Sports qualification in Russia is built on the Unified All-Russian Sports Classification (EVSK). From the bottom up the order runs:
Separately there are the international FIDE titles: Candidate Master, FIDE Master (FM), International Master (IM) and Grandmaster (GM). They are awarded under their own rules and do not line up with the Russian categories - these are two parallel systems. On the international ones - FIDE titles and how they are earned.
A norm is a result achieved in an event of a certain level. The mechanism: the player has to score the required number of points against opponents of a certain average rating, having played at least seven games.
Two consequences follow that are worth understanding. First: an event where only beginners play cannot produce a norm - the average rating of the opponents is too low. Second: enough games have to be played, so a three-round blitz at a company party gives no norm however strong the field.
As a guide to levels: the candidate master bar corresponds to a rating of around 2000. The actual norm tables are set by the current edition of the EVSK, which is revised periodically - the latest edition came into force in the summer of 2026. So the exact figures are always worth checking in the current document on the federation site rather than in an article three years old.
| Rating | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | a number, an estimate of current strength | a qualification rank |
| How it changes | after every event, up and down | awarded for meeting a norm |
| Can it be lost | yes, it falls after bad results | no, it is kept for good |
| Validity | permanent, updated in the lists | some categories have to be confirmed periodically |
| Who keeps it | the federation, in the rating lists | the federation, by decree of award |
In practice the two are connected: a norm is calculated through the average rating of the opponents, and ratings rise faster for people who play in events of the right level. But they should not be confused - «my rating is 2000» and «I am a candidate master» are different statements.
The usual sequence:
The practical point people forget: the papers are submitted by the player or their coach, not by the tournament automatically. If the certificate is not collected, the norm that was met stays a line in a crosstable.
The event has to be official: registered with the federation, submitted for rating, run by a certified arbiter and reported correctly. Check four things.
If your event is a friendly one and gives no norms, that is fine, and it is worth saying so plainly in the announcement. People ask about ranks often, and an honest «this is a casual event, it is not rated» saves a lot of misunderstanding.
The junior categories are the main motivator in children's chess: a comprehensible ladder where each step is reachable within a season. They are earned at school, district and city championships, and at club events if those are submitted for rating.
An organizer of a children's event should decide in advance whether it will be rated. If it will, prepare for it as for an official event: registration, an arbiter, paperwork. If it will not, put the emphasis elsewhere: certificates for everybody, special prizes, a team score between classes. Formats - a tournament at school and in the classroom.
Junior third, second and first; adult third, second and first; Candidate Master of Sport; Master of Sport of Russia; Grandmaster of Russia and Master of Sport of International Class. In parallel there are the international FIDE titles: FM, IM and GM.
Produce the required result in an official event: score the required points against a certain average rating of opponents, having played at least seven games. The actual figures are set by the current edition of the EVSK.
The candidate master bar corresponds to roughly 2000 rating points. But the category is awarded for meeting a norm, not automatically on reaching a rating.
A rating is a number that changes after every event and can fall. A category is a qualification rank awarded by decree for meeting a norm, and it is not taken away after later setbacks.
Not unless the event is registered with the federation and submitted for rating. On top of that a norm requires at least seven games and a sufficient average rating of opponents - an evening of blitz does not meet those conditions.
It is formalised by decree of the authorised body on submission of the papers: the final crosstable and a certificate that the norm was met. They have to be submitted by the player or their coach - it does not happen automatically.
Pairings are computed by bbpPairings, an open-source engine implementing the Dutch system by FIDE rules: score groups, floats on an odd field, colour alternation. Free to use.
The bot is constantly improved based on real tournaments. If you need a feature that isn't there yet, message the developers right inside the bot with the /support command. Many features appeared exactly because organizers asked for them, and useful ideas get added quickly.
How playing strength is measured - the Elo rating, performance rating. Rated events - the FSHR rating and FIDE-rated tournaments. Requirements - the FIDE regulations.
At the board since childhood: hazy about his rating, precise about every rook he has blundered. Counts an evening as a good one if the opponent stayed to talk afterwards instead of rushing off to check with an engine. Message →
