The World Chess Federation, FIDE, awards several performance-based titles to chess players. Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and norms (performance benchmarks in competitions including other titled players). Once awarded, FIDE titles are held for life.
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History
FIDE's first titles were awarded in 1950 and consisted of: 27 Grandmasters (GMs), 94 International Masters and 17 International Women Masters. FIDE's first GMs were Ossip Bernstein, Isaac Boleslavsky, Igor Bondarevsky, Mikhail Botvinnik, David Bronstein, Oldrich Duras, Max Euwe, Reuben Fine, Salo Flohr, Ernst Gruenfeld, Paul Keres, Borislav Kostić, Alexander Kotov, Grigory Levenfish, Andor Lilienthal, Geza Maroczy, Jacques Mieses, Miguel Najdorf, Viacheslav Ragozin, Samuel Reshevsky, Friedrich Sämisch, Vasily Smyslov, Gideon Stahlberg, László Szabó, Savielly Tartakower, and Milan Vidmar. In 1957 FIDE introduced norms (qualifying standards) for FIDE titles.[1]
Candidate Master (CM)
The Candidate Master (CM) title is awarded by the world chess governing body, Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE). The most usual way for a player to qualify for the Candidate Master title is by achieving an Elo rating of 2200 or more. Candidate master ranks below FIDE Master, International Master and Grandmaster.
FIDE Master (FM)
FIDE Master (FM) is a title awarded by the world chess governing body, Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE). Introduced in 1978, FM ranks below the titles of International Master and International Grandmaster, but ahead of Candidate Master. The most usual way for a player to qualify for the FIDE Master title is by achieving a FIDE Rating of 2300 or more. The title is open to both men and women who play in international chess competitions. The current title regulations can be found in the FIDE handbook.[2]
The FIDE October 2009 ratings list records 5561 FMs.[3]
FIDE Master titles are also awarded to composers and solvers of chess problems. (see titles in chess composition).
International Master (IM)
The title International Master is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. The title is open to both men and women. Instituted in 1950, it is a lifetime title, usually abbreviated as IM in chess literature. FIDE also awards the lower title of FIDE master (FM) and the higher title of Grandmaster (GM).
Normally three favorable results (norms) in international tournaments involving other IMs and Grandmasters are required before FIDE will confer the title on a player. IMs usually have an ELO rating between 2400 and 2500. Sometimes though, there may be a very strong IM who has not yet become a Grandmaster, over the rating of 2500.
The IM title can also be awarded for a few specific performances. For example, under current rules, the runner up at the World Junior Championship will be awarded the IM title if he or she does not already have it. Current regulations may be found in the FIDE handbook.[4]
After becoming an IM, most professional players set their next goal as becoming a GM, although not all will accomplish this. It is also possible to become a Grandmaster without ever having been an International Master. Larry Christiansen of the United States (1977), Boris Gelfand of Israel (1988), and former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia all became Grandmasters without ever having been an IM. However, the more usual path is first to become an IM, then move on to the GM level.
International Master titles are also awarded to correspondence chess players by the International Correspondence Chess Federation ICCF, and composers and solvers of chess problems (see titles in chess composition).
An International Master is usually in the top 0.25% of all tournament players at the time he or she receives the title.[5] The October 2009 FIDE rating list records 2950 players holding the IM title.[3]
FIDE also awards the Woman International Master title, which has lower requirements than the international master title and is restricted to women. There is no restriction on women earning the title of IM.
Grandmaster (GM)
The title Grandmaster is awarded to outstanding chess players by FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain. Once achieved, the title is held for life. In chess literature it is usually abbreviated to GM. The abbreviation IGM for International Grandmaster can also sometimes be found, particularly in older literature. This title can be awarded to the players above 2500. Vishwanathan Anand, Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik are a few examples of GM's
GM, IM, and FM are open to both men and women. Beginning with Nona Gaprindashvili in 1978, a number of women have earned the GM title. Since about 2000, most of the top 10 women have held the GM title. A separate gender-segregated title, Woman Grandmaster (WGM), is also available, but is something of a misnomer. It is awarded to women who attain a level of skill between that of a FIDE Master and an International Master.
FIDE also awards separate Grandmaster titles to composers and solvers of chess problems, see list of grandmasters of the FIDE for chess compositions.
The International Correspondence Chess Federation awards the title of International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (ICCGM).
Women Only Titles
Woman Candidate Master (WCM)
Please refer to the candidate master of men for information of woman candidate
Woman FIDE Master (WFM)
Woman FIDE Master (WFM) is a chess title awarded by the World Chess Federation FIDE. Restricted to women players, it is the lowest-ranking of the three women's titles awarded by FIDE. The requirements for the WFM title are easier than those for the lowest-ranking unrestricted title, FIDE Master (FM).
The October 2009 FIDE rating list records 995 women holding the WFM title.[3]
Woman International Master (WIM)
Woman International Master (WIM) is a chess title awarded by the World Chess Federation FIDE. Restricted to women players, FIDE first awarded the WIM title (formerly called International Woman Master, or IWM) in 1950.
It ranks below the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title and above that of Woman FIDE Master (WFM).
The WIM title has lower requirements than the FIDE Master title, which is the lowest-ranking unrestricted title. The runners-up to in the World Girls Junior Championship are automatically awarded the WIM title. The current regulations can be found in the FIDE handbook [1].
The October 2009 FIDE rating list records nearly 568 women holding the WIM title.[3]
Woman Grandmaster (WGM)
Woman Grandmaster (WGM) is the highest-ranking chess title restricted to women aside from Women's World Champion. The World Chess Federation FIDE introduced the WGM title in 1977, joining the previously introduced lower-ranking title Woman International Master (WIM).[6]
The WGM title represents a level of chess skill significantly lower than that of the unrestricted Grandmaster (GM) title, and in fact WGM requirements are a little bit lower than the requirements for the unrestricted International Master (IM) title as well. The winner of the World Girls Junior Championship is automatically awarded the WGM title. The current regulations can be found in the FIDE handbook.[7]
Many strong female players hold the IM title in addition to the WGM, and since about 2000 the top 10 women players have been mostly GMs.[8] (The winner of the Women's World Championship is automatically awarded the full GM title if she does not already hold it.[7]) The October 2009 FIDE rating list records 243 women holding only the WGM title and an additional 20 who are full GMs.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Wall, W. "FIDE History". http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7378/fide.htm.
- ^ International Title Regulations - Requirements for the titles designated. FIDE
- ^ a b c d e Download Fide Rating Lists
- ^ FIDE Official Handbook: Title Requirements
- ^ uschess.org
- ^ Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1992), The Oxford Companion to Chess (2 ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 450, ISBN 0-19-280049-3
- ^ a b 1.0. Requirements for the titles designated in 0.31. from the FIDE Handbook, 01. International Title Regulations (Qualification Commission)
- ^ FIDE Top 100 Women
External links
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