Grandmaster/Expert Scheme

What do GM and E mean on the ratings lists?

Grandmaster
A player who has five separate post-tournament rankings in the top 10 over a five-year period, or three in the previous 12 months.

Expert
1. A player who has five separate post-tournament rankings in the top 20 over a five-year period, or three in the previous 12 months.
2. A player who has represented New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman Challenge more than once.

Note: Post tournament means post a tournament that a player has actually competed in so that the number of games played will be more than previously. It is not enough to get one qualifying result and then sit out the next few tournaments.

New awards will be made at the end of each calendar year. They will be announced on Slack and in the Summer edition of Forwords. The appropriate letters (GM or E) will be added beside each player’s name in both the online and printed ranking lists. These awards, once achieved, stand in perpetuity. But they will only show up while a player is still on the ranking list.