For questions about the International Master (IM) title, awarded by the FIDE.
Questions tagged [international-master]
8 questions
19
votes
3 answers
Why is Jovanka Houska introduced as a WGM when she holds the more prestigious IM title?
I've been watching the Champions Chess Tour and find it strange that Jovanka Houska is always (at least whenever I am watching) introduced as a woman grandmaster. Now I have absolutely no problem with her holding that title, but she also holds the…
firtydank
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15
votes
1 answer
What is the average age to become a grandmaster?
On average, what is the age of people when they obtain the title of international master or grandmaster? I also wonder how the age distribution looks like.
Maxwell86
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9
votes
2 answers
Why do GMs participate in an "GM norm invitational" tournament?
I'm following the current GM/IM norm invitational tournament recaps thanks to GothamChess YouTube channel (IM Levy Rozman is playing).
Such an event (for GM norms) requires at least 3 (1/3) GMs to participate in the tournament.
IMs obviously…
Déjà vu
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5
votes
1 answer
What is the legend of Ossip Bernstein, who supposedly played chess to save his life?
Wikipedia article reads as following:
A famous story goes that in 1918, after the October Revolution, Bernstein was arrested in Odessa by the Cheka (Bolshevik secret police). He was ordered to be shot by a firing squad because he was a legal…
iammilind
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4
votes
1 answer
Engines tuned to masters’s styles
I saw a stream by IM Eric Rosen where he showed a stronger version of stockfish than the one on lichess.org. He said that it is a version that is given to masters with the evaluation function specifically tuned to their playing style.
Does anyone…
Niels Abildskov
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3
votes
0 answers
How often do strong master level players (2400+) make illegal moves?
In the latest podcast from the Chicken Chess Club, Laurent Fressinet admitted that in his latest tournament, the French rapid and blitz championships, he made an illegal move. He asked the other two podcasters when they last made an illegal move.…
Brian Towers
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3
votes
1 answer
Difference between a grandmaster and an international master?
International chess tournaments are played in many cities in the world. What are the criteria that differentiate a chess grandmaster from a chess international master? Dibyendu Barua of Calcutta [Kolkata] played in London and is a chess grandmaster.…
user37920
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0
votes
4 answers
What are signs of achieving Master strength?
Although even Masters can play very badly at times, especially against other Masters, and apart from ELO ratings, how to you get the feeling that you are definitely of "Master" strength, and no longer of "Expert" strength?
A. N. Other
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