Chess Titles

A list of Chess Titles from the USCF and FIDE,and how to acquire them:
Note: Only OTB chess-playing titles are discussed in this post - not titles given by the ICCF (correspondence chess), FIDE PCCC (problem/composition chess), or USCF Tournament Director / FIDE Arbiter or Trainer Titles).

The US Chess Federation offers several titles, even for class players

USCF Titles and Classes:

US Champion: Given to the winner of the current winner of the annual US Championship (currently US #1 GM Hikaru Nakamura, 2786 FIDE, 2878 USCF)
Senior Master (SM): Established USCF rating of 2400
Life Master (LM): Established 2200+ rating for at least 300 USCF-rated games
National Master (NM): Established USCF rating of 2200
Expert: Established USCF rating of 2000
Class A: 1800-1999
Class B: 1600-1799
Class C: 1400-1599
Class D: 1200-1399
Class E: 1000-1199
Class F: 800-999
Class G: 600-799
Class H: 400-599
Class I: 200-399
Class J: Under 200

USCF Norms-Based Titles: To earn these national titles, you must achieve 5 norms at the appropriate rating level (performance) with certain stipulations.

Life Senior Master (SM): 2400*
Life Master (LM): 2200*
Candidate Master (CM**): 2000*
1st category: 1800
2nd category: 1600
3rd category: 1400
4th category: 1200
*requires an established rating at that level
**should not be confused with the FIDE CM title, which is harder to achieve

FIDE, the World Chess Federation, offers 10 titles for Elite Chess Players

FIDE Titles:

World Champion: The winner of the most recent World Championship cycle (currently Indian GM Vishy Anand, 2780 FIDE)

Grandmaster (GM): 2 ways to achieve the GM title, currently about 1380 living GMs in the world

1. Placing well enough in certain tournaments will provide the GM title: Top 16 in the World Cup, Gold Medal in: Women's World Championship, World Junior U-20 Championship, or World Senior Championship (American GM Larry Kaufman (2358 FIDE, 2408 USCF) earned his title this way in 2008).  There is no minimum rating to earn the title this way.
2. The "traditional" way: Achieving a FIDE published or interim rating at some time of at least 2500 and having three GM "norms" (2600+ performance) in tournaments with extremely specific regulations.  The field the player must face must include at least 1/3 GMs, 1/2 GM/IM/WGM/WIM, etc.

International Master (IM): 2 ways to achieve the IM title, currently about 3500 living IMs in the world

1. Placing well enough in certain tournaments will provide the IM title: Qualifying OTB for the World Cup, Finalist in the Women's World Championship, Gold in your Continental Senior Championship,  Silver/Bronze in the World Junior U-20 Championship, Silver in the World Senior Championship, or =1st (max 3 tied) in your Continental Championship, Continental U-20 Championship, the Commonwealth Chess Championship, your Zonal tournament or Sub-zonal tournament. There is no minimum rating to earn the title this way.
2. The "traditional" way: Achieving a FIDE published or interim rating at some time of at least 2400 and having three IM "norms" (2450+ performance) in tournaments with extremely specific regulations.  The field the player must face must include at least 1/3 IMs, 1/2 GM/IM/WGM/WIM, etc.

FIDE Master (FM): 2 ways to achieve the FM title

1. Placing well enough in certain tournaments will provide the FM title: Playing at least 9 games with at least 66.667% (2/3) score at the Olympiad (13 players received the FM title at the 2012 Istanbul Olympiad), playing at least 7 games with at least 66.667% (2/3) score at the World Team Championship or your Continental Team Championship, playing at least 9 games with at least 50% (1/2) score at your Zonal or Sub-zonal tournament, Gold at the World Amateur Championship, Silver at the IBCA, ICSC or IPCA World Championships, Silver/Bronze at the World Junior U-18 Championship or your U-20 Continental Championship, or =1st (max 3 tied) at World Youth U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10, or U-8 Championships, IBCA, ICSC or IPCA World U-20 Championships, or your Continental U-18, U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10, or U-8 Championships. There is no minimum rating to earn the title this way.
2. The "traditional" way: Achieving a FIDE published or interim rating at some time of at least 2300 (no norms necessary!).

