The Story of the “Grandmaster” Title in Chess
If you play chess, you’ve probably heard of the title “Grandmaster” (GM). It’s the highest lifelong title a player can obtain (aside from world champion) and signifies international prestige, elite skill, and consistent performance. But this title has not always existed in the way we know it today. Its history spans informal usage, national federations, and finally formal global criteria under FIDE.
Origins and Informal Use
The word grandmaster has been used in English since at least the late 16th century to describe a master of a craft. The first known use of the term in a chess context appears in 1838, when a correspondent in the sporting journal Bell’s Life referred to William Lewis as “our past grandmaster”.
Once achieved the title is held for life though it can be revoked in rare cases of cheating or corruption. To achieve this GM title u need a rating of atleast 2500 at FIDE Chess.
Majority of GM are men but there are some 44 GM womens also out of 2000 Grandmasters in 2025
In short: for many decades, “grandmaster” simply meant a very strong, world‐class player, but there was no formal international title, no clear criteria, and many players of similar strength were just called “masters” or “grandmasters” loosely.
National Usage and the Soviet “Großmeister”
In early in 20 th century this Grandmaster title is often referred as Großmeister .
By the 1920s and 1930s, national federations—particularly the Soviet Chess Federation—started using the term more formally. In 1927 the USSR awarded the title “Grandmaster of the Soviet Union” (Großmeister) to top players; this was abolished in 1931, then re-introduced in 1935 (when Mikhail Botvinnik became the first to receive it under the revived system).
This national‐title usage indicated that federations were moving toward formal recognition of elite players but still, the title had no unified, international regulation.
Formal Establishment by FIDE in 1950
The major turning point came when FIDE the international governing body for chess decided to create official titles with criteria. In 1950, FIDE awarded the first Grandmaster titles. Twenty-seven players were granted the title of Grandmaster in that year, along with 94 International Masters and 17 Woman International Masters.
From that moment onward, “Grandmaster” in chess meant an official title governed by FIDE, awarded for life (barring exceptional misconduct) and based on performance, not merely reputation.
Why the Title Matters?
The Grandmaster title matters because it signifies the highest level of chess skill and achievement, conferring prestige, international recognition, and lifelong status. It represents mastery of the game and is a permanent honor that opens doors to professional opportunities like coaching, tournament invitations, and appearance fees.
Some Interesting Notes & Trivia
Some of the greatest players lived before the era of formal titles (e.g., Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine) and technically never had the GM title, though they were considered grandmasters in spirit.
The informal use of “grandmaster” in the 19th and early 20th century makes it difficult to definitively claim a “first ever” grandmaster the concept is fuzzy before 1950.
The massive expansion of chess and rating systems from the late 20th century onward means many more GMs exist today compared to earlier eras. Some have argued that the title is less exclusive than in the past.
References
https://www.chessworld.net/grandmaster.asp#:~:text=Grandmaster%20%E2%80%93%20Chess%20Mastery%20and%20Elite,or%20above%20during%20their%20career.
https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/1832/why-is-there-a-craze-of-becoming-chess-grandmaster#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20reasons%20why%20people%20might,through%20coaching%2C%20prize%20winnings%2C%20and%20appearance%20fees
https://en.wikipe
dia.org/wiki/List_of_chess_grandmasters
