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Introduction

Chess is a timeless game that’s loved and adored by millions of people around the world and a game in which thousands of people have dedicated their lives to achieving mastery over. There are various levels of success that can be achieved in chess with the highest level being the title of chess world champion. Although it’s not impossible to achieve the title of grandmaster or world chess champion it does require an immense amount of time, effort and study in order to attain such a title which demonstrates a certain level of mastery of the game. There are millions of chess players around the world that love and enjoy playing chess in their spare time but only a small percentage of the global population have been able to achieve the title of grandmaster and an even smaller percentage have been able to achieve the title of chess world champion.

There have been a plethora of chess players throughout the centuries that have demonstrated extraordinary talent in chess however the practice and importance of recording and documenting chess players that exhibit such skill and mastery over the game has only been in practice since the early 20^th century. The advent of the chess governing organisation FIDE in the early 20^th century has made it both possible and much easier for chess players around the world that exhibit extraordinary talent in chess to be recognised for their skills and to be awarded with the title of chess grandmaster and world chess champion. The popularity of chess has massively increased over the past few decades which is mostly due to the ease of access to chess sets as well as the wide variety of chess sites on the internet which allows anyone with an internet connection to be able to play against anyone in the world which has also led to an increase in the amount of chess players around the world that’s able to train and compete for the title of chess grandmaster and world chess champion.

How Many Chess Grandmasters Are There In The World?

According to the chess governing organisation FIDE there are currently 1721 chess players around the world that have achieved the title of grandmaster during their career. Although there are only 1721 chess players that have achieved the title of chess grandmaster it is very likely that there are considerably more chess players that play at the grandmaster level or above as a hobby but have yet to compete in professional tournaments in order to be awarded with the grandmaster title.

There are currently 1721 chess players around the world that have achieved the grandmaster title during their career according to the chess governing organisation FIDE. However this number doesn’t include the chess players that have demonstrated mastery over the game of chess prior to the formation of FIDE in 1924 or the chess players in today’s time that play chess at the grandmaster level and above as a hobby but have yet to be recognised professionally for their talent. It’s very likely that there are considerably more chess players in the world that play chess at the grandmaster level and above but rarely if ever compete in high level chess tournaments or play online chess games in order to be recognised by regulatory organisations such as FIDE. Russia has been one of the strongest proponents of chess for many decades and currently leads the way as the country that has produced the most chess grandmasters having up to 256 chess players with the grandmaster title. The United States of America comes in second in the list of countries with the most amount of chess players with the grandmaster title and currently has 101 grandmasters, Germany is third in the list of countries with the most chess players with the grandmaster title which currently has 96 chess grandmasters, Ukraine ranks fourth in the list of countries with the most amount of chess players with the grandmaster title and has 93 chess grandmasters and India ranks fifth in the list of countries with the most amount of chess players with the grandmaster title with 64 chess grandmasters.

The top five countries with the highest amount of grandmasters in chess makes up 35% of the total number of grandmasters in the world, the remaining 65% of chess players with a grandmaster title in chess is spread throughout the rest of the world. The list of chess grandmasters is constantly being updated as chess players around the world with exceptional talent are consistently being recognised and awarded with grandmaster titles. Although Russia is currently leading the way as the country that has produced the largest amount of grandmasters in chess there are many other countries such as India, China, Ukraine, Iran, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Hungary and Armenia that have seen significant growth in the production of grandmasters in chess. These countries have been able to achieve a significant increase in the production of chess grandmasters due to factors such as an increased investment in chess education and the surge in popularity of chess nationwide which typically leads to greater numbers of individuals playing and developing their skills in chess. Armenia is a great example of the impact promoting chess can have on a population as they have seen a considerable increase in chess grandmasters after making chess a mandatory subject in schools.

Here’s a list of the top 20 countries with the highest amount of grandmasters in chess:

1. Russia – 256
2. USA – 101
3. Germany – 96
4. Ukraine – 93
5. India – 64
6. Hungary – 58
7. Serbia – 58
8. Spain – 56
9. France – 50
10. China – 48
11. Poland – 45
12. Armenia – 44
13. Israel – 43
14. Netherland – 36
15. England – 36
16. Czech Republic – 36
17. Bulgaria – 34
18. Georgia – 32
19. Croatia – 32
20. Cuba – 27

How Hard Is It To Become A Grandmaster In Chess?

Becoming a Grandmaster in chess requires a significant amount of time and effort dedicated to studying and practice in order to develop the necessary skills needed to compete at the highest levels of chess which can take several years to achieve. To become a Grandmaster in chess it’s important to have a thorough understanding of a variety of chess openings and how to both attack with them and defend against an opponent initiating them during chess games.

There are several requirements that have to be met in order to achieve the title of Grandmaster in chess according to the chess governing organisation FIDE who is responsible for electing suitable candidates to be awarded with a Grandmaster title depending on factors such as your ability to achieve a minimum Elo rating of 2500, your success rate in high level chess tournaments, your ability to earn three Grandmaster norms based on your achievements in high level chess tournaments, your level of success in chess games against foreign chess players and your success rate in chess games against other Grandmasters as well as playing a minimum of 27 chess games against other Grandmasters in chess. A norm is a Grandmaster level performance that candidates for a Grandmaster title must exhibit in a FIDE approved tournament and in which candidates for the title must achieve an Elo rating of at least a 2600 over a period of 9 or more consecutive chess games as well as achieving an average Elo rating of at least 2380. Candidates for the Grandmaster title in chess must also play against a minimum of three Grandmasters from a variety of national chess federations in order to qualify for the chance to win the title of Grandmaster. Most countries have their own chess governing organisations along with their own systems of rating chess players although FIDE is the most established and authoritative chess governing organisation in the world.

A Grandmaster title in chess can also be awarded to candidates that are able to reach the final 16 in a FIDE world cup, win the women’s world championships, win the under 20’s world junior championships outright, win the 50+ and 65+ division of the world senior championships outright or win a continental championship. Becoming a Grandmaster in chess typically requires individuals to undertake a considerable amount of time and effort dedicated to studying and practice in order to develop the necessary skills needed to compete at the highest levels of chess which can take several years to achieve. To become a Grandmaster in chess it’s important to have a thorough understanding of a large variety of chess openings as well as the most effective strategies and tactics needed to successfully attack with them and defend against opponents initiating them during chess games. The first chess players to be awarded with Grandmaster titles in chess at St Petersburg in 1914 by the Tsar the Emperor Nicolas II of Russia were Emmanuel Lasker, Jose Raul Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Siegbert Tarrasch and Frank Marshall. The recognition and awarding of the first Grandmaster titles in chess by the Emperor of Russia was one of the most instrumental moments in the history of modern chess which ultimately led to the creation of FIDE and paved the way for the practice of recording and documenting future chess players that exhibited a level of mastery of the game of chess.

What Titles Are Above and Below Grandmaster In Chess?

There are both higher and lower levels of expertise in chess with the highest level being that of world chess champion, below world chess champion is the grandmaster level and beneath the grandmaster title is the international master, underneath the international master is the FIDE master and the lowest title that can be awarded in chess is the candidate master title. Men and women are able to achieve titles in chess however the criteria that men and women have to meet in order to achieve a title in chess differs slightly.

There are five levels of expertise in chess that come with different titles which can be achieved by demonstrating a certain level of mastery over the game and an ability to meet specific requirements during chess tournaments. The five titles that chess players can achieve from displaying their talent during chess tournaments ranked from highest to lowest are world chess champion, grandmaster, international master, FIDE master and candidate master. Men and women are able to achieve titles in chess however the criteria that men and women have to meet in order to achieve titles in chess differs slightly. For example men have to achieve a minimum Elo rating of 2500 in order to qualify for the grandmaster title in chess whereas women have to achieve a minimum Elo rating of 2300 in order to qualify for a grandmaster title in chess, the 200 point difference in Elo ratings for men and women applies to all titles in chess. Although there are slight differences in the requirements women have to meet in order to achieve titles in chess women are still able to be judged by the same standards as men and can achieve open titles such as grandmaster and world chess champion without the need to disclose their gender before their title.

