Chess Titles: What Does It Mean to Be a Chess Grandmaster?

The competitive chess world is built on a hierarchical system, with the best on top. As part of this, FIDE (International Chess Federation) distributes titles such as Grand Master, International Master, and others to top players as a testament to their competency in chess.

A Grand Master title typically indicates that someone has a chess ELO rating of 2500 or more. Actually, achieving the title requires you to check a few more boxes. If you’d like to learn more about how these chess titles are allocated, then you’re at the right place!

What Are Chess Titles?

Chess titles represent a player's position in the game and indicate how strong a player they are. Chess bodies award titles in two broad categories.

1. The International Titles: Awarded by FIDE—the International Chess Federation
2. National Titles: Awarded by chess bodies of respective countries, such as the US Chess Federation, English Chess Federation, and more

Note: In addition to general titles such as GMs and IMs, women can obtain special titles reserved exclusively for them. More on these later.

List of Chess Titles and What They Mean (FIDE Titles)

Let’s look at all the FIDE titles, including the Grand Master title. The Qualification Commission, the final body in the organization with the authority to distribute them, awards these titles for life (but can revoke them if used for dubious purposes).

There are many ways to award these titles. FIDE, through its Qualification Commission, is the final authority on awarding titles. Titles are for life (unless revoked for cheating etc.). There are generally set criteria (like rating and performance) to qualify for a title. However, organizers can recommend a title award for exceptional performances in their tournaments. This recommendation goes to FIDE for approval.

Remember that they only award these titles once you've played at least 30 FIDE-rated games in tournaments. There are a total of 8 FIDE titles, 4 standard and 4 reserved for women.

1. Grand Master Chess Title: What it Means and How to Become a Grand Master

The best and most prestigious title in the chess world (except the world champion title), the GM is the highest title anyone can obtain. Consequently, it is the most challenging title to achieve and often requires an arduous journey for players.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Attain a classical or standard FIDE rating of 2500
• Obtain 3 Grand Master Norms.

Here, norm means performing exceptionally well in a tournament. Yet what does that mean exactly? Here’s a summary of a Grand Master Norm:

• The tournament must have at least 9 rounds
• 1/3 of your opponents must be a GM, and 1/2 must have a title. (CM and WCM are not counted)
• Their average rating must be above 2380, and be from 2 other federations
• Each opponent must have a rating of at least 2200
• You must gather a rating of 2500 before the tournament
• You need to perform at a 2600+ rating

If you check all the boxes, you will earn 1 GM Norm, so you need to repeat this at least 2 times before becoming eligible to get the Grand Master Title.

Additionally, there are many shortcuts to getting this title. These include winning the:

• Women’s Chess World Cup
• Women’s World Championship
• Under 20 Championship
• World Senior Championship
• Continental Championship

Besides this, when someone reaches the Top 16 in the FIDE World Championship, they automatically get the GM title. Please note that in order to get a GM, the player's minimum rating must be at least 2300.

2. International Master Chess Title: What It Means and How to Become an International Master?

This title is second only to the GM title and signifies a player with an extremely strong understanding of chess. Although they’re not the best of all, they are still very good at the game and are often candidates for the Grand Master title. The IM title signifies a player has a rating of 2400 or more. Estimates from FIDE suggest there are around 3,700 active IMs worldwide, which is a small fraction of the millions of chess players globally.

The eligibility criteria are quite similar to Grand Master. Here are the requirements For the IM title:

• Obtain a classical or standard FIDE rating of 2400
• Obtain 3 International Master Norms.

IM Norm here implies a similar condition as explained in the GM Section. But there are a few differences in the FIDE rating. The conditions to achieve an IM Norm in a tournament are:

• The tournament must have at least 9 rounds.
• 1/3 of your opponents must be an IM, and 1/2 must have a title. (CM and WCM are not counted)
• Their average rating must be above 2230, and be from 2 other federations
• Each opponent must have a rating of at least 2050.
• You must have been rated 2400 before the tournament
• You need to perform at a 2450+ rating.

