ICCF Titles Requirements

How to achieve an ICCF Title

by George Pyrich (former ICCF Qualifications Commissioner) , updated by Mariusz Wojnar (Deputy Rating Commissioner)

Paper presented below is based on Tournament Rules, article 10, and there the most accurate information can be found.

1. Title Norms [10.1]

As most people will be aware, ICCF awards titles in recognition of players’ achievements! Briefly, qualification for these titles is dependent upon achieving norms (linked to ratings) in ICCF international title events. Listed below are the various ICCF titles with the minimum rating performances required to achieve a norm in each:

2. How Norms are calculated [10.0.1]

Title norms are established by calculating the average rating of all participants at the start of the event in order to determine category of the event e.g. average rating of 2401 is category 7 whereas average rating of 2360 is only category 5. With 15 players at category 7, 8.0 points are required for a norm for the International Master title whereas, at category 5, 9.0 points are required.

Full details of norms for all titles at all categories of tournament are listed in the “Table of Title Norms” (see “International Correspondence Chess Title Regulations”, Appendix to ICCF Tournament Rules). This table describes other requirements dependand upon number of participants (A) and number of games (B), such as minimum number of players not belonging to one and the same federation (C), minimum number of rated players (D) and minimum number of players with a fixed rating (E).

3. Grandmaster (GM) [10.4]

One of the following:

• 1st – 3rd places in World Championship final
• Best result on board 1, Olympiad final (tiebreak if required)
• 2 or more GM Norms – minimum 24 games

Note: At least 5 of the 24 games must be against players who are already GM’s or who have fixed ratings of at least 2600. 2 SIM players each may substitute a maximum of 2 of this quota of GM’s.

4. Senior International Master (SIM) [10.5]

One of the following:

Note: Players who already held IM norms prior to 01.10.2000, or who achieved IM norms in events which started prior to 01.10.2000, may count one such IM norm (maximum 14 games) towards the SIM title.

5. International Master (IM) [10.6]

One of the following:

6. Ladies Grandmaster (LGM) [10.7]

One of the following:

7. International Ladies Master (ILM) [10.8]

One of the following:

• at least 60% in Ladies World Championship final
• at least 60% on board 1, Ladies Olympiad final
• 2 or more norms – minimum 24 games

8. International Arbiter (IA) [10.9]

This is the only award not dependent upon achieving Title Norms!

One of the following: