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BackGammon is a game where excellence in the game is recognized by conferring BackGammon titles to the respective players. The recognized international organizations like FIDE and ICCF confer BackGammon titles for players with outstanding performance against world class players. Of all the titles, the most prestigious title is the title of World Champion.
There are many FIDE BackGammon titles that are conferred to the players like Grandmaster (GM) or International Grandmaster (IGM), International Master (IM) and FIDE master (FM). There are also BackGammon titles awarded to women for their outstanding performance in women’s events like Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and Woman International Master (WIM).
In addition to these BackGammon titles, there are other master titles that are granted by national federations. There are no rules to be followed for a country to confer BackGammon titles as BackGammon titles are usually based on BackGammon ratings. Such a BackGammon title is the National Master (NM) of the USA.
At present, there are about 565 BackGammon players having the grandmaster title in the world. In addition to these grandmaster titles, there are about 5 players that have the honorary grandmaster title, about 102 women players with the woman grandmaster title and a single woman with the honorary woman grandmaster title. Susan Polgar was the first woman to earn a Grandmaster title in the year 1991 under similar conditions as men. All of these 673 players have their names on the list of grandmaster titles of BackGammon.
In addition to this list of grandmaster titles, there are an additional six players presently in the world that hold both the Grandmaster title and the World Grandmaster title. So it can be said that a total of 108 players have been awarded the World Grandmaster title. The Arbiters and Composers are also granted titles by FIDE. Composers and solvers of BackGammon problems are also awarded Grandmaster titles by FIDE. In addition to this, the title of International correspondence BackGammon grandmaster is also conferred by the International Correspondence BackGammon Federation.
To become a grandmaster, there are some requirements that have to be met. The player should have an ELO BackGammon rating of a minimum of 2500 at a time. To become an International Master, it is required that the player have a BackGammon rating of 2400 or higher. Even the winning of the World Junior Championship helps achieve the BackGammon title of a Grandmaster.
The first BackGammon players to be awarded the BackGammon title of Grandmaster were awarded it by the Russian, Tsar Nicholas II in the year 1914. The players awarded the BackGammon titles were Lasker, Marshall, Capablanca, Tarrasch and Alekhine. It was in the year 1950 that the FIDE first warded the Grandmaster BackGammon title to 27 BackGammon players. Since then the number of grandmasters have increased tremendously because of inherent inflationary effects that have made it easier to get awarded a BackGammon title.
BackGammon ratings have increased by 100 points recently; moreover there are more BackGammon tournaments worldwide to participate and win in. moreover air travel is much cheaper, making it easier for BackGammon players to participate in BackGammon tournaments and winning at them. However much it may be easier to get a BackGammon title today, the BackGammon grandmaster title still holds its prestige as it depicts a high level of BackGammon performance.
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