Pairs Player of the Year Championship

2026-27 competition

Competition overview

The Pairs Player of the Year Award replaces the previous Player of the Year Championship. It is intended to give a realistic chance of winning to a wide range of members, while still providing a strong ranking.

The award includes all EBU national face-to-face pairs events that have no entry restrictions – ie not NGS-limited, not county-representative, not master-point restricted, not events that require qualification via advance heats.

Place points will be awarded to the top of the field, which will reward success in larger events more than smaller ones. The length of the event will also be taken into account by giving points to the top 20% of the field (rounded up) for one-day events, 30% for one-and-a-half-day events and 40% for two-day events. So, from this year’s championship pairs in Eastbourne, which is the first event in the new series, the top 53 pairs will get place points with the winners getting 53 and the 53rd place getting 1. 

For the Two-Stars Pairs, points will be based on the size of the original field before qualification, so 40% of the first day's field will get points, which will go to:
•    the top half of the final, 
•    followed by highest in the consolation Swiss Pairs,
•    the next pair in the final, the next pair in the consolation, and so on, interleaving the bottom half of the final and the consolation Swiss Pairs.

The winner of the Award will be given free entry for the next year to three events from the list, runner-up will get free entry for two events and the third place will get one. Prizes will be shared if any places are tied – eg winner and runner up tied will each get two free entries and one half-price.

In 2026-27 the tournaments and points awarded will be shown below:

Archive:

2025/26
2024/25