---
title: At what lichess rating in blitz/rapid can you expect to get the title
description: Chess titles have always been a kind of "quality mark" for a player, but how much do these prestigious titles correspond to real playing strength in the online world?
image: https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:tFozYSrY:I33S2POL.webp&w=880&sig=1b91b0a02be241e2be6db244dd35e5c4486fa75b
---

## Introduction

Chess titles have always been a kind of "quality mark" for a player, but how much do these prestigious titles correspond to real playing strength in the online world? To answer this question, I conducted an extensive study, analyzing **4000 randomly selected titled players** on the Lichess platform.

*Research goal:* to identify patterns between official FIDE titles and online ratings, as well as to determine which rating gives real chances of obtaining a coveted title.

**Methodology:** To ensure reliability, I only considered ratings with a deviation less than 85 points, which guarantees relative stability of indicators. Important note: the sample for Classical and Correspondence time controls turned out to be insufficient, so these data should not be considered

## Graph 1: Distribution of Ratings by Titles and Time Controls

![Graph 1: Distribution of Ratings by Titles and Time Controls](https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=0&op=resize&path=ublogBody:A4B4VN0v1ss4:Yva8zbuw.jpg&w=800&sig=354f2a9909b45770ce329db6748c0ca2626d6981)

### Key observations:

* **Hierarchy preservation:** A clear hierarchy is evident across all time controls — Grandmasters (GM) demonstrate the highest average rating, followed by International Masters (IM), FIDE Masters (FM), and so on.
* **Stable distance:** The difference between adjacent titles (for example, between GM and IM) is approximately **100-150 points** in rating, indicating a certain "step" in mastery.
* **Tactical superiority:** In Puzzle ratings, Grandmasters also dominate with an average score of **2662**, confirming the direct link between tactical abilities and overall chess strength.

## Graph 2: Quantitative Distribution of Players by Titles

![Graph 2: Quantitative Distribution of Players by Titles](https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=0&op=resize&path=ublogBody:LAQH1D5GXLmS:2a0v6Piz.jpg&w=800&sig=8aa03d6306e87309f6110ad28c10caf0e16d4091)

### Interesting facts:

* **FM dominance:** FIDE Masters form the largest group of titled players on Lichess — **1257 people**.
* **Balance of IM and CM:** International Masters and Candidate Masters are represented in almost equal numbers — **670** and **634** respectively.
* **Rarity of women's titles:** Women's titles (WFM, WIM, WGM, WCM) and the WNM title are significantly less common on the platform, reflecting the general demographics of chess.

## Graph 3: Comparison of Standard and Women's Titles

![Graph 3: Comparison of Standard and Women's Titles](https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=0&op=resize&path=ublogBody:9cVS0j815pii:pwP7dE0Y.jpg&w=800&sig=89176de585ad35cce8f3aa7e7ec5e6e59372f17a)

### Identified differences:

* **Systemic gap:** In all categories, standard titles demonstrate higher average ratings than their women's counterparts.
* **Scale of differences:** The difference between GM and WGM is an impressive **200-400 points** depending on the time control.
* **Average indicator:** Women's titles require approximately **300 points** lower playing strength than their male counterparts.
* **Low threshold for WCM:** The average rapid rating for WCM is only **2064 points** — a surprisingly low indicator (which may vary depending on the country of title awarding).

> *Note:* Data for classical time control are not considered due to insufficient sample size. For other time controls, the sample is statistically significant.

## Graph 4: Average Rating by Titles and Time Controls

![Graph 4: Average Rating by Titles and Time Controls](https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=0&op=resize&path=ublogBody:hWCLeliyzwgD:k1uMf6pC.jpg&w=800&sig=50be342f27c2ae6a3d3a2f4473e14bcfe0008709)

## Conclusions and Practical Application

My analysis revealed several important patterns between official chess titles and real playing strength on Lichess:

1. **Hierarchy confirmation:** The traditional title ladder (GM > IM > FM > CM > NM) indeed reflects the objective playing strength across all time controls.
2. **Gender gap:** There is a significant difference in ratings between standard titles and their women's counterparts, which corresponds to the differences in FIDE requirements for these titles.
4. **Research limitations:** It should be noted that 4000 players is not an exhaustive sample, and for a more accurate analysis, it is necessary to examine a larger number of profiles.
5. **Practical benchmark:** If your rating in rapid and blitz exceeds **2350 points**, you have real chances of obtaining the CM title in official competitions.

***