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Chess encyclopedia
Chess Titles

Chess Titles

Chess titles tell you how good someone is before they touch a piece. GM, IM, WFM—those letters next to a player's name are credentials earned through tournament performance, recognized everywhere the game is played.

FIDE, the International Chess Federation, awards the titles that matter most. Grandmaster (GM) is the highest, followed by International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM), and Candidate Master (CM). Once you earn a FIDE title, it's yours for life.

FIDE isn't the only source. National federations award their own titles, and the FIDE Online Arena—operated by World Chess—offers a path for players who compete primarily online.

What Are Chess Titles?

A chess title is an official credential based on playing strength. When you sit across from a Grandmaster, you know what you're facing without needing to see their games first.

Titles in chess come from three sources:

  • FIDE (international, globally recognized)
  • National federations like USCF, ECF, or the Chess Federation of Canada
  • Online platforms like the FIDE Online Arena

FIDE titles carry the most weight. They require specific ratings and, for GM and IM, tournament performances called "norms" that prove you can compete against international fields.

Importance of Chess Titles

Tournament access. Many elite events are restricted to titled players. No title, no entry—events like Titled Tuesday make this explicit.

Permanent record. Ratings fluctuate after every event. Titles don't. A GM who drops to 2400 is still a GM. The title marks what you've proven capable of achieving.

Professional opportunities. Titled players command higher coaching fees, get hired by chess clubs, and have credibility that untitled players at similar ratings simply don't.

Universal standard. A CM in Cairo and a CM in Canada met the same requirements. FIDE titles work the same way everywhere.

Explore Every Type of Chess Title

Chess Titles Awarded By FIDE

FIDE awards eight titles. Four are open to everyone. Four are for women only.

Open Titles:

Grandmaster (GM) 2500
International Master (IM) 2400
FIDE Master (FM) 2300
Candidate Master (CM) 2200

Grandmaster is the top. Around 2,000 players in the world hold it. You need a 2500 FIDE rating and three GM norms—each one requiring a 2600+ performance rating across at least nine games against international competition, including other Grandmasters. Abhimanyu Mishra became the youngest GM in history at 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days.

International Master has the same structure with lower thresholds: 2400 rating, three norms at 2450 performance. Plenty of strong players spend entire careers at IM level. The gap between IM and GM is where many stop.

FIDE Master requires a 2300 rating, no norms. It's a realistic target for serious club players—hard enough to mean something, possible without going professional.

Candidate Master at 2200 is the entry point. First titled territory. Proof you've moved past casual play.

Chess Titles Exclusively for Women

Woman Grandmaster (WGM) 2300
Woman International Master (WIM) 2200
Woman FIDE Master (WFM) 2100
Woman Candidate Master (WCM) 2000

Women's titles exist to encourage participation in a sport where female players are significantly outnumbered. The thresholds are lower than open titles—a choice that generates plenty of argument within the chess community.

The important point: women can earn any title. These are options, not limits. Judit Polgár never bothered with women's titles. She went straight for the open GM and got it. Hou Yifan holds both WGM and GM. Players with multiple titles choose which one to display.

Online Chess Titles You Should Know

The FIDE Online Arena, operated by World Chess, awards Arena titles for online play. These are real FIDE credentials—they show up on your official profile.

Arena Grandmaster (AGM) 2000
Arena International Master (AIM) 1700
Arena FIDE Master (AFM) 1400
Arena Candidate Master (ACM) 1100

To qualify, you need to hold the required rating for a run of consecutive games: 50 at Rapid, 100 at Blitz, or 150 at Bullet. If your rating drops below the threshold, the count resets.

Arena titles don't require norms and don't separate by gender. They give players who compete online a path to official FIDE recognition without the costs of international travel.

National Chess Titles

National federations run independent title systems. These mean something domestically but aren't recognized by FIDE.

United States (USCF):

  • National Master (NM): 2200 rating
  • Senior Master: 2400 rating
  • Life Master: 300+ games at 2200+

England (ECF):

  • National Master: 2200 ECF rating (roughly 2250 FIDE)
  • Lower tiers include Regional Master, County Master, Club Master

Canada:

  • National Master: 2200 rating plus three tournament performances at 2300+

Requirements differ between countries. Some federations have dropped national titles entirely in favor of FIDE credentials. In the US, where FIDE-rated events are less common, National Master remains a serious goal for competitive players.

Chess Titles: Key Takeaways

  • GM is the peak of chess rankings titles, followed by IM, FM, and CM. Women's titles run parallel at lower thresholds.
  • FIDE titles are permanent. Bad form doesn't erase them. They reflect achievement, not current level.
  • Norms separate GM and IM from the rest. You can't rating-grind your way to Grandmaster. You need qualifying performances in international events.
  • Arena titles are legitimate FIDE credentials for online players, available through the FIDE Online Arena on World Chess.
  • National titles serve their local chess scenes but don't translate internationally.

CM at 2200 or an Arena title is a realistic first target. GM takes years, travel, and the ability to perform under tournament pressure against the best competition you can find.