Candidate Master

Candidate Master (CM) is the entry title in FIDE's open series of over-the-board player titles. FIDE is the International Chess Federation, and open means that any player can earn these titles by meeting the requirements. CM is followed by FIDE Master (FM), International Master (IM), and Grandmaster (GM). Despite the name, it does not mean that the player is waiting for approval to become a master. CM is a complete title in its own right.

The ordinary route is based on reaching a 2200 rating, a number used to estimate competitive playing strength, and does not require norms. For ratings achieved after 1 July 2017, the player must have played at least 30 rated games when that rating is reached. Once the title is awarded, a later rating decline does not remove it.

FIDE also provides direct CM titles for certain results in official competitions. Those cases follow the direct-title table and can use a different minimum rating. A CM's current rating therefore does not, by itself, reveal which route was used to earn the title.