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I have been having discussion on what the deal is with CM + NM titles on another forum. Can anyone clarify for me?
Someone is insisting CM = 2200 and NM = 2100, and along with FM, the CM + NM titles don't require norms. Is this correct?
Apparently your FIDE rating also only has to hit 2200 or 2100 at any point in the tournament and you get the CM or NM (even if your rating falls below required level by end of tournament). This is so long as you or your federation pay whatever fees are involved. Is this correct?
We have 1xCM in Scotland and 0xNM as far as I am aware. Surely we would have more of both if the above were the requirements? Also NM in general seems pretty rare, although I see a lot of them on Chess.Com - is NM possibly a country specific title?
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NM is an American thing as far as I know. Not sure what the deal is with CM.
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There are quite a few players who could claim the CM title in Scotland, myself being one of them, but it costs £75 iirc and I didn't think it was worth the money to apply for it.
NM is an American title which I thought was 2200 level but could be wrong or it might have changed. I don't think it has to be a FIDE-rating either, USCF 2200 attains the NM title.
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Basically neither are real titles. I think NM is auto assigned by the USCF, which tends to have an inflated system anyway. CM is voluntarily claimed from FIDE, if you reach 2200 at any point, in return for a cash sum of course. So in general your average CM will be better than an average NM.
The only real advantage I can see for claiming CM is that you get free lifetime membership to chess.com and I think maybe a couple of other places. It also may have a benefit if you are looking at having a title for coaching purposes. The downside, which is why I have not claimed it, is it tends to be very much frowned upon by most people, and you have to give a lump of money to FIDE for what is essentially a cash cow.
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As Adam says, the CM title is sort of a non-title. It is useless for norm purposes.
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England seem to have a few NM's, along with a whole bunch of other titles which some may be viewed by some as mickey mouse titles?
see <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.englishchess.org.uk/membership/master-points-system/">http://www.englishchess.org.uk/membersh ... ts-system/</a><!-- m -->
I can understand those eligible for a 2200 CM title aspire to bigger and better things and a CM to a steady 2200 may sound more like a 'nearly FM but not quite'. CM seems a good stepping stone to FM and it still requires a high level of chess playing ability? It seems a realistic target for many of our 2100+ players who there is a lot of, and even 2000+. There could be an argument in it for goal and milestone setting. i.e. get CM (tick), get FM next (tick), get IM next and so on.
If it is just £75 as Andy B said, reputational damage to one side for some of the CS big guns, it might be worth it just for the Chess.Com freebie alone with the odd other benefit or to. I'm a massive 350ish FIDE points away from a CM title, but it is a goal I am going to set myself, don't laugh please
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The oldest Scottish grading list I have (1988) lists the following (after the FIDE norms and titles):
SCOTTISH MASTERS: G BONNER, D BRYSON, M BURGESS, M CONDIE, D KOPEC, D LEVY, R MCKAY, C MCNAB, G MORRISON, P MOTWANI, M ORR, C PRITCHETT, C THOMSON (to be ratified), T UPTON
SCOTTISH CANDIDATE MASTERS: M FALLONE, P JAMIESON, S SWANSON, C THOMSON
SCOTTISH MASTER NORMS: A MUIR, A NORRIS
SCOTTISH LADY MASTERS: L HOGARTH, R GIULIAN
SCOTTISH LADY MASTER NORMS: A COULL H MILLIGAN
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine
