Chess master titles facts for kids
A Master in chess is a player who has earned a special title from the world chess organization, FIDE, or from their country's chess group. This title means they are a very skilled player.
A Grandmaster is an even higher title in chess, given to the strongest players. The word "Grandmaster" comes from an old French term for the leader of a group of Knights. It was first used for a chess player in 1838 to describe William Lewis.
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FIDE Chess Titles
FIDE, which stands for the International Chess Federation, started giving out official chess titles in 1950. These titles show how strong a player is. Once a player earns a title, they keep it for their whole life.
There are specific rules for earning each title, like how many games a player must play and their rating. A chess rating is a number that shows how good a player is compared to others.
Titles for All Players
These titles are open to all chess players, whether they are male or female. They are listed from the highest to the lowest:
- Grandmaster (GM): Players usually need a rating of 2500 or higher.
- International Master (IM): Players usually need a rating of 2400 or higher.
- FIDE Master (FM): Players usually need a rating of 2300 or higher.
- Candidate Master (CM): Players usually need a rating of 2200 or higher.
Titles for Women Players
FIDE also has special titles just for women. These titles are meant to encourage more girls and women to play chess, as there are fewer female players at the top levels.
- Woman Grandmaster (WGM): Players usually need a rating of 2300 or higher.
- Woman International Master (WIM): Players usually need a rating of 2200 or higher.
- Woman FIDE Master (WFM): Players usually need a rating of 2100 or higher.
- Woman Candidate Master (WCM): Players usually need a rating of 2000 or higher.
It's important to know that the rating needed for a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) is lower than for an International Master (IM).
Becoming a Grandmaster
The Grandmaster (GM) title is the highest honor a chess player can get, besides becoming the World Chess Champion. FIDE gives out this title.
Earning the GM title is very difficult. To become a Grandmaster, a player needs to achieve certain "norms" in strong tournaments. A norm means reaching a very high performance level in a tournament. Players usually need to get at least three Grandmaster norms.
Also, the player's own FIDE rating must be at least 2500. Both men and women can earn the GM title if they meet these tough requirements. A player does not have to become an International Master (IM) first, but many GMs were IMs before.
National Chess Titles
As chess became more popular, especially in the late 1800s, some countries started giving out their own national titles.
For example, in Germany, there was a yearly tournament called the Hauptturnier. The winners of this tournament were given the title of Meister, which means "Master." Emanuel Lasker, who later became a World Champion, first earned a master title this way.
The Soviet Union also had its own system of national titles before World War II, including candidate masters, masters, and grandmasters. Other countries in Eastern Europe followed this system after the war.
In the United States, the US Chess Federation (USCF) awards the "National Master" title. This title is given for life to any USCF member who has reached a rating of 2200 or higher. This shows they have a very high level of chess skill.
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