Ranked Masters Pairs | English Bridge Union

26th - 27th February 2022, RealBridge

Following feedback from those who have played in the event in the past, who were two to one in favour of it being online, it has been decided that this event will be played on RealBridge.

This is a group of pairs championships for which an appropriate EBU Master Point Rank is needed to enter. The rank must be attained by virtue of points earned by 1st January 2022, and players who hold unregistered points at that date, which would promote them to a higher rank, may only compete at the higher rank. Players currently or previously based overseas for any substantial period of their bridge playing career should make a special application for a national rank to be afforded them solely for the purpose of participating in this particular event.

Players below the rank of Regional Master should enter the Masters Pairs. Cross-IMP (teams-type) scoring is used in all the below events.

Categories

Changes since 2019 This year, for the purpose of the movements, we will merge the Premier Life Masters (C) with the Life Masters (D), and the National Masters (E) with the Regional Masters (F). We will still have ranking lists for each group and award trophies, prizes and Master Points within those groups, but you will be playing in a larger field with more opponents and comparisons, which we hope will be welcomed by most players.

(A) Premier Grand Masters Pairs This event is open to Premier Grand Masters partnering either another Premier Grand Master or a Grand Master.

(B) Grand Masters Pairs for the Harrison Gray Salver This event is open to Grand Masters (but not Premier Grand Masters) partnering either another Grand Master or a Premier Life Master.

(C) Premier Life Masters Pairs for the Premier Life Masters Trophy This event is open to Premier Life Masters partnering either another Premier Life Master or a Life Master.

(D) Life Masters Pairs for the Maurice Blank Trophy This event is open to Life Masters (but not Premier Life Masters) partnering either another Life Master or a Premier National Master. These competitions are contested through a merged field

(E) National Masters Pairs for the Bridge Magazine Cup This event is open to National and/or Premier National Masters, or either of these playing with a Premier Regional Master.

(F) Regional Masters Pairs for the St Dunstan’s Plate This event is open to Regional and/or Premier Regional Masters, or either of these playing with a Premier Master. These competitions are contested through a merged field Events A - D are system level 5; events E - F are level 4. Players in the top 20 Gold Point rankings on January 1st may elect to count themselves as Premier Grand Masters. Players ranked 21–40 may elect to count themselves as Grand Masters. Alternatively, such players may elect to play in their normal rank category or in any intermediate category with a suitably qualified partner.

Additional optional qualification criteria In addition to the criteria listed above, a player will be allowed to “play up” to join a partner of a higher rank providing their NGS grade meets the following criteria on 1st January, or they achieve that grade at some point during the January before the event:

For the Premier Grand Masters Pairs they must be an Ace of Spades or Ace of Hearts
For the Grand Masters Pairs they must be an Ace
For the Premier Life Masters Pairs they must be a King or an Ace
For the Life Masters Pairs they must be in the top half of the Queen group – ie 58% or higher
For the National Masters Pairs they must be a Queen or higher
For the Regional Masters Pairs they must be in the top half of the Jack group – ie 56% or higher

Please note that for those who already qualify by virtue of their Master Point rank there is no additional NGS requirement, but this modification will allow a few players to play at a higher rank than formerly.

To enter

The easiest way to enter is online through My EBU. Log-in and select 'Book Events' from the Utilities menu. You can also call 01296 317203, or email comps@ebu.co.uk.

Congress Prices

The prices for our online congresses and competitions are significantly lower than they would have been face to face (about 20% less), but reflect the fact that green-pointed events always attract a premium.

We have worked hard to keep bridge going since the start of the pandemic, but with it still affecting everything we need to continue to work hard to keep the EBU going financially. Although we took advantage of all government support that we were entitled to, made a number of staff redundant and cut costs everywhere we could, we still need to carry on taking care to avoid using our reserves at an unsustainable rate. With the furlough scheme having ended this has become even more difficult.

Competitions are one way of raising the money necessary for the EBU's survival and we will be following this pricing strategy for all our online congresses and major competitions.

Holders

2021
Premier Grand Masters Pairs - Nick Smith & Roger Bryant
Grand Masters Pairs - David A Sherman & Peter Hasenson
Premier Life Masters Pairs - Giles Ip & Gabriel Ip
Life Masters Pairs - Shahzaad Natt & Ambrose Holmes-Mackie
National Masters Pairs - Sara Moran & Claire Robinson
Regional Masters Pairs - Tony Togneri & Elisabeth Bingham

Timetable
	There will be a break of 45 minutes on both days	We aim to play approx. 100 boards total
Saturday	Start 11.00am - Finish between 14:15 and 15:15	Session 1
	Finish by 7.00pm	Session 2
Sunday	Start 11.00am - Finish between 13:45 and 14:15	Session 3
	Finish by 6.00pm	Session 4

Events A - D are system level 5; events E - F are level 4.

Entry Fees
Event	Price
(A) Ranked Masters Pairs	£58 per player
(B) Masters Pairs	- see the Master Pairs webpage for details.
Members who have attained a landmark promotion to the rank of Master are entitled to free entry in the Masters Pairs.

Closing date for entries: 23rd February 2022

Master Points

Fractional Green Points will be awarded for all matches/rounds won in all events (the same formula will be used for all events based solely on the number of boards in the match regardless of the category of the event). Additional Green Points will be awarded based on overall ranking to the top third of the field in each category. These bonus awards will vary depending on the category of the event.

Please note: For ranks that have been combined Master Points are done on a stratified basis

Agreements

Events A - D are system level 5; events E - F are level 4.

Venue and Tariff

2022: Online, RealBridge

Previous Results

2021 results

2020 results
2019 results
2018 results
2017 results
2016 results
2015 results
2014 results
2013 results
2012 results
2011 results
2010 results
2009 results
2008 results
2007 results
Premier Grand Masters Pairs - a history
Grand Masters Pairs for the Harrison Gray Salver - a history
Premier Life Masters Pairs for the Premier Life Masters Trophy - a history
Life Masters Pairs for the Maurice Blank Trophy - a history
National Masters Pairs for the Bridge Magazine Cup - a history
Regional Masters Pairs for the St Dunstan’s Plate - a history

Find a partner/team mates

If you are looking for a partner or team mates for this congress, please email comps@ebu.co.uk