Here is Leslie Ingram-Brown's report of the first game from Moscow:"It is the first time Russia has hosted the European Championships. It is in celebration of twenty years of curling in the country and here in the modern 'Megasport' Sports Palace Eve Muirhead, Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton opened up against Linn Githmark's Norway. The Scots took the single in the first end but with a double take-out at the back of the house Githmark secured a three in the second to which Muirhead responded with a draw for a pair in the third.
Fourth and fifth with final stones firstly Norway and then Scotland counted a single shot to be tied 4-4 at the fifth end break.
Sixth and Norway again took the single then stole another in the seventh before Eve, facing four shots playing her last which would certainly have killed the game, drew by the narrowest of margins for shot to be 4-5 back with two ends to go.
Norway blanked the ninth and were in trouble in the tenth. Githmark opted for a rip off of a guard with her first stone when a double was on to clear the Scots from the house. Eve drew for three and Githmark was forced to play the cold draw, a shot she had played well throughout the game. But from release the stone was heavy and, with Anna giving able support, it slid through the house almost sitting on the hack by the time it finished its slide. Game Scotland, 8-6."
sco * 10201 00103 = 8
nor 03010 11000 = 6
Scores: Scotland 8 Norway 6, Italy 8 Switzerland 4, Sweden 9 Denmark 6, Germany 7 Latvia 5, Czech Republic 12 Russia 10 (Extra End).
Find all the results here.
Mike Haggerty's report for the Royal Club is here.
Photographer Richard Gray is working for the WCF and his gallery of photos of all the teams in the Women's A Division is here.
Top: Claire Hamilton and Vicki Adams are ready on skip Eve Muirhead's stone. Photo © Leslie Ingram-Brown.
