One of my bridge tenets is the importance of providing games for all levels of players. I do understand the honor and significance of being able to play against the best bridge players in the world, if you choose, because of the way our game is structured. I also believe it is important to play in open games even if you will never be able to compete at the top level. What I do not believe is that playing in the open should be the only option for mid- flight players.

The recent changes to the NAP and GNT flights in the two lower flights are as follows:

• Flight C – 0-500 masterpoints is now 0-750 masterpoints AND you must be a non-life master.
• Flight B – 0-2500 masterpoints is now 0-3000 masterpoints.

The changes in these two flights will change the composition of those players participating in our NAP and GNT events. Those players with less than 750 masterpoints, who are Life Masters, will now be playing in the 0- 3000 Flight B event.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All of the players under 750 masterpoints will still be able to compete in Gold Rush, 0-750 masterpoint, games at our Regionals and NABCs.

The changes will impact those players participating in mid-flight games at our Regionals and NABC’s. The upper limit will now be 3000 masterpoints. In reality, this will affect less than 4% of our players. If a Regional has a small table count, mid-flight events may not be possible to put on the schedule.

As the person responsible for submitting the motions to add 0-2500 NABC rated two-day pairs and two-day Swiss team events on the Spring NABC schedule as well as working with Management to premiere a 0-2500 NABC rated pairs event at the Las Vegas NABC last fall, I was hesitant to be in favor of this increase. I finally decided it is more important to have these mid-flight games all have a consistent 0-3000 masterpoint level.

The good news is that the 2025 San Francisco NABC Committee was asked if we wanted to add any games to the schedule. I proposed adding a 0-3000 NABC-rated two-day Swiss Team Event to the schedule and ACBL has added it. I hope you will come to the San Francisco NABC and play in both two-day 0-3000 NABC-rated events, if you are masterpoint eligible.

Some of our regionals have 0-2500 mid-flight events and some have 0- 3000 mid-flight events. I think the most important thing I can say is that if it is at all possible, please choose to have mid-flight games on your regional schedules at least some days to give your Flight B players the opportunity
to play in these events as well as open events.

There is a relatively new outlier in the mid-flight events at NABCs. Regionally-rated mid-flight events are all 0-4000 masterpoints. I will encourage you to play in the 0-3000 NABC rated events instead of these games. After all, there are more masterpoints awarded in a NABC-rated game.

I am pleased that we will now have at least four days of 0-3000 NABC- rated events at all three NABC’s going forward. I hope you approve of this change, too.

I would appreciate hearing what you think about these changes or anything else that you would like to discuss. Please feel free to contact me at jackiezayac@gmail.com.

I hope you have an enjoyable summer and I look forward to seeing you at the Philadelphia NABC or the Seaside Regional.

Jackie Z