CHESS FEDERATION OF CANADA RATING SYSTEM

By tradition, a player rated over 2200 is called a Master. Only about 1% of all competitive players are Masters. The other traditional classifications are: 2000 - 2199 Candidate Master [Motion 87-8» see GL, October 1986, p. 26]; 1800 - 1999 Class A (or Category I); 1600 - 1799 Class B ( or Category II); 1400 - 1599 Class C (III); 1200 - 1399 Class D (IV); below 1200 Class E (V). The titles of International Master and Grandmaster are awarded by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). They correspond roughly to ratings of 2400 and 2500. The highest rated active player is World Champion Gary Kasparov at 2800, achieved with the January 1, 1990 FIDE list.

Previously, the highest rating ever was Bobby Fischer's in 1972 - 2780. An average competitive player is about 1750; a bright beginner about 1200.