National Titles / Master Points System

Why register for English Master titles?
All title holders receive an ECF certificate in recognition of their achievement, and are registered with their highest National title on the ECF Master Titles web page until/ unless they achive a higher level International/ FIDE title. The highest level title achieved (NM or above including International FIDE titles) will also appear on your ECF rating record. All holders of the ECF National Master title may also apply to get their English Chess Federation title added to their Chess.com or Lichess.org account (as with FIDE OTB titles). As with FIDE titles, the ECF NM title will then allow you to play in the Chess.com Titled Tuesday online event and/or the series of Lichess Titled Arenas.

Master Points Titles
There are six categories of award with equivalent classes as below (with reference to  the USCF rating class system)

English National Master – minimum rating 2200 ECF standardplay
The player must maintain an average listed rating at, or above, the minimum rating for a period of 12 months, with a total game count of 30 games or more in the 24-month qualifying period.
English Regional Master – minimum rating 2100 ECF standardplay
The player must maintain an average listed rating at, or above, the minimum rating for a period of 12 months, with a total game count of 30 or more games in the 24-month qualifying period.

English County Master (Category 1/Expert) – minimum rating 2000 ECF standardplay
The player must maintain an average listed rating at, or above, the minimum rating for a period of 12 months, with a total game count of 30 games or more in the 24-month qualifying period.
English Club Master (Class A) – minimum rating 1800 ECF standardplay
The player must maintain an average listed rating at, or above, the minimum rating for a period of 12 months, with a total game count of 30 games or more in the 12-month qualifying period.
English Team Master (Class B) – minimum rating 1600 ECF standardplay
The player must reach the minimum listed rating as an average over a 12 month period, with a total game count of 30 games or more in the 12-month qualifying period.
English Chess Maestro (Class C) – minimum rating 1400 ECF standardplay
The player must reach the minimum listed rating as an average over a 12 month period, with a total game count of 30 games or more in the 12-month qualifying period.

Historic grading and/or rating lists for the relevant period may be used, providing evidence is provided to allow a claim to be checked. The qualifying criterion is that rating list entries must be for a single contiguous period, with a sustained performance at or above the rating for each 12-month period. In addition, and as indicated, the results must be based on 30 or more games in the year for a 12-month qualifying period, or 60 or more games in the two years for a 24-month qualfying period, for the relevant titles. The formula for converting ECF three-digit grades to Elo 4-digit ratings is – 7.5 x ECF+700 = Elo.

The fee for registering titles is £5.00 for the Chess Maestro, Team Master and Club Master titles and £10.00 for County Master, Regional Master and National Master titles. Apply online here —

Apply online

Roll of Honour

English National Master (2200+)
Please note – National Master is not a FIDE recognised title, but is awarded by a number of the larger Federations, including the ECF, and is generally based on OTB performance over 2200 Elo.
An NM title will be recognised by Chess.com or Lichess.org, and can be shown on a player’s online profile. The NM title should allow you to take part in Chess.com’s Titled Tuesday events or Lichess Titled Arenas alongside those with FIDE awarded titles.

