Ever thought about becoming a Grandmaster?
I posted an article in the 65th Square segment on the process of becoming a Grandmaster. It is not an article about improving chess skills, but it details the process. Obviously you have to earn norms and this has its own set of challenges. I did not discuss norms in detail, but depending on your field (and playing three GMs) you have to score a minimum number of points.
The lowest average opposition for a GM norm is 2381. For a 9-round tournament, you would need 7/9 and have to play at least three Grandmasters. However, if you play in a round robin where the average opposition is 2600, you would need only 5/9. The stronger the opposition the fewer the points needed for a norm.
It’s much better to play in round robins, but open tournaments are more common. You generally have to have a 2600 performance rating and playing weaker opposition in open tournaments hurts your chances. There is a stipulation that the lowest two opponents’ ratings can be raised to 2250 to help norm chances.
The issue in all of this is finding the opportunities for GM norms. Generally you would have to travel to Europe, but the Middle East and Asia have been organizing strong tournaments in the past few years. America has the World Open, but generally opportunities are limited. This means that more creative organizing is needed.
Thanks for posting this – my students ask sometimes, and I can let them “find this on their own”. 🙂
Daaim –
What’s your take on the “nature vs. nurture” question when it comes to attaining the GM title. Does it require some kind of innate talent, meaning that your brain is literally wired for chess? Or is there a reliable roadmap, that any reasonably intelligent person can follow .. meaning pursuing the training with enormous passion, effective coaching, and most of all, years of hard work.
You’ve seen a number of black players attain international titles through the years .. FM, IM and GM. What does it take?
I agree. Your comments are a good addendum to your original article. From a practical standpoint, a player who has demonstrated strong potential, should go to Europe if possible. The norm opportunities are so much better, particularly if you can get into the First Saturday tournaments in Hungary.
Doing so is certainly quite a investment, or sacrifice if you look at it that way. But if you’re young, perhaps just out of high school, or even undergrad, the timing might work out .. no spouse or kids, and a low “lifestyle” requirement. It’s easier to bum around the low rent way when you are young!
Dr. Kimani Stancil has shared with us on many occasions that his goal is to become a Grandmaster. I am starting to embrace that goal, but I have a long way to go. Thank you for clarifying the process. I find it refreshing that the top 16 in the World Championship are automatically conferred the title, this avoids all the politics and I think something similar should always be the rule, not the exception. A fair fight to see who’s on top, if you will. Also, what do you think of the idea that you should have to ‘maintain’ your title via strong results, just like a PGA Tour golf professional can ‘lose’ his Tour card if he does not produce results. Back to the PGA qualifying school. Many professional accreditations often require periodic recertification or ongoing development credits achieved to maintain the ‘title’. If norms don’t expire, I presume titles don’t expire either, but is this right?
Yes, Daaim has described my task correctly!!! Given the
economic/physical efforts necessary to achieve a GM title,
there is no way it should expire – however, I do like the one
shot approach for titles if your play vastly exceeds your rating.
Based on recent struggles for new GM-elects and IM-elects to
raise their rating to the required 2500 or 2400 FIDE for the titles
when these talents have previously achieved the required number
of norms is a clear problem. In short, the rules(or mathematics) do
not match the circumstance. I strongly believe if you make the
required number of norms or you exceed that number as noted in
IM Stephen Muhammad’s case, that you should be awarded the
title in question. The rating is a physical, social, economic, and
psychological drawback to the title pursuits. Minimally, I think that
norm performances should result in additional rating boosts, that
take in account the difference between the required rating for the
title, and the player’s current rating prior to the norm performance.
Peace,
Kimani A. Stancil