necessary for the acquisition of certain senior ranks. The value of a Green Point is 100 Master Points. Blue points are awarded in the next level of competition. The value of a Blue Point is 100 Master Points and all Master Points ranks will allow up to 50 Green points to be replaced by Blue Points in the ratio of 3 Blues = 1 Green. Local Points are won in any event where Green and/or Blue Points are not awarded, and sometimes in addition to Green and/or Blue Points. The Master Point scheme is believed by some to be imperfect as it rewards the persistent player ("the more you play the more points you earn"). The rankings, however, require Green Points to be won before a player can achieve some of the higher rankings, so such ranked players must have achieved success in national tournaments. A Gold Point scheme is also in place, rewarding those who finished highly in the National Tournaments. This recognises the more elite players, and as these points decay at a rate of 20% per annum they are an indicator of recent success, rather than lifetime achievement. The highest rank which can be achieved in the EBU Master Point scheme is Premier Grand Master. National Grading Scheme The National Grading Scheme (NGS) was introduced in April 2010 and aims to provides a fair and trustworthy measure of an individual players current performance when playing duplicate bridge. The NGS indicates an individual’s current playing ability based on the last 80 or so playing sessions at whatever level they play. The NGS calculates a current grade and a grade band for each EBU member, which is updated whenever new results for that player are received. The value of the grade is the scheme’s estimate of the percentage score that a player would have achieved on average if partnering another player with the same current grade at Match Pointed Pairs in a field of nationally average strength. EBU grades have been divided into 13 playing card bands, ranging from ‘Ace’ at the top to ‘Two’ at the beginners’ end. Each band covers a 2% range of grade values, with ‘Eight’ having a range of 49‐51%. The scheme is complementary to the Master Point Scheme, and the two schemes are independent. Player of the Year Championship The most prestigious events in the EBU calendar, including the Gold Cup, contribute to