An International Master (abbreviated IM) is FIDE’s second-highest lifetime chess title, sitting one rung below Grandmaster. It’s earned by reaching a 2400 FIDE rating and scoring three IM norms, and — like all FIDE titles — it’s granted for life.
An IM is a genuinely formidable player: strong enough to beat grandmasters on a good day, and part of a tiny slice of the top percent of everyone who plays the game. For many, the IM title is the final stepping stone before chasing the GM.
How you earn it
Same two-box structure as the grandmaster title, just with lower thresholds:
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Rating | Reach a peak FIDE rating of 2400 |
| Norms | Earn three IM norms — each is a ~2450 performance rating across at least 9 games against strong international fields, including titled players from multiple federations |
The gap between IM and GM looks small on paper — 2400 versus 2500 — but in practice it’s a canyon. Plenty of excellent players spend a whole career as an IM, because the last 100 rating points and those tougher GM norms are brutally hard to grind out. There’s also a separate Woman International Master (WIM) title with lower requirements; it’s not the same as the open IM.
Related terms
- Chess titles — the whole ladder in one table
- Grandmaster — the rung above · FIDE Master — the rung below
- Elo rating — the number behind the 2400 threshold
- Meet titled players on the famous players hub
- Back to the chess glossary
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between an IM and a GM? A GM needs a 2500 rating plus three (tougher) grandmaster norms; an IM needs 2400 and three IM norms. Every GM was an IM first — it’s the next step up.
Is an International Master a professional? Many are, but not all. The title reflects playing strength, not employment — some IMs coach, stream, or play part-time.
Can an IM beat a grandmaster? Absolutely, and it happens regularly. The rating gap makes a GM the favorite, but a single game is very winnable for a strong IM.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team (AI-assisted, human-edited) · Title requirements verified against the FIDE Handbook and Wikipedia · Last verified 2026-07-13 · Sources · How we verify content.