Winning the world chess championship, a grandmaster and international master title in chess are the most difficult as they require chess players to not only achieve a minimum Elo rating that’s considerably high, 2500 for grandmaster titles and 2400 for international master titles but chess players must also achieve a certain amount of norms which are specific performance requirements that’s set by the international chess regulatory organisation FIDE. The chess players that are able to compete in the world chess championships have to first qualify for the candidates tournament which can be done by either performing well during high level chess tournaments such as the FIDE world cup, the FIDE Grand Prix, the FIDE Grand Swiss, having the highest average Elo rating for the year or achieving a runner up position during the previous chess world championship event. It’s also very common for chess tournament organisers to hand pick one chess player to compete in the candidates tournament bypassing the traditional requirements that’s typically needed to qualify for the candidates tournament although there are still specific requirements that these “wild cards” must be able to meet. The criteria that needs to be met for chess players to be awarded with a FIDE master and candidates master title in chess are similar as chess players have to be able to achieve high Elo ratings and or perform well during high level tournaments however achieving norms set by FIDE is not required for these titles.

World Chess Champion (WCC)

World chess champion is the highest title a chess player can achieve and is awarded to chess players after winning the world chess championships which occurs every two years. Chess players that are able to win a world chess championship event are automatically awarded with a Grandmaster title if they have not yet achieved a Grandmaster title in chess already. Winning the world chess championships enables the strongest chess player to wear the crown as the king or queen of chess indefinitely unless they refuse to defend their title or their title is lost to an even stronger opponent in the next world chess championship event. The first ever world chess championship event took place in multiple states in the united states in 1886 between the two strongest chess players in the world, Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort, Wilhelm Steinitz ultimately won the title of world chess champion after winning a series of ten consecutive matches out of a total of 20 games. Prior to the forming of the chess regulatory organisation FIDE in 1948 the world chess championship games was organised by the reigning world chess champion however after the death of Alexander Alekhine in 1946 the responsibility of organising the world chess championships was taken on by FIDE.

Grandmaster (GM)

Grandmaster is one of the highest titles a chess player can obtain which is the title below world chess champion and is awarded to chess players that’s able to demonstrate a certain level of mastery in chess games against other titled chess players. In order to obtain a Grandmaster title chess players have to achieve a FIDE approved minimum Elo rating of 2500, achieve up to three grandmaster title norms over 27 or more games. A norm is a grandmaster level performance that must be obtained by playing in a FIDE approved chess tournament and consists of achieving a performance rating of 2600 over 9 or more games with an average rating of at least a 2380 against at least three Grandmasters and chess players from a variety of foreign national chess federations. After becoming a Grandmaster in chess the title is usually held for life however the Grandmaster title can be revoked in rare instances of fraud or cheating. The first ever official Grandmasters in chess were Emmanuel Lasker, Jose Raul Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Siegbert Tarrasch and Frank Marshall. Currently there are 1721 chess players around the world with Grandmaster titles although it’s very likely that there are more chess players that have yet to be recognised for their talent in chess and considerably more chess players around the world with the potential to obtain a Grandmaster title.

International Master (IM)

International master is the title below the Grandmaster and women’s Grandmaster title in chess and is awarded to chess players that exhibit extraordinary talent in chess but perform at a lower level than the Grandmaster title permits. The international master title as well as the Grandmaster title was introduced into mainstream chess by FIDE in 1950. In order to obtain an international master title chess players must achieve a FIDE approved minimum Elo rating of at least a 2400, achieve three international master title norms over 27 games or more which consists of achieving a performance rating of 2450 over 9 or more chess games with an average rating of 2230. Suitable candidates for the international master title must also play against at least three other international masters or Grandmasters from a variety of national chess federations. Some other ways chess players can obtain an international master title is by qualifying for the FIDE world cup, finishing the women’s world championships, finishing second or third in the under 20’s world junior championships, finishing second or third in the world senior championships in both the over 50 and over 65 divisions, winning the under 18’s world youth championship outright or jointly, winning the under 16’s world youth championship outright, finishing second or third in a continental championship, winning a continental over 50 championship, over 65 championship or under 20’s championship outright or jointly, winning a continental under 18’s championship outright, winning a sub-continental championship, winning a commonwealth, Francophone or Ibero-American championship or winning a world championship for individuals with disabilities. The International master title is unlike other titles in chess as there are many paths individuals can take to obtain the title. Most international masters in chess also have ambitions to become Grandmasters in chess and it’s usually the first title most chess players obtain on their journey to becoming a Grandmaster or world chess champion although it’s also very common for very talented chess players to bypass the International master title completely and achieve a Grandmaster title after performing well in their first high level tournament. There are currently over 3900 chess players around the world that have obtained an international master title in chess.

