Jumping titles

[Christopher Kreuzer]

There are claims that Kasparov appears in the supplementary grading list that included Banja Luka and his first USSR Championship, as an IM on the basis that the letter 'm' appears next to his name. Does this sound plausible?

[Matthew Turner]

It is impossible to become a GM through the normal criteria without be eligible to be an IM or FM. But you don't have to apply for the lower titles. Most GMs didn't bother with FM, Kramnik went straight to GM.

Kramnik went straight to GM did he? I didn't know that.

The first time I met Kramnik (In Groeningen) he was rated 2570, but I believe he was an FM

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Chris.

I always read Garry was unrated and had no title. I fished around and found

"In 1979, then 16-year-old Garry Kasparov made his first all-GM tournament victory with a final score of 11.5/15, a full two points ahead of the second place. It's noteworthy that, at that moment Kasparov didn’t have an IM or GM title."

Posted by the International Chess Federation.

https://twitter.com/FIDE_chess/status/1 ... 5760911618

I do not have twitter so I cannot see any comments below refuting that claim.

[Mick Norris]

According to Olimpbase Kramnik was an FM when he played in 1992

[Paul Cooksey]

I'm sure that is right. I should have said skipped IM.

[Ian Thompson]

The FIDE website says:

• Kasparov became an IM in 1979 and a GM in 1980.
• Kramnik became a GM in 1992.

[Paul McKeown]

Did the players concerned actually apply for those titles, or has FIDE given them the titles after the fact?

[Andrew Smith]

I skipped the GM and IM titles - I went straight to the FM one

[Jonathan Rogers]

Quite right. And you know, sometimes ordinary people (ie, non-chessplayers) accredit you with the GM title anyway, because they haven't heard of any others. I have a colleague at work who tells everyone that I am a grandmaster even though I never claimed this, and always correct her when she says it. (Maybe not very loudly. It is easier than actually earning it, to be sure).

[Jonathan Rogers]

On topic: I do know some players who did not (perhaps still have not) claimed the FM title, either because they weren't bothered or because they wanted to carry on to IM in the near future in any event. Some repented, some did not. It might have been psychological in some cases, as though claiming FM might somehow make them too comfortable and insufficiently incentivised to keep up the fight for IM. I think it is a "FM thing" though - I can hardly think of people not claiming the IM title because they expect to claim GM, perhaps because the leap from IM to GM is greater than from FM to IM. So, save for players who might play among the world elite one day, even an ambitious and optimistic IM will likely recognise that the GM title will be a while yet in arriving.

[MJMcCready]

Is it possible to go from FM, to GM?

[LawrenceCooper]

Is it possible to go from FM, to GM?

Yes. You would qualify for IM norms in the process of making GM norms but you aren't obliged to claim the title.

[MJMcCready]

Okay thanks, didn't know that.

[Joey Stewart]

Actually, on the same subject, say an FM going for his IM title had three really good tournaments and got three GM norms instead - could he cash them in for the international title or does he now have to go though the huge slog of gaining a 2500 rating to get a title?

[IM Jack Rudd]

He can cash them in for the IM title and then use them again for the GM title if he gets to 2500.