Chessforsharks Editorial Team
Our team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers and chess experts with combined 28 years of experience.
What is Sandbagging in Chess?
Sandbagging in chess refers to deliberately hiding your true skill level to gain a competitive advantage. Sandbaggers play below their actual strength to lull their opponent into a false sense of confidence. Why do they do this? This strategy is majorly aimed at winning more prizes at tournaments. If they play in a lower rating…
How To Become a Candidate Master
To become a Candidate Master (CM) in chess, you need to achieve an established classical FIDE rating of 2200. The CM title is awarded by the International Chess Federation, FIDE, to players who are strong candidates for becoming masters. It is ranked below the titles of grandmaster, international master, and FIDE master. Once earned, the title is…
How To Become an International Master
The International Master title is awarded to chess players who are strong but not quite at the level of grandmasters. It was introduced in 1950, along with the Grandmaster title, and is usually abbreviated as IM in chess literature. To obtain the title, a player must achieve three required title norms over 27 or more…
