Checkmate your goals: How to become a chess grandmaster

Dreaming of grandmaster status? Here’s how to get there.

If you’ve ever dreamed of joining the ranks of the world’s greatest chess players, then you’ve probably eyed the title of grandmaster. It’s one of the highest honors in the game, and once you’ve earned it, it’s yours for life. But what does it take to get there?

What is a grandmaster?

Chess has been around for over 1,000 years, but the title of grandmaster is newer than you may think! It was first awarded in 1950 by FIDE (that’s the Fédération Internationale des Échecs, or the International Chess Federation). In fact, some of the most renowned players in history were never grandmasters, simply because the title didn’t exist during their time!

Over the decades since its creation, the requirements have changed. Here’s what you need today:

Obtain a FIDE rating of at least 2500. The FIDE rating is calculated using the Elo algorithm—the same one we use to track your progress on Duolingo! But for grandmaster status, it must be a FIDE rating—your rating from other platforms, apps, or federations doesn’t count.
Achieve three grandmaster norms. A norm is a high-quality performance in a FIDE tournament, and there are specific rules for which tournaments apply. For example, they must be for classical chess (the longest chess format), have at least nine rounds, and include international players, and the participants must have an average FIDE rating of at least 2380.

💡In extremely rare circumstances, you can be awarded the grandmaster title from a particularly impressive performance in a single tournament!

How to become a grandmaster

There’s no single formula for becoming a grandmaster, but most of the best players share these five qualities:

Passion: Becoming a grandmaster requires a lot of time, so you have to really love the game!
Dedication: Working your way up to grandmaster is a full-time job, and many start very young—sometimes as early as 5 years old!
Personal style: Every great chess player has their own style, so find yours! Look at Judit Polgár for creative attacks, Mikhail Tal for unexpected sacrifices, Anatoly Karpov and José Raúl Capablanca for control and positional mastery, and Hikaru Nakamura for defensive resourcefulness.
Constant improvement: Analyze your games, learn from your mistakes, and find small ways to improve every time. And remember that your Elo doesn’t always reflect your progress!
Patience and self-compassion: Chess is intense. Be kind to yourself when things don’t go your way!

Other chess titles

FIDE also awards other prestigious chess titles with less demanding requirements than the title of grandmaster. Earning any of these milestones puts you among the best in the game!

Open Women’s Grandmaster FIDE rating of 2500 or above and three norms in qualifying FIDE tournaments FIDE rating of 2300 or above and three norms in qualifying FIDE tournaments International Master FIDE rating of 2400 or above and three norms in qualifying FIDE tournaments FIDE rating of 2200 or above and three norms in qualifying FIDE tournaments FIDE Master FIDE rating of 2300 or above FIDE rating of 2100 or above Candidate Master FIDE rating of 2200 or above FIDE rating of 2000 or above

Players of any gender can compete in open tournaments. Women’s tournaments are exclusive to women, as a way to encourage more women to join a historically male-dominated sport!

For the love of the game

Title or no title, improving your chess game can be a rewarding way to develop stamina, creativity, logic, and problem-solving skills. So, challenge Oscar to a game today!