MASTER POINTS (MPs)

The aim of MPs is to endeavour to indicate the true worth of a player. MPs won years ago are, therefore, worth less than those MPs won more recently. In other words, the capital of MPs of a player must diminish and, if not added to by new successes, will tend to disappear.

PLACING POINTS (PPs)

On the other hand, the PPs represent the CAREER of a player. Therefore, the PPs won years ago have the same value as those won more recently. Thus the PPs do not diminish but continue to accumulate.

SENIOR POINTS (SPs)

These are awarded for Senior events only and a separate ranking is recorded. The titles are qualified slightly differently as well.

TITLES

a) World Grand Master (WGM): 10 PPs and winning at least one World Championship.
b) World Life Master (WLM): 5 PPs. OR winning at least one World Championship title
c) World International Master (WIM): 350 MPs
d) World Master (WM): 150 MPs

From Montreal 2002 ALL titled players will now keep their titles for life.

OPEN AND WOMEN’S EVENTS

The MPs won in the Open events and those won in the events reserved for women will be subject to different rankings and will appear in two separate lists. If a women wins MPs or PPs in an Open event these points will appear as Open Masterpoints against her name, so a Woman can own an Open title.

a) In the Open list with the accumulation MPs and PPs won in the Open events. These MPs and PPs will determine the players Open Category.

b) In the Women’s list with the accumulation of MPs and PPs won in Women’s or Mixed events. These MPs and PPs will determine her category in the Women’s ranking.

MIXED EVENTS

In a mixed event men taking part will be awarded Open Master Points whilst Women taking part will be awarded Women Master Points

SENIOR EVENTS

Senior ranking with Senior titles is based on SPs accumulated from Senior events only. SPs won in Senior events will only go to this ranking and not to the Women or Open rankings.

There is a separate ranking for Seniors titles, and these scales are below.
Seniors events do not attract Placing Points.

SENIOR TITLES

Senior Grand Master (SGM): - 1000 SP and winning at least one WBF Senior World Championship

Senior Life Master (SLM): - Won at least one WBF Senior World Championship

Senior International Master (SIM): - 350 SP

Senior Master (SM): - 150 SP

CHAMPIONSHIP ZONALS

These are zonal events held at a WBF World Championships, they are not to be confused with Zonal events held in the Zones to qualify teams for a Bermuda Bowl or Venice Cup, these are now to be called 'Qualifying Zonals'.

A zonal winner will not be awarded points if they achieve less than 50% in the final result.

START UP OF THE ‘Bernasconi’ SYSTEM (1992 - onwards)

A new total of MPs for each player was established. This new total took into account only those MPs won during the last twelve years (from 1981 to 1992 inclusive). The total was then multiplied by ten. This multiplication is used in order to enlarge the scope of the MPs and enable other tournaments to be endowed with MPs. On the other hand, the PPs total will take into account all the results. The title of WGM and WLM obtained through the previous system will be maintained.

EVOLUTION OF THE ‘Bernasconi’ SYSTEM

At the end of each year the total MPs for each player will be reduced by 15% (obviously the MPs won that year are not touched). The end of a ‘Master Point year’ coincides with the beginning of the WBF World Championship each year. Given that fractions of MPs do not exist, a system of ‘rounding-out’ will be used:

3.4 = 3 3.5 = 4 0.5 = 1 0.1 = 1

If a player’s total number of MPs becomes less than 3, it will be considered to equal zero.
The rankings will normally be established firstly according to the MPs and then according to the PPs. Any objections will normally only be accepted during the current Master Point year.

Determining whether a team has won or drawn is based on their VP score and not their IMP score.

Special Conditions for Team Matches

In team events, in order to qualify for the MPs and PPs won by the team, a player must have played a certain percentage of the total number of hands played by his team.

a) Tournaments consisting only of a Round Robin:
A player must have played at least one-third of the hands played by his team.

b) Tournaments consisting of a Round Robin followed by semi -finals and final:
The player must have played at least one-third of the hands played by the team in the round robin. In addition:

- For first place: At least one-third of the total number of hands in the final and one third of the total number of hands semi- final.

- For second place At least one-third of the total number of hands in the final and one third of the total number of hands semi- final.

- For third place: At least one-third of the hands in the play-off.

c) Tournaments consisting of a Round Robin followed by quarter-finals, semifinals
and final:
A player must have played at least one-third of the hands played by the team in the round robin. In addition:
- For the first place: At least one-third of the total number of hands in the final,
semi- finals and quarter-finals combined. At least one-third of the hands in the
final.
- For second place: At least one-third of the hands played in the semi- final and the quarter- final combined. At least one-third of the hands in the semi- final.
- For third place (in the case of a play-off): At least one-third of the total number of hands in the play-off and quarter- final combined.
- For fourth place: At least one-third of the hand sin the quarter- final.

In order to qualify for the title of World Champion the conditions are the same as those needed to qualify for the MPs for first place.

If the total number of hands played is not divisible by three, the exact number of hands required must be specified in the Conditions of Contest relating to the tournament, which may in any case make special provision for masterpoint awards for individual events.

This information is a snap shot from the Official WBF Database currently maintained by Mark Newton any changes that you have notified the WBF of, may not show immediately here untill the next upload.