The Sapphire Program for New Players
An achievement system that recognizes beginners' milestones in bridge, which teachers can point new students toward.
The Sapphire Program is an ACBL achievement system that celebrates the milestones of new bridge players — "your first big steps in bridge, like your first lesson, your first BridgeBattle, and more." It's a natural companion to a beginner class: teachers can point new students toward it to keep them motivated as they progress.
Unlike masterpoints, which reward competitive results, sapphires recognize personal progress across three categories:
- Learn: taking bridge classes at NABCs, completing ACBL Intro courses, or attending Learn Bridge in a Day events.
- Play: playing your first club or online game, winning your first BridgeBattle, or bidding and making your first slam.
- Connect: joining as a Guest Member, converting to Full Membership, referring friends, or attending tournaments.
You don't need full ACBL membership to participate — free Guest Members can start earning sapphires right away. Players receive email notifications or in-game messages as they earn new sapphires.
Getting started#
- Find teachers: my.acbl.org/teachers/directory
- Take a course: acbl.org/portfolio/intro-to-bridge/
- Find a club: my.acbl.org/clubs/directory
- Track progress: Sapphires leaderboard
For support, email membership@acbl.org or use the ACBL Zoom chat (Tuesday–Thursday, 3:30–5:30 pm Eastern).