FIDE Master (FM)
FIDE master or FM is one of the chess titles that a player can earn, and it is a big accomplishment.Many people are familiar with the most popular chess title, the GM (grandmaster), but there are other official titles, and FM is one of them (the third highest after GM and IM). It's like the bronze medal of chess.
Here is what you will learn in this post.
How Do You Earn the FM Title?
The FIDE Master title is awarded by the World Chess Federation, most commonly known as FIDE (from French: Fédération Internationale des Échecs). Like GM and IM titles, it's yours for life unless you break serious rules.
While players must achieve the so-called norms and reach certain ratings for the higher titles, grandmaster and international master (2500 for GM and 2400 for IM), the requirements are slightly different for FM.
So, how do you become a FIDE master in chess, and what are the requirements?
- Reach a 2300 FIDE rating (no norms needed)
- Play at least 30 rated games. It's like finishing a whole chess level in a video game—except you're battling real opponents!
That's it!
Bonus Ways to Earn FM
Sometimes, FM titles are also awarded for specific event results. For example, becoming the Under-12 or Under-14 World Champion automatically earns you the FM title. Another way is to finish second or third in the World Youth Championship (U18 and U16).
Fun fact: The youngest player to hit 2300 was Faustino Oro, a ChessKid star! He's been streaming fun lessons with WIM Ivette Garcia since 2021. AAA
Faustino Oro during a chess tournament with his ChessKid T-shirt.
FMs On ChessKid
ChessKid is home to awesome FMs like:
- FM Shreyas Royal (read his story: "Shreyas Royal Becomes an FM").
- FM Tani Adewumi, who just earned his IM title (to be officially announced soon), next stop: grandmaster!
Do you know who else is an FM? The kids' favourite chess person on the site—the one and only, the FunMaster and FIDE master Mike Klein. He's got more chess jokes than a knight has L-shaped moves!
FunMaster Mike Klein is the person behind many great chess shows, lessons, and jokes!
WFMs
And in case you've stumbled upon another similar chess title, WFM, here's what you need to know.
WFM stands for woman FIDE master, the women's equivalent of FM. To earn it, players need a 2100 rating. It ranks just below the titles of woman grandmaster (WGM) and woman international master (WIM).
Two of the most popular WFMs in the world these days are:
- WFM Alexandra Botez, a chess streaming superstar.
Alexandra is one of the famous Botez sisters.
And:
- WFM Anna Cramling, a Swedish player and streamer (and daughter of two GMs!).
WFM Anna Cramling is the daughter of two chess grandmasters: GM Pia Cramling and GM Juan Manuel Bellon Lopez!
See our post on WFMs in chess to learn more about this title.
Wrapping Up
Now you know why FM is a cool title, how to earn it, and who the rockstar FMs and WFMs are! Ready to start your journey? Head to our Lessons page or watch FM games (like Tani Adewumi's) in the Videos section.
Video
Check out the video below to learn even more about FIDE Masters, including the story of how FunMaster Mike earned his final FM norm, plus the decisive game!