Women’s Grandmaster (WGM)

Women’s Grandmaster is the title below world chess champion and the Grandmaster title in chess and is a closed title meaning that only women are able to obtain this title. Women’s grandmaster is one of the highest titles that women can achieve in chess next to world chess champion and Grandmaster which was introduced by FIDE in 1976. In order to obtain the title of women’s Grandmaster female chess players have to achieve a minimum Elo rating of 2300, achieve at least two or more title norms over 27 or more games with a performance rating of 2400 or more against other female chess players with a rating greater than 2130 on average. Winning the world’s girls junior championships or other high level chess tournaments such as the women’s continental championship will automatically enable women to obtain a women’s Grandmaster title in chess. Since 2017 women have had to achieve a minimum FIDE approved Elo rating of 2100 in order to be eligible to achieve a women’s Grandmaster title in chess. The women’s Grandmaster title is held for life but can be revoked in rare instance of fraud or cheating much like the Grandmaster title in chess. There are currently only 317 women around the world that have been able to achieve the title of women’s Grandmaster in chess.

FIDE Master (FM)

The FIDE master title is the title below the world chess champion, Grandmaster, international master and women’s Grandmaster title in chess and is awarded to chess players that exhibit exceptional talent in high level chess tournaments but perform at a lower level than the Grandmaster, the international master and the women’s Grandmaster title permits. The FIDE master title and the women’s FIDE master title was introduced into mainstream chess by FIDE in 1978. In order to achieve the title of FIDE master chess players have to achieve a minimum Elo rating of 2300 but unlike the Grandmaster, international master and the women’s Grandmaster title chess players do not have to achieve norms to obtain the FIDE master title. The FIDE master title can also be obtained by chess players with an Elo rating of less than 2300 but no less than 2100 by winning the under 12’s or under 14’s world youth championships, finishing second or third in the under 16’s or under 18’s world youth championships, finishing second or third in the over 50’s, over 65’s, under 18’s or under 20’s world continental championships, scoring 65% or more over at least 9 chess games during an Olympiad, winning an under 12, under 14 or under 16 continental championship or finishing second or third in a commonwealth, Francophone or Ibero-American championship. Achieving a FIDE master title in chess requires a great amount of study and dedication however many chess players that obtain a FIDE master title go on to achieve higher level titles such as women’s Grandmaster, international master and Grandmaster titles by dedicating even more time and effort into improving their skills in chess. There are currently 3982 chess players around the world that have obtained a FIDE master title in chess.

Women’s International Master (WIM)

The women’s international master is the title below the world chess champion, Grandmaster, International master, women’s Grandmaster and FIDE master title in chess and is a closed title that is awarded to women who exhibit a high level of talent during high level chess tournaments. The women’s international master formerly called the international woman master title was introduced into mainstream chess by FIDE in 1950. In order to obtain a women’s international master title female chess players are required to achieve a minimum Elo rating of 2200 as well as three title norms with a performance rating of at least a 2250 in chess games against players with an average rating that’s higher than 2030. Some other ways female chess players can obtain the women’s international master title is by being a runner up in the world girls junior championship, the under 16’s or under 18’s world youth championships or by winning a medal in a continental championship. Champions of the women’s under 18’s continentals and regionals are also eligible to receive the title of women’s international master in chess. Since 2017 women have had to achieve a FIDE approved minimum rating of 2000 in order to be able to bypass the traditional process of becoming a women’s international master and obtain a direct title by performing well during high level chess tournaments. There are currently only 126 women around the world that have obtained a women’s international master title in chess.