The IM Title

Similar to the GM title, exceptional performances in International Tournaments can also earn you the IM title directly. These are:

• Qualifying for the FIDE World Cup, securing second place in the Women's World Championship, or finishing second or third in the World Junior Championship (U20).¹
• Additionally, top placements in various age and regional championships, such as the World Youth Championship (U18), Continental championships, and Commonwealth, Francophone, or Ibero-American championships, confer eligibility.
• Triumphs in specialized categories like the World Championship for People with Disabilities and Continental over 50 or under 20 championships also qualify for the prestigious IM title.
• Please keep in mind that you must have a minimum rating of 2200 to get the IM title.

GM vs IM Chess Titles

There is no GM vs IM debate, as one is clearly superior to the other. The GM title holds significantly more importance than the IM title. Grand Masters are also much rarer than International Masters, precisely because the title is much more difficult to achieve. Evident by the fact that it is much easier to answer how many grandmasters are there rather than how many international masters are there. (There are roughly 2000 GMs currently worldwide)

Therefore, the opportunities available to GMs are significantly better and abundant as compared to IMs.

3. FIDE Master Chess Titles: What It Means and How to Become A FIDE Master?

The FIDE Master (FM) title is a significant goal in a chess prodigy’s career and is just below the IM title in the general titles (excluding the women's section, the WGM title is higher than the FM title in terms of rating). It recognizes exceptional gameplay, and obtaining it is less complicated than obtaining GM or IM titles. The FM title indicates a player has a rating of 2300 or more.

There are two paths to earn the FM title.

The Rating Path

This is the most common way. You need to achieve a minimum ELO rating of 2300 in official FIDE tournaments. Furthermore, you’ll have to play at least 30 rated games in tournaments to solidify your claim for the FM Title.

Alternative Path

If your rating is below 2300, you can still get the FM title if you’re able to perform well in International Tournaments. Here are some ways to do it:

Winning Championships: Top finishes in specific tournaments can grant you the title. This includes winning the World Youth Championship for Under 14 and Under 12 age groups.

Strong Gameplays: Exceptional performances in Continental Championships (Over 50, Over 65, Under 20, and under 18) can also qualify you. Achieving second or third place can grant the title.

Olympiad Performance: A truly dominant showing in the Chess Olympiad (scoring 65% or more over at least 9 games) can earn you the FM title.

Note: To be an FM, you either:

• Get a rating of 2300 or higher, OR
• Have a rating between 2100 and 2300 but win a specific top achievement in certain tournaments.

4. Candidate Master Title: What It Means and How to Become a Candidate Master?

The Candidate Master title (CM) is a part of the early steps in climbing the ladder to GM. Earning this title signifies a crucial threshold for players, and sets them apart from other players. Earning this title demonstrates a strong potential for the future of most chess prodigies. The CM title indicates a player has a rating of 2200 or more.

Earning the title is quite similar to the FM title. One uses either the rating system or the alternative way of accomplishing it in international tournaments.

The Rating System

It is fairly simple to understand the system for CM titles. All you need is a 2200 FIDE rating and 30 or more rated games.

The Alternative System

There are many other ways to achieve the CM title, most notably the following:

Exceptional Youth Performance: Top finishes (typically 1st, 2nd, or 3rd) in specific World Youth Championships (especially Under 8 and Under 10 age groups) can qualify you for the title.

Strong Continental Showings: Achieving second or third place in Continental Championships for various age groups (like under 12, 14, or 16) can also be a path to the CM title.

Olympiad Success: Another way to qualify is to perform well in the prestigious Chess Olympiad (scoring over 50% points in at least 7 games).

Remember that you can only be eligible for the CM title if your rating exceeds 2000.

FIDE Title for Women

FIDE awards distinct titles to women, alongside the standard titles. There are a total of 4 titles for women, namely:

• WGM—Women Grand Master
• WIM—Women International Master
• WFM—Women FIDE Master
• WCM—Women Candidate Master

Let’s take a closer look at each of these titles briefly.

1. Women Grand Master Title: What It Means and How to Become a Women Grand Master?

Similar to the GM title, the WMG title is exclusive to women and highly prestigious. It is the highest title available in the women’s section and signifies that the player has reached a peak in the game's mastery, placing them amongst the elite players.

In terms of rating, it is next only to the GM and IM titles, respectively. Earning the WGM signifies that the player has a rating of 2400 or more.

