--- title: "Woman Grandmaster in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-grandmaster.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-grandmaster" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "Woman Grandmaster is the highest FIDE title in the women's series, earned through WGM norms and a rating of at least 2300." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-international-master.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-fide-master.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/grandmaster.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/norm.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/title-application.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tournaments-ratings-titles.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Woman Grandmaster in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. Woman Grandmaster is the highest FIDE title in the women's series, earned through WGM norms and a rating of at least 2300. 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. The Woman [Grandmaster](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/grandmaster.md) 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](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/classical-chess.md) and are valid for life once confirmed. For the next step down see [Woman International Master](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-international-master.md), and see norm and [title application](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/title-application.md) for the process. Also called: WGM. Compare it with [Woman FIDE Master](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-fide-master.md). 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](https://georgelichess.com/improve.md) show what players near your rating work on. ## Related terms - [Woman International Master](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-international-master.md) - [Woman FIDE Master](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-fide-master.md) - [Grandmaster](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/grandmaster.md) - [Norm](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/norm.md) - [Title application](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/title-application.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to become a Woman Grandmaster](https://georgelichess.com/titles/woman-grandmaster.md): The requirements, each with its FIDE Handbook clause, and a checker for your own numbers. - [FIDE chess titles](https://georgelichess.com/titles.md): How the Candidate Master, FIDE Master, International Master and Grandmaster titles are earned, with every Handbook clause. - [Chess ratings explained](https://georgelichess.com/chess-ratings-explained.md): 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 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B012024 - FIDE Handbook B.01 FIDE Title Regulations, effective 1 January 2024 (Clause 1.5.3), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B012024 - FIDE Handbook B.01 Table for Direct Titles, effective 1 January 2026 (Direct titles table, women's events), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B01DirectTitles2026 [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Woman International Master in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-international-master.md) - [Woman FIDE Master in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/woman-fide-master.md) - [Grandmaster in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/grandmaster.md) - [Norm in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/norm.md) - [Title application in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/title-application.md) - [Chess terms: Tournaments, ratings and titles](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/tournaments-ratings-titles.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)