Woman Grandmaster
Woman Grandmaster is the highest FIDE title in the women's series, earned through WGM norms and a rating of at least 2300, or through direct results in listed women's events.
Also called: WGM
The Woman Grandmaster title, written WGM, belongs to the women's series of FIDE titles, which also holds WIM, WFM and WCM. A norm toward it is a performance of at least 2400 against opponents averaging at least 2180, with the same style of opponent-mix limits as other norms. The applicant must have reached a rating of at least 2300 at some time and hold norms covering at least 27 games.
For a direct award the minimum rating is 2100, and an applicant below it gets the title conditionally until the rating arrives. Women can also earn the open titles, including Grandmaster, by meeting the open requirements; the women's series sits alongside them and does not replace them.
The Handbook's direct-title table lists several women's events where a medal or a stated score earns the title. Titles are for over-the-board standard chess and are valid for life once confirmed. For the next step down see Woman International Master, and see norm and title application for the process.
Compare it with Woman FIDE Master. Woman FIDE Master is the third title in the women's FIDE series, awarded to a player who has reached a standard rating of at least 2100, without needing norms.
How "Woman Grandmaster" applies to your own results depends on where you stand now, and the improvement plans by rating band show what players near your rating work on.
Related terms
Woman International Master is the second title in the women's FIDE series, earned through WIM norms and a rating of at least 2200, or through qualifying results at certain women's events.
Woman FIDE Master is the third title in the women's FIDE series, awarded to a player who has reached a standard rating of at least 2100, without needing norms.
Grandmaster is the highest title FIDE awards for over-the-board standard chess, earned through a rating of at least 2500 reached at some time together with qualifying norms, or through certain event results.
A norm is a tournament result that meets the FIDE title standard for performance rating and opponent mix; several norms across enough games can earn a title, but one norm alone does not.
A title application is the formal request, made through a player's federation, for FIDE to confirm a title on the strength of norms, a rating level or a direct result.
Guides that go further
How to become a Woman Grandmaster
The requirements, each with its FIDE Handbook clause, and a checker for your own numbers.
How the Candidate Master, FIDE Master, International Master and Grandmaster titles are earned, with every Handbook clause.
What a rating measures, how FIDE, Lichess, US Chess and chess.com compute theirs, and why the numbers differ.
Sources
- FIDE Handbook B.01 FIDE Title Regulations, effective 1 January 2024, Clause 0.3, read Oct 21, 2026.
- FIDE Handbook B.01 FIDE Title Regulations, effective 1 January 2024, Clause 1.5.3, read Oct 21, 2026.
- FIDE Handbook B.01 Table for Direct Titles, effective 1 January 2026, Direct titles table, women's events, read Oct 21, 2026.
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