FIDE vs USCF Titles

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Elon_Crust123
Hello everyone!
I have been playing chess for a couple years and am wanting to start getting serious. I was curious about how I can earn a FIDE or USCF title. Can someone please explain them to me? I am confused on the difference between the two and how a USCF title may be less relevant compared to a FIDE title.
Snowchlobe

i'm not american but england has something similar to USCF.

2200 uscf = national master

2200 fide = candidate master

2300 fide = fide master

2400 fide = international master

2500 fide = grandmaster

Snowchlobe

uscf is easier than fide so CM > NM

Elon_Crust123
Okay, but what time control do I need to earn a title? Could it be rapid or blitz, or just regular. Can it be an online uscf rating or only otb?
Snowchlobe

it needs to be OTB in classical chess. you get some 60+30 games OTB but the most normal time control is 90+30. maybe it's different in america but my shortest ever game was 2 hours.

Elon_Crust123
Thanks! And based off of your understanding of USCF, do people recognize uscf titles as much as FIDE titles?
Snowchlobe

probs an american can answer this better but there's lower USCF titles than NM. it's just that nobody takes those titles seriously xD

people take the NM title seriously though :>

nklristic

USCF titles are national titles, some other nations grant them as well. As far as I know, there are even higher national titles granted by USCF - Life master and Senior Master (which is the highest for 2 400 USCF ads far as I know).

Though usually people having those higher titles probably have FIDE titles in most cases by that point as well.

There is one perk on chess.com for being titled. NM and every FIDE titled player (so CM, FM, IM and GM) gets a diamond membership for free and gets the access of playing in some money events (like Titled Tuesday).

To obtain FIDE titles you have to play in FIDE tournaments. Not every event brings you FIDE points. As previously stated, you have to play classical chess to have a chance of obtaining a title.

Prerequisites for FIDE titles:

CM - 2200 rating

FM - 2300 rating

IM - 2400 rating + 3 IM norms (basically a fixed performance rating of at least 2450 during the tournament which is viable for getting a said norm, the average opponent rating mustn't be too low for instance)

GM - 2 500 rating + 3 GM norms (similar in principle as IM norms but 2600 performance rating during the tournament)

As for rating requirement, it is enough to have it once in your life, doesn't have to be at the beginning of the month, it can be once during a certain tournament. So If someone passes 2 500 during a tournament and then lose a game or 2, it still counts.

There are exceptions to these rules, some people can get these titles automatically on some regional tournaments or if they win some tournament where they automatically get a title.

For instance senior world champion gets GM title automatically if he didn't have one previously.

There are separate women titles as well, with lower requirements (they have prefix W and basically they are 200 rating points lower compared with open titles). There are women for instance that have WGM and at the same time GM title as well, but for WGM they need to have 2 300 rating instead of 2 500.
My apologies for this wall of text, I hope you will find some of it useful.

Elon_Crust123
Thank you for such a detailed response! If I understand it correctly, people recognize FIDE titles of USCF titles, thus it would be optimal for me to go for a FIDE title.

My last question: Dies chess.com give the same perks to USCF titles players?
Honchkrowabcd
Elon_Crust123 wrote:
Thank you for such a detailed response! If I understand it correctly, people recognize FIDE titles of USCF titles, thus it would be optimal for me to go for a FIDE title.
My last question: Dies chess.com give the same perks to USCF titles players?

yes

nklristic
Elon_Crust123 wrote:
Thank you for such a detailed response! If I understand it correctly, people recognize FIDE titles of USCF titles, thus it would be optimal for me to go for a FIDE title.
My last question: Dies chess.com give the same perks to USCF titles players?

Yes, for USCF NM title, you get the same perks on chess.com. That title is more or less equivalent to FIDE CM title.

I am not sure for some other countries NM titles however, but that is not that important for you anyway.

Snowchlobe

Well ECF is a little easier than FIDE at least.

Snowchlobe

I've seen some really bad players with a high USCF rating so I defo think USCF is easier than ECF xD