The EBU would like to invite your club to participate in this year's Masters Pairs taking place on Sunday, 22nd February.

The Masters Pairs is a two-session one-day competition exclusively for players below the rank of Regional Master, which includes: Local Masters, Club Masters, Area Masters, District Masters, County Masters, Masters, Advanced Masters, Star Masters, Tournament Masters or Premier Masters. This event is intended for less experienced players and highly experienced players cannot play even if they are of a suitable Master Point rank.

It will be held at multiple venues around the country, and scored nationally to give overall results. The competition therefore gives an opportunity for less experienced players to play in a national event within the familiar environment of their own club, and allows them to play against players of their standard rather than entering an event with an ‘open’ field. Any club that wishes will be allowed to run a heat, though smaller clubs might wish to combine with others to ensure a suitably-sized field.

The event may be run either face-to-face or online, at the discretion of each club. For heats run online by clubs, any online bridge platform that will allow submission of a USEBIO file for each session, may be used.

If your club would like to participate please email me at sam@ebu.co.uk as soon as possible and I will add your club details to the the relevant competitions page on the EBU website.

Practical arrangements for 2026

• Although the competition must be held on Sunday 22nd February, and played over two sessions, the host club will have the option to start at whatever time they wish between 11am and 1pm (this window ensures that no heat will have finished the first session prior to another heat starting). Each session will be 18 boards with a break between sessions. The EBU will supply suitable movements for all numbers of tables.
• Clubs charge their usual table money and a surcharge of £4 per player which will be remitted to the EBU (clubs can absorb some of that if they wish). The club retains the remainder of the entry fee – whatever that may be. There will be no UMS in addition to this and it includes VAT as usual so VAT registered clubs can get the VAT element back. 
• Clubs should take all entries, and collect all money from the participants. We advise that clubs have a way of taking entries in advance if possible, so that you can plan for appropriate numbers.
• The participants must be below the rank of Regional Master on 1st January 2026.
• Those EBU members achieving a landmark promotion to the rank of Master in the previous year are entitled to free entry to the competition. Any such members should enter as normal with the host club, but notify the EBU. The EBU – once it has confirmed that the member was eligible for free entry – will make a refund of the entry fee to the member’s EBU account (this can subsequently be used for payment, or withdrawn).
• The EBU will use a special code for the results in order for the correct amount to be charged as simply as possible.
• The EBU will provide the deal files which clubs must use for the event.
• NGS will be calculated based on the local results, not the national results.
• Master points will not be issued locally, but Green Points are awarded throughout, both for session results and for final ranking. Session awards go to the top 1/4 of the overall field based on the session scores alone. In addition, ranking points go to the top 1/2 of the overall field based on the two-session total score. Session awards and final ranking awards are cumulative. 
• The results will be stratified based on NGS so that approximately 50% of the field qualify for the “B” stratification and 25% for the “C” stratification, with extra prizes and master points for suitably qualified pairs. No player with a hidden NGS will qualify for these stratifications.
• Prizes will be awarded by the EBU across the national field.
• Clubs will be responsible for organising and paying an appropriate TD. 
• Clubs should tell us in advance if they are going to run this event so that we can list it on our website and provide you with deal files in advance of the event. Please email sam@ebu.co.uk or reply to this email. Please include the details of who your director for the event will be so that we can send the appropriate information to them directly.

Kind Regards

Samantha Kelly
Communications Officer