New USCF Titles

Posted by Chris Irwin of the Lansing Chess Club Saturday, May 29, 2010

New USCF Titles

Titles for the masses! Titles are not just for masters any more. The concept of a norm has been expanded to each class.

Class	Rating	Title
D	1200	4th Category
C	1400	3rd Category
B	1600	2nd Category
A	1800	1st Category
Expert	2000	Candidate Master
Master	2200	Life Master
Sr. Master	2400	Life Senior Master

The idea is to award a player a norm when they achieve an "impressive" performance for someone at that level. Basically whenever someone has a good tournament (for a particular class) they get a norm toward a title in that class. After five norms at or above that class, the title is awarded.

For a tournament to qualify for a norm, it must be at least 4 rounds, must not be quick rated, and cannot be a match. So at minimum, a 5-player round robin at a 61 minute time control would qualify.

For a player to earn a norm at a qualifying event, he can't have played the same player more than once, and has to have achieved a certain score.

The score needed for a norm is calculated based on the post-tournament ratings of your opponents. To get a norm at the 1600 level, you have to score one more point than you would have, if you 1) beat everyone under 1400, 2) scored on average .75 points against opponents rated 1400-1600, 3) scored on average .375 against opponents rated 1600-1800, and 4) scored on average .125 points against opponents rated 1800-2000.

This is the win percentage for an "impressive" performance against different rated players. But you have to have exceeded this win percentage by 1 point over the course of the tournament to earn a norm. The USCF found that 10% of Class B players will receive the 2nd Category title over the course of 5 years of tournament play.


More details on the history, rules, and formula for this new title system can be found here.

These titles were applied to USCF rating history data going back to 1991. You may have already earned a title. Find out if you already have a title here!


These are all life titles, and cannot be lost. Congratulations to everyone.

Posted by Chris Irwin at Saturday, May 29, 2010