Similar to the GM title, earning the WGM title requires the following conditions:

• The player has a rating of at least 2400
• The player needs to obtain 3 WGM norms.

As explained before, norms are for players who perform extraordinarily in a rated tournament. Here are the conditions for obtaining a WMG norm.

• The tournament must have at least 9 rounds.
• 1/3 of your opponents must be WGMs, IMs, or GMs, and 1/2 must have a title. (CM and WCM are not counted)
• Each opponent must have a rating of at least 2000.
• Their average rating must be above 2180, and be from 2 other federations
• Your rating must be 2300 before the tournament
• You need to perform at a 2400+ rating.

There are some alternative ways with which you can obtain the WGM title, such as:

• Winning the World Girl’s Junior Championship
• Winning the Women’s Continental Championship

However, you can only get the title if you have a minimum rating of 2100.

2. Women International Master Title: What It Means and How to Become a Women International Master?

The second highest title exclusive to women, WIM, is a highly sought-after title many female players aim to achieve. It places them among the top players and showcases their ability and skill. The WIM title denotes that the player has a rating of at least 2200.

The requisite to gain the WIM title includes the following conditions:

• Obtain a classical or standard FIDE rating of 2200
• Obtain 3 Women International Master Norms.

The eligibility of WIM norms is explained below:

• The tournament must have at least 9 rounds.
• 1/3 of your opponents must be a WGM, WIMs, GMs, IMs, and 1/2 must have a title. (CM and WCM are not counted)
• Their average rating must be above 2030, and be from 2 other federations
• Each opponent must have a rating of at least 1850.
• You must have been rated 2200 before the tournament
• You need to perform at a 2250+ rating.

Direct ways of obtaining the title are:

• Runner-ups in the World Girls Championship, Junior Championship, U18 and U16 World Youth Champions
• Continental Championship medalists
• U18 Continental and Regional Champions of the women's section

Please remember that the WIM title is given directly to players with at least a 2000 rating.

3. Women FIDE Master Title: What It Means and How to Become a Women FIDE Master?

An early achievement in any female chess player’s career, the WFM title is reserved for players with high potential and sets them up for the path to becoming a Grand Master. Unlike WIM and WGM, obtaining this title doesn’t require any norm and can be earned by just crossing the rating benchmark. The title implies that the player has a FIDE rating of at least 2100.

To earn this title, female players simply have to get a rating of 2100 ELO, in official FIDE tournaments, and must play at least 30 rated games.

The title can be earned directly if the player has a rating of at least 1900 and by:

• Winning the U12, U14, & U16 World Youth Champions
• Winning the U12, and U14 World Youth Champions of the women’s section
• Under 16 Medalist or Winner of the women’s section
• U18 Medalists of the women's section
• Winning the Regional Champions of the women’s section
• Gaining a 65% score in more than 9 games in the Olympiad.

4. Women Candidate Master Title: What It Means and How to Become A Women Candidate Master?

The lowest rank of all the FIDE titles, including the ones for women, the WCM title is the first step in any woman’s career in chess. It indicates that the player has a FIDE rating of at least 2000.

You need to play at least 30 games in a FIDE-rated tournament to be able to achieve this title. Alternatively, the title is given out to players with amazing performances in rated tournaments.

This means any female player who’s a medalist in any Under 18 championship (U12, U14, U16) or a Regional Youth championship is directly awarded the title. However, they must have a rating of 1800 for this to be applicable.

National Masters

Besides FIDE, national chess bodies such as the US Chess Federation or The Chess Federation of Canada also award players in their country with honorary titles. The title of National Master is reserved for the top players of the country.

Since they’re distributed by individual chess bodies of each country, there are no set criteria. Each body works differently. However, as a general rule of thumb, most National Masters have an ELO of 2200.

Final Thoughts

The world of chess is often highly competitive, and for the sole purpose of acknowledging these highly skilled players, this system of FIDE titles was introduced. Earning these titles, especially the GM title can be a significant achievement in any chess player’s legacy and career.

Would you like one of these titles yourself? Then why not train yourself and prepare for a FIDE tournament? From chess sets to guides, get all the resources you need at The House of Staunton now!

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