How do I make an expression inside a select statement without it being returned as column?

I have a number of rows from a database which I want to insert into another database. Since there's quite a few rows I want to use the INSERT .. SELECT ... construct in mysql. The statement I try to run is as follows:

set @rank := 1; set @currpoints := 0; set @currgroupcount := 0; 
  SELECT id, @rank := if( @currpoints = points, @rank , @rank + @currgroupcount )
  AS rank, 
  @currgroupcount := if( @currpoints = points, @currgroupcount +1, 1 ) , @currpoints := 
  points
FROM characters
ORDER BY points DESC , name
LIMIT 0 , 30

The problem is that I can't insert the selected rows into the database when the result has more than two columns. Is there any way I can do these needed increments without returning the expressions as columns? If it isn't possible do you know what i can do as an alternative and still be able to get the performance gain that lies in using the INSERT .. SELECT ... construct?

From stackoverflow

• You could hide the increment using something like:

  SELECT IF(@currpoints := points, id, id)
  

• INSERT
  INTO new_characters (id, name)
  SELECT id, name
  FROM (
    SELECT id,
    @rank := if( @currpoints = points, @rank , @rank + @currgroupcount ) AS rank, 
    @currgroupcount := if( @currpoints = points, @currgroupcount +1, 1 ),
    @currpoints := points
    FROM characters
    ORDER BY points DESC , name
    LIMIT 0 , 30
  ) m
  

• You can certainly achieve what you need by using cursors but there may be a performance hit.