Candidate Master (CM): 2 ways to achieve the CM title

1. Placing well enough in certain tournaments will provide the CM title: Playing at least 7 games with at least 50% (1/2) score at the Olympiad (94 players received the CM title at the 2012 Istanbul Olympiad), the World Team Championship or your Continental Team Championship, Gold at the World School Individual Championship (U-9 and older), playing at least 9 games with at least 40% (2/5) score at your Zonal or Sub-zonal tournament, =1st or Silver at the World Amateur Championship, =1st (max 3 tied) at the Panamerican Youth Chess Festival, Silver/Bronze at the World U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10 or U-8 Championships, IBCA, ICSC or IPCA World U-20 Championships, or your Continental U-18, U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10 or U-8 Championships or Bronze at the IBCA, ICSC or IPCA World Championships.. There is no minimum rating to earn the title this way.
2. The "traditional" way: Achieving a FIDE published or interim rating at some time of at least 2200 (no norms necessary!).

FIDE Women Titles:

Women's World Champion: The winner of the most recent Women's World Championship cycle (currently Chinese GM Hou Yifan, 2605 FIDE)

Woman Grandmaster (WGM): 2 ways to achieve the WGM title

1. Placing well enough in certain tournaments will provide the WGM title: Top 8 in Women's World Championship or Gold in the World U-20 Championship, World Senior Championship, or your Continental Women's Championship.  There is no minimum rating to earn the title this way.
2. The "traditional" way: Achieving a FIDE published or interim rating at some time of at least 2300 and having three WGM "norms" (2400+ performance) in tournaments with extremely specific regulations.  The field the player must face must include at least 1/3 WGMs/IMs, 1/2 GM/IM/WGM/WIM, etc.

Woman International Master (WIM): 2 ways to achieve the WIM title

1. Placing well enough in certain tournaments will provide the WIM title: Qualifying OTB for the Women's World Championship, Gold in your Continental Women's Senior Championship, Silver in the World Senior Championship, Silver/Bronze in the World U-20 Championship, or =1st (max 3 tied) in your Continental Women's Championship, your Continental U-20 Championship, the World U-18 Championship, Commonwealth Championship, IBCA, ISCS or IPCA World Championships, or your Zonal tournament or Sub-zonal tournament.  There is no minimum rating to earn the title this way.
2. The "traditional" way: Achieving a FIDE published or interim rating at some time of at least 2200 and having three WIM "norms" (2250+ performance) in tournaments with extremely specific regulations.  The field the player must face must include at least 1/3 WIMs, 1/2 GM/IM/WGM/WIM, etc.

Woman FIDE Master (WFM): 2 ways to achieve the WFM title

1. Placing well enough in certain tournaments will provide the WFM title: Playing at least 9 games with at least 66.667% (2/3) score at the Olympiad, playing at least 7 games with at least 66.667% (2/3) score at the World Team Championship or your Continental Team Championship, playing at least 9 games with at least 50% (1/2) score at your Zonal tournament or Sub-zonal tournament, Gold at the World Amateur Championship, Silver at the IBCA, ICSC or IPCA World Championships, Silver/Bronze at the World Junior U-18 Championship or your U-20 Continental Championship, or =1st (max 3 tied) at World Youth U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10, or U-8 Championships, IBCA, ICSC or IPCA World U-20 Championships, or your Continental U-18, U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10, or U-8 Championships. There is no minimum rating to earn the title this way.
2. The "traditional" way: Achieving a FIDE published or interim rating at some time of at least 2100 (no norms necessary!).

Woman Candidate Master (WCM): 2 ways to achieve the WCM title

1. Placing well enough in certain tournaments will provide the WCM title: Playing at least 7 games with at least 50% (1/2) score at the Olympiad, the World Team Championship or your Continental Team Championship, Gold at the World School Individual Championship (U-9 and older), playing at least 9 games with at least 40% (2/5) score at your Zonal or Sub-zonal tournament, =1st or Silver at the World Amateur Championship, =1st (max 3 tied) at the Panamerican Youth Chess Festival, Silver/Bronze at the World U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10 or U-8 Championships, IBCA, ICSC or IPCA World U-20 Championships, or your Continental U-18, U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10 or U-8 Championships or Bronze at the IBCA, ICSC or IPCA World Championships.. There is no minimum rating to earn the title this way.
2. The "traditional" way: Achieving a FIDE published or interim rating at some time of at least 2000 (no norms necessary!).