Article: 14251 of rec.games.chess.misc Xref: info rec.games.chess.computer:11657 rec.games.chess.misc:14251 Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.computer,rec.games.chess.misc Path: info!dregis From: dregis@exeter.ac.uk (D.Regis) Subject: [The FM title] Message-ID: Organization: University of Exeter, UK. References: <32A74877.3EDE@chessworks.com> <587let$ggj@mark.ucdavis.edu> Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 14:30:49 GMT In article jberry@islandnet.com (Jonathan Berry) writes: >Various people have made estimates, but it is probably fair to >say that the amount of knowledge and research involved in >becoming an International Master is not less than that required >for a PhD. I've long thought that it would have been better >for the status of chess if FIDE had given out "Bachelor" for >FM, "Master" for IM, and "Doctor" for GM. There was a joke in >Britain a few years back that the real-world equivalent of the >FM title was "Mister". When I was at college there was a vogue for using stock chess phrases in conversation about other topics, like "obvious, and good" and "a result of time trouble". I still enjoy doing this ("the Labour Party are trying to occupy the centre; the Tories have counterplay but are finding it difficult to coordinate the offside pieces"). Anyhow, once someone wondered aloud if the title "FM", seen appended to the name of one of our less likable members, meant "Obvious and good Moron" (as in RTFM, "Read The Obvious and good Manual"). Since that day I haven't been able to see "FM" by a player's name without that phrase echoing in my head. Sad but true. From info!dregis Thu Dec 12 11:48:16 GMT 1996