How to become a Grandmaster

What score does a Grandmaster norm need in a nine round event?

The score you need depends on how strong the field is. In a nine round event the Handbook annex ties each score to a band of average opponent rating, and for the Grandmaster title the lowest average it accepts is 2380 B01 1.4.8. A field averaging more than that asks for fewer points.

Take a field that averages 2440 after the floor. The annex asks for 6.5 of 9. Worked out here: that is 72.2% of the games, the rating table adds 166 points, and the performance rating is 2606, which clears the 2600 B01 1.4.8 line. Half a point less gives 2565, which does not.

What score does a Grandmaster norm need over eleven or thirteen rounds?

Longer events count more games, so the bands move up in half points. These are the Grandmaster bands for the two most common longer lengths.

How does the rating floor change a Grandmaster average?

If the lowest rated opponent is under the floor, that opponent counts at the floor when the average is worked out. For the Grandmaster title the floor is 2200 B01 1.4.6. Only that one opponent is lifted, in every game you play against them.

Worked out here: nine opponents, eight rated 2402 and one rated 1900. Counted at their own ratings they average 2346, under the minimum of 2380 B01 1.4.8. With the lowest lifted to 2200 the average is 2380, which meets it. The floor limits how far one weak opponent can lower the average; it does not stop a field of weak opponents from missing the line, and the games against the lifted opponent still count toward your total.

Which opponents does a nine round Grandmaster norm field need?

The mix is counted in opponents. In a nine round event the annex asks for at least 3 B01 Annex, 9 rounds opponents holding GM and at least 5 B01 Annex, 9 rounds holding any title that counts for the Grandmaster mix.

Worked out here: a field of 3 holding GM, 2 holding another counting title and 4 untitled players meets both counts. Trade one of the 3 for a player holding a different counting title and the total of titled opponents is unchanged, but the count of GM falls one short.

How many events will your games add up to?

The total is set by games, not by events. Norms must cover at least 27 games B01 1.5.1, and a single event adds at most 13 games B01 1.7. Worked out here: with nine round events that is 3 events, and with thirteen round events it is 3; two events can add at most 26, so two are never enough.

What the Grandmaster title really measures

The Grandmaster title is a record of performances, not a rating you cross and collect. The rating of 2500 (B01 1.5.3) is the entry ticket, and it only has to have been reached once, published or not. The real work is in the results, against opposition that is itself strong.

In practice the path is a few tournaments in which everything lines up: the score, the strength of the field, the mix of titled players and the mix of federations. A great score in the wrong field does not count. That is why players rated well above the entry level can still wait a long time.

Your norm events must add up to at least 27 (B01 1.5.1) games, and one event counts for at most 13 (B01 1.7) games. A single big open cannot carry an application alone, so expect several events.

Reading the numbers that decide each result

The required performance rating, at least 2600 (B01 1.4.8), comes from your opponents' average and your score, and that average is not the printed one. The lowest-rated opponent is lifted to 2200 (B01 1.4.6) if rated below it, and an unrated opponent counts as 1400 (B01 1.4.6). Only one opponent is lifted, so a long tail of weak players still pulls the average down.

The average has to reach 2380 (B01 1.4.8). A field with a few stars and many weaker players can look impressive and still miss it, so count it the way the rules do before you enter.

The mix is a separate test. At least 50% (B01 1.4.5a) of your opponents must hold a GM, IM, FM, WGM, WIM or WFM title, and at least 1/3 (B01 1.4.5b) of them, and not fewer than 3 (B01 1.4.5b), must be grandmasters. You also need opponents from at least 2 (B01 1.4.3) federations other than your own, with no more than 3/5 (B01 1.4.4) from your own and no more than 2/3 (B01 1.4.4) from any other single one.

Where plans usually fall short

An easy mistake is entering an event for its prestige without checking the mix. A strong Swiss with few grandmasters, or a closed event with players mostly from one federation, can leave you short after a fine tournament. Count titles and federations before you pay the entry fee, and again when the pairings appear.

The next is the event itself. A norm needs at least 9 (B01 1.4.1) games. The exceptions cover some team and cup events and, within a limit, a forfeit win or a bye given by the pairings, but not a bye you request, which can cost a short event its norm. One of your norms must also come from an event with at least 3 (B01 1.1.3) days of one round a day.

Last is the paperwork. Check that the event was registered at least 30 (B01 1.1.1) days before it started, and keep the crosstable and regulations of every event.

Planning a year of events and preparation

Start from the requirements and work backwards. Pick a handful of events where the field and schedule suit a norm, and treat the rest of the calendar as rating and form building. A few well-chosen events usually beat many chosen for convenience.

Prepare for the opposition you will really meet: strong, titled players from several federations. Work on openings for that group and on staying sharp over a long event, and plan rest and travel as seriously as openings.

After each round, update your projected performance rating and the score you still need. The record tells you early when an event has stopped being a norm event.

Where a coach and the free tools fit

A coach helps with two jobs: finding the weaknesses that cost points against strong players, and choosing events that fit the rules. In a first lesson, George reviews your games and builds a plan around the events you intend to play.

Two free tools do the checking. The title requirements checker shows what your whole application still needs, and the title norm calculator takes one event's opponents and results, played or expected, and tests them against the rules above.