Candidate Master (CM)

The candidate master is the title below the world chess champion, Grandmaster, international master, women’s Grandmaster, FIDE master and women’s international master title in chess and is awarded to chess players that exhibit outstanding talent during high level chess tournaments. The candidate master title and the women’s candidate master title was introduced into mainstream chess by FIDE in 2002. In order to be awarded with a candidate master title chess players have to achieve a FIDE approved minimum Elo rating of 2200 or more. There are also several ways chess players with an Elo rating of less than 2200 but greater than 2000 can obtain a candidate master title which include finishing first, second or third in the under 8’s and under 10’s world youth championships, finishing second or third in an under 12’s, under 14’s or under 16’s continental championships, finishing second or third in an under 12’s or under 14’s world youth championships or scoring 50% or more over at least 7 games at an Olympiad or other special events. The candidates master title is similar to the FIDE master title as it doesn’t require chess players to also achieve title norms in order to obtain the title. Currently there are approximately 2000 chess players around the world that have obtained a candidates master title in chess.

Women’s FIDE Master (WFM)

The women’s FIDE master is the title below the world chess champion, Grandmaster, international master, women’s Grandmaster, FIDE master, women’s international master and candidate master title in chess and is awarded to female chess players that exhibit remarkable talent during high level chess tournaments. The women’s FIDE master and the FIDE master title was introduced into mainstream chess by FIDE in 1978. In order to obtain a women’s FIDE master title female chess players must achieve a minimum FIDE approved Elo rating of 2100 or more. There are also some other ways women can achieve a women’s FIDE master title in chess which include: becoming a champion of the under 12’s or under 14’s world youth championships, winning a medal at an under 16’s or under 18’s world youth championship event, becoming a champion of the under 12’s, under 14’s or under 16’s continentals and regionals or scoring 65% or more in over 9 games at an Olympiad. Since 2017 female chess players must also be able to achieve a FIDE approved minimum Elo rating of 1900 in order to be able to bypass the traditional process of becoming a women’s FIDE master and obtain a direct title by performing well during high level chess tournaments. There are currently only 41 women around the world that have obtained a women’s FIDE master title in chess.

Women’s Candidate Master (WCM)

The women’s candidate master is the title below world chess champion, Grandmaster, international master, women’s Grandmaster, FIDE master, women’s international master, candidate master and women’s FIDE master and is awarded to female chess players that exhibit incredible talent during high level chess tournaments. The women’s candidate master and the candidate mater title was introduced into mainstream chess by FIDE in 2002. The women’s candidate master title is similar to the FIDE master and candidate master title as it doesn’t require chess players to also achieve title norms to obtain the title. In order to obtain a women’s candidate master title female chess players must achieve a FIDE approved minimum Elo rating of 2000 or more. There are also many other ways female chess players can achieve a women’s candidate master title in chess which include: receiving a medal in an under 8’s, under 10’s, under12’s, under 14’s or under 16’s world youth championships, receiving a medal in a women’s continental or regional youth championships or by scoring 50% in more than 7 games at an Olympiad. Since 2017 female chess players have had to achieve a minimum FIDE approved Elo rating of 1800 in order to be able to bypass the standard process of becoming a women’s candidate master and obtain a direct title by performing well during high level chess tournaments. There are currently only 22 women around the world that have obtained a women’s candidate master title in chess.

What’s The Difference Between An International Master and A Grandmaster Title In Chess?

The main difference between an international master and a Grandmaster title in chess is the level of skill needed for chess players to achieve each title. The international chess governing organisation FIDE has specific requirements that chess players have to meet in order to obtain each title. The criteria that needs to be met in order to obtain a Grandmaster title in chess is much more complicated than the criteria that needs to be met in order to obtain an international master title.

