I was recently having a conversation with a friend when he said “He’s an IM, but he already has two GM norms, so he is very close to getting his GM, finally”. We were quickly interrupted by someone overhearing us when he said “I literally have no idea what any of what you just said means.
He was totally right. For a new chess player, this sentence can make no sense.
Chess titles can be confusing, especially for beginners and new players who aspire to advance in the chess tournament world.
One of the main reasons why they can be perplexing is how they vary from one organization to another, and there are MANY of them. So, how to get a chess title?
Chess titles are earned by players by a combination of their rating (Elo) and results from tournaments against well-known players (norms). Along with taking part in the same tournaments, winning in tournaments with a TPR of 2600 that an international arbiter has sanctioned is essential.
Keep reading this post to clear out all the confusion around chess titles, what they mean, and how to obtain them!
What Are Chess Titles?
Typically, a higher chess rating number indicates a stronger player. After the player gets a certain rating level, they are given the FIDE titles. The Elo rating system is the one that is most frequently used around the world.
A lot of chess players will describe themselves as “Class A,” “Class C,” or “Expert” players. The majority of these titles are pretty casual and just based on ratings.
Chess Titles in Order
FIDE Titles
FIDE is your destination if you’re looking for the most prominent titles. The tournaments organized by them need high FIDE ratings, and the higher titles also demand exceptional performance in matches against other top players.
No matter how poorly a player performs, FIDE titles cannot be taken away once they have been granted. (You can also learn about the expiration of Chess Ratings here).
The followings are the FIDE titles and their requirements:
Men FIDE Titles
| Title | What it stands for | Requirements |
| CM | Candidate Master | FIDE rating of 2200 or higher |
| FM | FIDE Master | FIDE rating of at least 2300 |
| IM | International Master | FIDE rating of 2400 and obtaining three IM norms* OR Being the runner-up at the World Junior Championship |
| GM | Grandmaster | Reaching a FIDE rating of 2500 at one point and obtaining three GM norms OR Being the winner of the World Junior Championship |
*You must play a minimum number of GMs and/or IMs in a tournament in addition to achieving a specific minimum rating performance (2600) to qualify for an IM and/or GM norm.
Women FIDE Titles
Women have their own title system. Their requirements are a bit lower than men’s titles. However, any woman can still obtain men’s titles with their requirements.
| Title | What it stands for | Requirements |
| WCM | Woman Candidate Master | FIDE rating of 2000 or more |
| WFM | Woman FIDE Master | FIDE rating of 2100 |
| WIM | Woman International Master | FIDE rating of 2200 and three norms of 2250 performance rating OR Being the runner-up at the World Girls Junior Championship |
| WGM | Woman Grandmaster | FIDE rating of 2300 and three norms of 2400 performance rating OR Being the winner of the World Girls Junior Championship |
*You must play a minimum number of WGMs and/or WIMs in a tournament in addition to achieving a specific minimum rating performance (2400) to qualify for a WIM and/or WGM norm.
USCF Titles
While FIDE gives the most important and prestigious titles, other organizations, such as USCF, have their own titles. Here is the order of their titles:
| Title | What it stands for | Requirements |
| NM | National Master | USCF rating of 2200 |
| SM | Senior Master | USCF rating of 2400 |
| LM | Life Master | a 2200 rating for a total of 300 or more games in his or her lifetime |
The Master Point System
There are six prize categories in the master point system with the following corresponding classes with reference to the USCF rating class system. These categories are as follows:
| Title | Minumum Rating | Requirements |
| English Chess Maestro (Class C) | 1400 | You must play a minimum of 30 games or more during the qualifying 12-month period, with an average posted rating at or above the minimum rating during that time. |
| English Team Master (Class B) | 1600 | You must play a minimum of 30 games or more during the qualifying 12-month period, with an average posted rating at or above the minimum rating during that time. |
| English Club Master (Class A) | 1800 | You must play a minimum of 30 games or more during the qualifying 12-month period, with an average posted rating at or above the minimum rating during that time. |
| English County Master (Category 1/Expert) | 2000 | You must play a minimum of 60 games overall during the qualifying 24-month period, with an average posted rating at or above the minimum rating during that time. |
| English Regional Master | 2100 | You must play a minimum of 60 games overall during the qualifying 24-month period, with an average posted rating at or above the minimum rating during that time. |
| English National Master | 2200 | You must play a minimum of 60 games overall during the qualifying 24-month period, with an average posted rating at or above the minimum rating during that time. |
How to Get a Chess Title?
Each title has its requirements. The common basis of getting any chess title is increasing your rating. No matter what organization you are targeting to get their title, a good starting point is getting more than 2000 points in any rating system.
In order to increase your points, you need to play in official tournaments organized by FIDE or other accredited chess organizations. You need to play against other rated players. The more you win these tournament matches, the higher your rating goes up.
The tournaments’ organizers carefully choose the field of competitors to ensure that the competition complies with all FIDE rules. Players who break the FIDE tournament rules may be prone to strict penalties considering their rating.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Title?
Getting a chess title is not based on time. It doesn’t matter how many years you have played chess in order to win your first title. However, there can be an estimation of how long it might take an average person to get a chess title.
| Title | Estimation of the Time it Takes to Gain It |
| CM | a minimum of 5 years of continuous chess playing in accredited tournaments |
| FM | 6 to 7 years |
| IM | 8 to 9 years |
| GM | 10 to 12 years |
Typically, you need more years to reach higher titles. However, it’s totally governed by individual variations among players. Some people get their first title in 5 years, and others may take up to 10 years to celebrate this victory.
The range is not narrow or certain. It’s all a type of estimation. Realistically, if you keep improving, you can get an ELO rating of 2,000 or more in less than five years of steady play.
Can You Get a Chess Title Online?
You can not get a regular chess title by playing online only. You need to play in physical, rated chess tournaments for that.
However, you can get the special online FIDE titles that they call FAO titles.
Playing FOA-rated games on the FIDE Online Arena will allow you to earn the FOA Title recognized by FIDE. This online title will be displayed on your FIDE profile card. The FOA titles do not vary by sex and apply to both men and women equally, in contrast to over-the-board titles.
The online titles are awarded automatically when a player obtains a specific rating and can keep it up for a predetermined number of games. Once the online title price is paid, the player’s Arena profile will reflect the online title that was requested on his profile page. The player’s FIDE profile card will also display the FOA title.
It is possible for a player to be eligible for more than one title, and they can win either the higher or lesser online title.
Other than that, you can’t get a title just by playing on online chess websites. That’s because online ratings are not that accurate and can’t be compared or affected by your “actual” chess rating in real life.
Whether it’s even worth the effort, time, and money to get an FOA rating is up to you, but I don’t think they are worth it for most people. They may be worth it, however, to those living in locations where they don’t have offline chess tournaments, such as those living very remotely or in areas where chess is not popular.
Can Women Get Non-W Titles?
Women can absolutely get non-w titles. By filling in the requirements of men’s titles in respect of rating points, they can get awarded the typical title.
Women’s title requirements are usually less than men’s title requirements when it comes to the points they have. However, a LOT of women get non-W titles, and this is more true today than ever before.
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