition. By the end of the weekend, one duelist will reign supreme, and one flag will fly higher than all the others.

The metagame is also different from that in North America. If you think the amalgamation of provincial metagames in Canada, or state-wide metagames in the US are varied, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Duelists gathered in the Lingotto Plaza yesterday, a huge bricked courtyard outside of the tournament venue, and I got the opportunity to see a lot of decks from different countries. Frankly, I am blown away by the variety of decks from different regions. Still, certain cards are being given the same high regard from duelists all over Europe, and those are already emerging here today before play has even begun.

While play hasn’t yet started, the drama certainly has. Germany’s finest became stranded last night when their bus was stuck in traffic, the product of a car wreck on a major throughway in Switzerland. Players affected include last year’s third place Worlds finisher Adrian Madaj, and Team Overdose member Florian Chitic. As time counts down to the tournament’s first round, the chances of these duelists making it in time are decreasing exponentially, and it seems highly likely that Germany’s strongest duelists will have to enter the tournament with round 1 losses.

Today we will see seven rounds of Swiss competition, cutting to five rounds of additional Swiss tomorrow. The field will then be cut to a Top 8 for playoffs, and, from there, four competitors will proceed to the World Championships in San Diego. Among them will be one continental Champion, an undisputed strong bid for the World title in August. This tournament makes World Champions: it’s no secret that the past two, Greece’s Markou Miltiadis and Italy’s Dario Longo, have hailed from Europe.