Sporadic USCF Title System

So, does anybody know the actual title system USCF uses now?

A brief history of what I know.

For a long time, it was commonly held that "Expert" was an unofficial title belonging to all players rated 2000+. Then, National Master was a title given to all players 2200+. After that, USCF stopped, and FIDE stepped in for such international titles as FM, IM, and GM.

Then, USCF started having issues. It implemented "categories" and "norms" and added in Bridge titles (they use the same titles) of Candidate Master for 2000+ and Life Master for higher.

And then, here is what is listed on their website:

Q: Can I achieve a title?
A: USCF awards two titles for over-the-board play, National Master which is obtained by reaching a 2200 USCF rating after 26 games and Life Master is obtained by playing 300 games at 2200 or higher. In Correspondence Chess after 25 games you are Established and if your rating is: 2000-2199 the title is Candidate Master, 2200-2399 is Master and 2400+ is Senior Master.

And yet, in their official released report, National Master is nowhere to be mentioned. And I have yet to see a player get the NM title after 2008, although they may be out there (I hope)

So really, my question is: Why the changes? Why the bridge titles? Why the poorly handled announcement and lack of widespread public acknowledgement?

And what happened to the NM title?

Additionally, do any of you from other countries have a similarly mysterious title system?  Or do you use FIDE titles?

National Master simply means you have had an established rating over 2200... 

I think the norms are achieved by achieving a performance rating 200 points above the title for example. A "CM" Norm is achieved for a 2200 Performance rating and a "LM" Norm is acheive for a 2400 performance rating. You need 5 of these norms to receive the title from my understanding.

Maybe they should go by army officer ranks or something similar, or karate...

USCF isn't all that great anyway

Yes, it looks like all the "Category" titles are designed as USCF's way of jumping on the youth entitlement train. Could it be because they are trying to bring more lower rated players into the game?

Nothing USCF does really makes sense to me.

Personally I like the system because it allows lower rated players to feel like they are making substantial progress. Maybe it isnt needed, but it seems to be currently working. If you are high enough to get the real titles then things will work out themselves haha

I dislike the title system, but that's mainly because I was 2194, blundered horribly, and hardly ever have had the free time to play OTB again in my (rather isolated) area.

Also, in general, the present system tends to be contemptuous of "experts" and glorifies "masters" even when the difference in rating might be as small as a few points (or, since you can be a NM even if you fall below 2200, possibly negative points).  For instance, chess.com gives free membership to the latter, promotes the articles of the latter, ranks the latter in the live chess lists above the former regardless of rating (causing the highest listed games to frequently be between two 1900 players with CM/NM titles), and so forth and so on. 

Thus, from my admittedly embittered point of view,the arbitrary cutoff of 2200 for a single title tends to demean those just below and often creates raging narcissists out of those just above. 

But it could be argued that "Ratings" in general are an indicator of whether a lower rated player is making substantial progress. Why do you need an arbitrary set of "titles" to let you know if you're progressing? I doubt anybody can say with any concrete proof that the difference between 1200 and 1400 is so large it merits a seperate title.

I agree, but sometimes it is nice to work towards something larger. I do not think they hurt really. The arrogant people will be arrogant no matter what haha. And If the people on the edge want the next title then they will work for it.

So the consensus is that NM is still a title given out today to anybody over the rating of 2200?

Do they still give a certificate?

Thanks, I will, but there's basically nothing OTB in my neck of the woods (far northern CA).  Sometimes over the summer I play in stuff, but by the time I'm used to the touch move rule again it's Autumn. :)

it's just a number... so much the better that your number is lower if you beat the titled players above that may underestimate you.  this coming from somebody whose uscf live standard rating is 2174.  i play mainly at clubs with a strong core of scholastic players so they tend be underrated more than normal and masters are difficult to find and play where I live although 90 minutes north, east, and south of where i live, they are plentiful.  for some, opportunities are easier, but they exist for most players (especially for younger players with more time and support) such that they have chances for successes.  i see it as if your chess is improving, then the results will bear that out over time.

A 2 year old thread bump?

NM is a true title. They certify it and if you look up a NM, even one who has earned it in the last year or so, and go to his USCF registry page, it'll say he has earned his National Master certificate.

Here's a question: How do the category titles work?  I'm in the 1600's (2nd category) in regular USCF rating, yet I only have a 4th category title on my USCF player page.