Macieja starts the discussion: new FIDE title, above GM?

In a new blog post on ChessVibes, Polish GM Bartek Macieja started a discussion on a topic that almost any chess player will have discussed at some point with his friends: should we introduce a new FIDE title, above GM? In this article we summarize Macieja's post, which you can read it in full here.

Macieja, who is the General Secretary of the Association of Chess Professionals (ACP), uses the title 'Elite Grandmaster' but says other proposals are welcome. The Polish Grandmaster sees three advantages:

1) this way the currently about 1400 grandmasters will be further differed;
2) grandmasters will be encouraged to further improve;
3) there will be new strong tournaments arising, where norms for the new title can be earned.

Macieja continues by pointing out that it's important to decide

whether we want the number of new title holders to remain more or less constant in time or not.

If the answer is yes, the new title should be based on, for instance, the position in rating. Macieja discusses possible effects, and also certain conditions, to make this possible.

If the answer is no, the new title should be based on a certain level of play, and it will be similar to how the IM and GM titles are constructed.

With this approach, there is a space for even more new titles. 2200 level is associated with CM, 2300 with FM, 2400 with IM, 2500 with GM, therefore new titles may easily be associated with 2600 and 2700 levels. It is also worthy to consider an additional title at 2800 level.

Two of the three benefits mentioned above remain for this approach: also here grandmasters will be encouraged to improve further, and new strong tournaments will arise.

Macieja points out that both approaches will have different consequences for title holders:

- If we choose a system with a stable number of title holders, the title will "only" give a prestige (will inform about best player's achievement(s) in the past).

- If we choose a system similar to current IM/GM, then title holders will be invited more frequently, as organisers will need them for tournaments, in order to secure a possibility to obtain a norm.

As Macieja mentioned at the end of his post, the Association of Chess Professionals will organise a survey on this topic soon. The results will be sent to FIDE Qualification Commission for further discussion.

In a comment below the blog post, TWIC's Mark Crowther has already responded:

The problem then is that just as with the Florencio Campomanes campaign to get as many nations to have a Grandmaster, there will be a campaign to get as many super-Grandmasters as possible per nation. Campomanes achieved his goal by just lowering the standards to become a GM. Sort the GM title out first by pegging the rating required to a qualifying performance sufficient to enter the top 100 (or higher) then maybe you could have a super-GM title where a performance is sufficient to make the top 10 and the title -might- be worthwhile. We shouldn't be in this position, FIDE broke the reputation of the original title and the general public will never understand the subtlety of a new title, that ship sailed more than 20 years ago.

What do you think? Is a new FIDE title above GM a good idea?