Norm score

‘How do you become a grandmaster?’

   ‘You must climb the mountain, and defeat the opponent at the top.’

Alas, the answer is not nearly so succinct, and when I get asked the question, I remind myself to spare the finer details. The gist is that you must outperform an ‘average’ grandmaster over the course of an event of around ten classical games. Each time you clear that bar you earn a ‘norm’, and racking up three norms earns you the title. There is no limit on the number of grandmasters in the world, and since their introduction in 1950, a couple of thousand players have attained that level.

By definition, achieving a norm involves surpassing one’s current abilities, which are measured with great precision by the international rating system. As such, it feels far more daunting than passing a test, and countless players have known the frustration of being just one good game away from a norm, only to wilt under pressure in the final game. Titles are highly prized, and even players on the cusp of achieving them may spend years in pursuit of their norms.

One difficulty is that an unfortunate pairing in a typical open event, particularly against an opponent who is rated too low, can significantly hamper your chances. With that in mind, some tournaments are designed to cater to the needs of norm seekers. Such events are played between a select group of players, who can calculate upfront the score they will need to achieve a norm.

The Northumbria Masters, held at the end of August, had traditional sections organised by rating bands, but also two invitational tournaments for those pursuing grandmaster norms or international master norms (the title below grandmaster), each with a dozen players.

These turned out to be an extraordinary success, with six young players achieving international master (IM) norms – Rajat Makkar, Krzysztof Raczek, Borna Derakhshani, Frederick Waldhausen Gordon, Edvin Trost, and Tanmay Chopra.