The process of becoming a Grandmaster in chess is very similar to the process of becoming an international master in that both titles requires chess players to achieve a FIDE approved minimum Elo rating as well as specific title norms which are performance standards set by FIDE. Each title has different performance standards that have to be met over a certain amount of chess games in high level tournaments. In order to obtain a Grandmaster title chess players have to achieve a FIDE approved minimum Elo rating of 2500 or more and achieve three Grandmaster title norms over 9 or more chess games with a performance rating of 2600. In order to achieve the three Grandmaster title norms chess players must also achieve an average rating of 2380 and play against at least three other Grandmasters from a mix of national chess federations. The international master title requires chess players to achieve a FIDE approved minimum Elo rating of 2400 or more and three international master title norms over 27 or more chess games. Achieving the three required international master title norms requires chess players to have a performance rating of at least 2450 over 9 or more chess games and an average rating of at least 2230 against at least three international masters or Grandmaster from a mix of national chess federations.

The Elo rating and average performance rating that’s needed to achieve a Grandmaster title in chess is much higher than the Elo rating and average performance rating needed to achieve an international master title. Obtaining a Grandmaster title in chess also requires chess players to play against opponents with a much higher level of skill and maintain a significantly higher rate of success  compared to the strength of opponents and rate of success needed to obtain an international master title which is one of the main differences between each title. Grandmasters in chess are expected to have much more success in chess games against international masters as they tend to perform at a much higher level. Although international masters are ranked lower than Grandmasters in chess they can still play competitively against Grandmasters and are usually among the most formidable opponents a Grandmaster can play against due to their close proximity in Elo rating and experience in chess. It’s very common for Grandmasters in chess to be paired with other Grandmasters and international masters in chess games both on online chess sites such as chess.com and Lichess.org and offline during over the board chess games at high level tournaments such as the world chess championships and the Olympiad.

What’s The Highest Title That Can Be Achieved In Chess?

The highest official title that can be achieved in chess is the title of world chess champion however there are some chess players that surpass this title by achieving very high Elo ratings. The title of world chess champion is achieved by winning the world chess championships which comes with an automatic Grandmaster title for chess players that have not yet received the title of Grandmaster. There are several ways to obtain a Grandmaster title in chess aside from performing well in high level chess tournaments and winning the world chess championships is one of them.

The title of world chess champion is the highest official title that can be achieved in chess and is awarded to chess players that win the world chess championship games which is a widely celebrated international chess tournament that occurs every two years. There are some chess players that surpass this title by achieving very high Elo ratings although it is very rare and titles higher than world chess champion are not considered to be official or recognised by the international chess governing organisation FIDE who is responsible for awarding chess players with official titles in chess such as world chess champion, Grandmaster and international master. Winning the world chess championship is the most respected title a chess player can officially obtain which comes with an automatic Grandmaster title for chess players that have not yet received a Grandmaster title in chess. There are many ways chess players can obtain a Grandmaster title in chess aside from performing well in high level chess tournaments and achieving the required amount of Grandmaster title norms, winning the world chess championships and becoming a chess world champion is one of them. Open titles such as world chess champion and Grandmaster can be obtained by both men and women and have a higher rank than closed titles which are reserved for female chess players.

The order of rank for open titles in chess from highest to lowest are world chess champion, Grandmaster, International master, FIDE master and candidate master. The order of rank for closed titles in chess from highest to lowest are women’s Grandmaster, women’s international master, women’s FIDE master and women’s candidate master. Although the naming of the open and closed titles have the same description they are not necessarily equal in status for example an international master is ranked higher than a women’s Grandmaster and a FIDE master has a higher rank than a women’s international master even though the names may suggest otherwise. The order of rank for both the open and closed titles in chess are as follows world chess champion, Grandmaster, international master, women’s Grandmaster, FIDE master, women’s international master, candidate master, women’s FIDE master and women’s candidate master. Achieving a title in chess is a considerably difficult feat which is one of the reasons why achieving a title in chess is highly admired proof of this lies in the fact that there are over 600 million people around the world that regularly play chess however less than 16,000 of the 600 million chess players have achieved a title in chess.  

What Is A Super Grandmaster In Chess?

A super Grandmaster in chess is an unofficial title that’s used to distinguish the world’s elite chess players who surpass the Elo rating of the official titled chess players. Chess players who earn the title of super Grandmaster are very rare and have astoundingly high Elo ratings of 2600-2700 and above. There are currently only 40 chess players globally that have achieved the title of super Grandmaster of the 600 million active chess players which is 6.66 x 10^-6%.

