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From: ray@rochester.UUCP (Ray Frank)
Newsgroups: net.games.chess
Subject: Re: Chess ratings and shoelaces
Message-ID: <13731@rochester.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Dec-85 08:59:52 EST
Article-I.D.: rocheste.13731
Posted: Fri Dec  6 08:59:52 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Dec-85 03:28:09 EST
References: <373@ubvax.UUCP> <13581@rochester.UUCP> <2587@sunybcs.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
Lines: 36

> ["Oboy!  Now's my chance! ... What'll I say to him?"]
> 
> >               Between 2200 and 2400, you are called a chess master.  But,
> > you are not even close to being alowed to tie the shoe laces of the likes
> > of Bobby Fischer, Spassky, Kasp[o]_a_rov, etc.  Between 2400 and 2600 (maybe
> > 2500), you are a grand master.  It is now that you go hunting for big game.
> > After 2600, you are an international grand master.
> 
> In the USCF rating system, 2200-2399 is master, 2400- is senior master.
> The title of Grandmaster is awarded only by the International Chess
> Federation; it does _not_ depend on one's Elo (i.e., international) or
> USCF rating.  The only kind of grandmaster is an international grandmaster.
> -- 
> Col. G. L. Sicherman
> UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
> CS: colonel@buffalo-cs
> BI: csdsicher@sunyabva

Ok, so what????  The point I was trying to make is that there are categories
of achievement above the 2399 rating.  I should have used the term senior
master in place of grand master.  Excuse my blunder.
Technically speaking, the title of grandmaster is not based on one's rating, but
I've never heard of a master with a rating of 2400 being called a grand
master, he/she simply has not or cannot earn the title with that 'low' rating.
This doesn't mean a senior master with a rating of 2400 hasn't been called a
grandmaster, I've just never seen it.  
This title comes from achievment.  With achievment comes a higher rating. Thus,  usually a much higher rating is associated with the title grandmaster.
For example, in the January 1986 edition of Chess Life, it was mentioned that
Maxim Dlugy was just awarded the title of grandmaster at the FIDE congress, his
rating; 2648.

By the way my very informed friend, you forget to mention the category of
Life Master.  What is it you ask?  I'm not 10000000% sure of the details, so
look it up and post it.

ray