Chess titles are awarded by FIDE for life. Once a player earns one, it stays, even if their rating later drops. The highest is grandmaster, first awarded to 27 players in 1950. There are now about 2,000.
The two top titles need both a rating and norms. A norm is a strong result in one tournament against a strong, mixed field. A grandmaster needs three norms and a rating of at least 2500 at some point.
A GM norm takes a performance rating of about 2600 over at least nine games. At least half the opponents must hold titles and a third must be grandmasters. Their average rating must be at least 2380, and they must come from at least two federations other than the player’s own.
International master works the same way one level down: three IM norms over 27 or more games and a rating of 2400.
The next two titles only need a rating. FIDE master takes 2300 and candidate master 2200.
The women’s titles run 200 points lower: woman grandmaster at 2300 with three norms, woman international master at 2200 with three norms, then WFM and WCM at 2100 and 2000. Women can hold the open titles too, and many top women are full grandmasters.
Some results give a title straight away. Reaching the last 16 of the World Cup makes a player a grandmaster, as does winning the World Junior Championship or the Women’s World Championship.
Titles show up in our coverage as GM, IM, WGM and so on before a player’s name. They show a level a player once reached, while a rating shows their current form.
Original source: Wikipedia
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