The term super Grandmaster is a title that’s used to distinguish Grandmasters in chess that have surpassed the Elo rating of many titled chess players with a high rating of 2500. Chess players who have earned the title of super Grandmaster are very rare and are considered to be the world’s elite chess players. Super Grandmaster is an unofficial title meaning it is not recognised by the international chess regulatory organisation FIDE as an official title in chess but is used casually to refer to Grandmasters in chess that have achieved an Elo rating of 2600-2700 and above. Initially the term super Grandmaster was used to describe chess players with an Elo rating of over 2600 however as the number of chess players that have achieved an Elo rating of over 2600 has increased in addition to the increase of the average rating of the strongest chess players the term super Grandmaster now refers to chess players with an Elo rating that exceeds 2700. According to the updated criteria that needs to be met in order to qualify for the super Grandmaster title currently there are only 40 chess players globally that have achieved the title of super Grandmaster out of the 600 million plus people that actively play chess on a regular basis which as a percentage is 6.66 x 10^-6 percent.

However following the previous metrics of determining the world’s elite chess players that warrant the title of super Grandmaster there are currently up to 198 chess players that have crossed the threshold and have earned the title of super Grandmaster in chess. The number of super Grandmasters in chess has grown considerably over the years which has caught the attention of many prominent figures and organisations in the global sports industry as well as putting a spotlight on chess as a whole. The increase in the attention chess has received over the years due to the increase of super Grandmasters in chess and their accomplishments as well as popular films such as the queen’s gambit has resulted in an influx of capital and investment into the game of chess and chess players. On average, super Grandmasters in chess tend to be among the highest paid chess players in the industry due to their ability to garner the interest of large amounts of people in chess. Some of the most well known super Grandmasters in chess include players such as Magnus Carlsen, Ding Liren, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Viswanathan Anand and Karjakin Sergey.

Here’s a list of the 40 super Grandmasters in chess

Can You Lose The Grandmaster Title In Chess?

The Grandmaster title in chess is a permanent title that’s usually held for life however the title can be taken away in rare instances of fraud or cheating. Instances of chess players earning the title of Grandmaster and having the title revoked is very rare as there are less than five cases of events like this occurring in chess however the emergence of technology and chess engines has caused an increase in these sort of incidents.

The Grandmaster title in chess is a permanent title that’s usually held for life however the title of Grandmaster can be taken away in rare instances of fraud or cheating. Instances of chess players earning the title of Grandmaster and having the title revoked is very rare as there are less than five cases of events such as this occurring in chess however the emergence of technologies such as the internet and chess engines has caused an increase in these sorts of incidents. One of the most notable instances of a chess player earning the title of Grandmaster and having the title revoked is the case of the Georgian chess player Gaioz Nigalidze who earned the title of Grandmaster in 2014 and lost the title in 2015 due to cheating. Gaioz Nigalidze was accused of utilising electronic devices capable of communication and analysis during a chess match which is strictly prohibited by FIDE and resulted in a three year ban in addition to his title of Grandmaster being revoked. In the past chess players losing the title of Grandmaster was almost unheard of in chess and there are virtually no instances of an event such as this happening before the case of Gaioz Nigalidze.

Prior to the age of the internet chess players who earned the title of Grandmaster dedicated an immense amount of time studying, practicing and improving their skills in chess without the aid of chess engines or online chess databases. In order to improve in chess before the advent of technology chess players had to read books on the subject of chess and rely solely on their ability to learn and retain information which is still to this day one of the most effective ways to strengthen ones memorisation skills. In essence, the strongest chess players prior to the age of the internet were the walking chess engines and databases of the time which had a massive impact on their ability to play chess at such a high level. Aside from instances of fraud or cheating the Grandmaster title in chess cannot be taken away even in the case of a Grandmasters Elo rating dropping to levels that were initially required to obtain the title of Grandmaster. This may be due to the belief that once achieving the title of Grandmaster in chess although one’s Elo rating may drop due to a variety of circumstances the potential to play at the Grandmaster level is still present.

