How to become an International Master

What score does a International Master 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 International Master title the lowest average it accepts is 2230 B01 1.4.8. A field averaging more than that asks for fewer points.

Take a field that averages 2330 after the floor. The annex asks for 6 of 9. Worked out here: that is 66.7% of the games, the rating table adds 125 points, and the performance rating is 2455, which clears the 2450 B01 1.4.8 line. Half a point less gives 2410, which does not.

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

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

How does the rating floor change an International Master average?

If the lowest rated opponent is under the floor, that opponent counts at the floor when the average is worked out. For the International Master title the floor is 2050 B01 1.4.6. Only that one opponent is lifted, in every game you play against them.

Worked out here: nine opponents, eight rated 2252 and one rated 1750. Counted at their own ratings they average 2196, under the minimum of 2230 B01 1.4.8. With the lowest lifted to 2050 the average is 2230, 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 International Master 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 IM or GM and at least 5 B01 Annex, 9 rounds holding any title that counts for the International Master mix.

Worked out here: a field of 3 holding IM or 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 IM or 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 International Master title asks of you

The International Master title is earned by results in norm events, not by rating alone. The rating of 2400 (B01 1.5.3) must have been reached at some time, published or not, and your results have to do the rest. A player can reach the rating and still be some way from the title, because each result is judged on more than the score.

Think of three layers. The rating shows you are strong enough. The performance in each event shows you can play above that level. The mix of opponents shows the performance came from a proper international field, and those last two have to hold together, in the same event.

Because one event counts for at most 13 (B01 1.7) games toward the 27 (B01 1.5.1) game total, the application is always built from more than one event. A norm from a longer event adds more toward the total, up to that cap.

How to read the numbers

Each norm needs a performance rating of at least 2450 (B01 1.4.8) against opponents averaging at least 2230 (B01 1.4.8). The average is worked out after two adjustments: the lowest-rated opponent is lifted to 2050 (B01 1.4.6) if rated below it, and an unrated opponent counts as 1400 (B01 1.4.6). Because only one opponent is lifted, several weak players in a field still drag the average down.

The limits that catch people come from who you play. At least 50% (B01 1.4.5a) of your opponents must hold one of the counted titles (GM, IM, FM, WGM, WIM or WFM), and at least 1/3 (B01 1.4.5c) of them, and not fewer than 3 (B01 1.4.5c), must be international masters or grandmasters. A big open with few titled players can fail this test however well you score.

Your opponents must also come from at least 2 (B01 1.4.3) federations other than your own. No more than 3/5 (B01 1.4.4) of them may come from your own, and no more than 2/3 (B01 1.4.4) from any one other. Some events, such as zonal tournaments, are exempt from these federation rules, but one of your norms must come from an event that is not.

The usual ways a plan falls short

One costly mistake is chasing events with a high average rating and ignoring the title mix. A strong field of untitled players does not meet the opponent test, and nothing fixes that afterwards. Count the titled players and their federations in the entry list before you decide to play.

The second is event length. A norm needs at least 9 (B01 1.4.1) games, and the listed exceptions cover some team and cup events and, within a limit, a forfeit win or a bye set by the pairings. A bye you request is not covered, so in a short event it can cut you below the line. Ask the organizer early how byes are handled.

The third is registration. Check that the event was registered at least 30 (B01 1.1.1) days before it began, since a fine result can otherwise go unused. Keep the crosstable and regulations of every event you play.

Planning a year around the requirements

Build the calendar from the rules. A few events where the field and schedule suit a norm, and where you can arrive rested and prepared, are worth more than a crowded calendar. Leave gaps for recovery and study.

Prepare for titled players from several federations rather than the local opposition you know well. Work on openings against that group, on keeping the balance in long games, and on converting wins against players below you.

Where a coach and the free tools help

A coach is most useful in the games and in the plan. In a first lesson, George goes through your games, finds the habits that cost you points in strong events, and builds a plan for the events you will play.

The free title requirements checker and the title norm calculator are built for the checking step. Use the checker to see what your application still needs, and the calculator to test an event's opponents and results, including games not yet played.