Who Is The Best Chess Player In The World According To Statistics?

According to statistics the best chess player in the world is currently the previous world chess champion Magnus Carlsen who is both a Grandmaster in chess by official standards but also unofficially a super Grandmaster who has achieved the highest Elo rating in chess of 2882. Before Magnus Carlsen, Gary Kasparov held the title of the best chess player in the world by achieving a peak Elo rating of 2851 and was also the first chess player in the world to breach the 2800 mark.

According to statistics the best chess player in the world is currently the previous world chess champion Magnus Carlsen who is both a Grandmaster in chess by official standards but also unofficially a super Grandmaster who has achieved the highest peak Elo rating in chess of 2882. Before Magnus Carlsen the best chess player in the world was former world chess champion and super Grandmaster Gary Kasparov who had achieved the then highest peak Elo rating of 2851 in addition to being the first chess player in the world to breach the 2800 mark. The top 20 chess players in the world all have astoundingly high Elo ratings of well over 2700 which has never been seen before in the history of chess and which has also raised the bar of what future chess players must attain or surpass in order to be able to compete at the Grandmaster level. The level of talent in chess has increased massively over the past few decades as more and more chess players with exceptional skills have emerged which is mainly due to the ease of access to the internet and online chess sites such as chess.com, Lichess.org and many others. The ability to utilise chess engines and chess databases for the purposes of study and the development of chess players skills has also had a positive impact on the increase of the talent within chess.

Although the use of technology such as chess engines and chess databases can be problematic in chess especially in cases of fraud and cheating the increase in the pool of talent within chess due to the emergence of these types of technologies is a great example of some of the benefits there are to incorporating technology into chess. Whether it is humanely possible for anyone to surpass the Elo rating of Magnus Carlsen in this decade or if Magnus Carlsen himself can reach an Elo rating of 2900 within the immediate future is a topic that’s frequently debated in chess. One of the main limiting factors that hinders Magnus Carlsen’s ability to achieve an Elo rating of 2900 in the immediate future is the fact that there are not many chess players that are rated close enough to Magnus Carlsen in chess which essentially means that it will take a considerable amount of wins for Magnus Carlsen’s Elo rating to increase significantly whilst drawing or losing games can cause his Elo rating to decrease significantly. Currently the only competitors with a high enough Elo rating that can cause a significant increase in Magnus Carlsen’s Elo rating in the event of a win is artificial intelligence or chess bots such as deep blue, stockfish and alphazero which all have Elo ratings of over 2800. Artificial intelligence has been the strongest opponent for super Grandmasters in chess for many years and made headlines in 1997 after winning against Gary Kasparov who was the chess world champion at the time.

Conclusion

The number of Grandmasters in chess has greatly increased over the years and there are currently over 1700 chess players who have earned the title of Grandmaster. The majority of Grandmasters in chess are men although there has also been an increase in the number of female Grandmasters in chess that have obtained both open and closed titles. Achieving the title of Grandmaster in chess requires an immense amount of dedication, study and practice especially with the advent of the internet which has played an instrumental role in the promotion of chess as it has enabled greater numbers of individuals to have access to play and study chess. There are titles that rank higher and lower than the Grandmaster title with the highest being the world chess champion and the lowest being women’s candidate master. Each title in chess requires chess players to meet specific criteria and the titles with the highest rank have the most conditions that need to be met.

The highest official title that can be achieved in chess is world chess champion although there are also unofficial titles such as super Grandmaster that a handful of chess players have been able to obtain by reaching astoundingly high Elo ratings. The number of chess players that have achieved the title of super Grandmaster is extremely small when compared to the number of people that actively play chess on a regular basis. The number of Grandmasters in chess is considerably larger than the number of super Grandmasters in chess however over the years the level of skill within chess has increased considerably which will likely result in the emergence of a greater number of super Grandmasters. Once the title of Grandmaster has been achieved, it is usually held for life although in rare instances it can be revoked for fraud or cheating which has become less rare in modern times. Currently the best chess player in the world is Magnus Carlsen who has ambitions of achieving an Elo rating of 2900 although many believe it may not be humanely possible, at least in the immediate future for various reasons.