Current holders of the ECF’s National Master title are listed below —

Name Award date Rating code
Paul R Bielby 4th December 2013 106717F
Thomas Bonn
18th January 2024
313669D
Callum Brewer
7th July 2023
283327L
Christopher Briscoe December 2012 107290A
Thomas Carroll 25th July 2020 295018C
Roger Coathup
31st October 2022
108530L
Philip Crocker
1st December 2022
109096D
Jeremy Davies 18th June 2018 164556A
Brian Dinter 2nd March 2021 319936J
Thomas Eggleston 31st October 2018 186878A
Terry Fox  9th January 2021 340749E
Daniel Gallagher 3rd August 2021 279873G
Peter C Gibbs December 2012 111190F
Mark Gray
17th January 2023
182947G
Michael Harris  1st June 2020 112174B
Cengiz Hasman  14th September 2020 184486G
Jamie Horton  22nd February 2021 247371K
Mark Josse 20th February 2020 113950C
Peter Lalic  31st January 2013 246586D
Daniel Lindner  1st August 2013 257526H
Claudio Logallo
8th July 2022
302872A
Dominic Mackle  25th January 2013 114766D
Paul Madden 29th November 2018 114779B
Don Mason
26th July 2023
115042L
Roman Mitra 13th January 2021 275583L
David Mooney 23rd March 2021 229734G
Robert Charles Noyce December 2012 116328A
Alfie Onslow 19th January 2021 291527D
Matthew Payne
28th November 2022
246394F
Edmund Player 12th September 2019 136670B
Jonathan Pein  10th February 2021 258775A
Ryan Randall
11th July 2022
187708C
John E Reid  16th May 2014 178366L
Mark Rich 31st July 2013 117862D
Simon Roe  5th October 2020 118147G
Remy Rushbrooke
13th November 2023
284337H
Mikhail Sedykh 
9th February 2023
282940L
Anthony Stebbings December 2012 119637G
Joseph Stewart 15th November 2021 240800E
Paul Timson  December 2012 271675G
Ieuan Ward 25th June 2020 273248J
Peter A Williams December 2012 240138B
Roger Williamson
2015
163166E

English Regional Master

Name Award date if known Rating code
Peter Ackley   165369G
Laurence Ball 5th January 2021 272060H
Bertrand Barlow   106224E
Andrew Baruch   106348A
Kevin J Bailey   106047J
Andrew J Bigg   160053K
Nigel W Blades   106856J
Graham Bolt  9th February 2017 106951C
Christopher Briscoe   107290A
Trevor Brotherton  14th November 2013 107391G
Steve Connor   124678B
Philip Crocker
  109096D
Brian Dinter  25th February 2021 319936J
Mike Donnelly   109791L
Mark Ellis  14th September 2012 124867E
Jeremy Fraser-Mitchell   110893B
Anthony R Fulton   163910K
Tryfon Gavriel   111117G
John Gorman   182090E
Mark S Gray  15th August 2013 182947G
Costas Harris   151761C
Jamie Hopkins   112969H
Chris Howell   113103F
Kevin Hurst   266234G
Roman Ismailov 1st March 2017 268144E
Akash Jain   245243B
Naveen Jain   175012E
Chris Jones    
Christopher J A Jones   113786E
Aiden M Leech   146698H
James J McDonnell   115269F
Stephen J Meek  15th August 2016 174392C
Jonathan Mutton   151854K
Koichi B Nicholas   170951D
Kenneth Norman   116276H
Tim Paulden 24th July 2014 153053H
Owen Phillips  22nd July 2010 173125H
Dr Adrian Pickersgill   117110A
Branko Pribanich   117409F
Thomas Rendle   154724A
Chris B Rice  5th February 2014 131376K
Mark C Rich   117862D
Heather Richards   163139B
Richard Savory  18th May 2011 146862F
Timothy Seymour   214922K
Robert Starley  24th May 2021 254632C
Nicolas Stead
  119629H
James Stevenson  11th July 2019 101487A
Philip Stimpson   119742D
David O Vaughan   128671H
Rajko Vujatovic   247170L
Martin G Walker   118866F
Winston Williams  18th August 2011 261060H
John F Wheeler   121446K
Ernest M White   121483E
Robert F Willmoth  15th August 2013 126824H
Arturo Wong
21st April 2022 277857K

English County Master
Farshad Ai [30th May 2013]; Christopher Archer-Lock; Paul A Batchelor [2nd August 2018]; Rhys Bennett [10th September 2015]; Nick Bond [8th August 2012]; Steven John Burke [23rd February 2012]; Stephen Cairns [14th September 2012]; Eoin S Campbell; Gordon Chapman [14th May 2014]; William G Clark [27th July 2016]; Michael John Coffey [25th April 2012]; Patrick CM Duncan [31st July 2013]; Ian Duvall; Alex J Edmans; Nathan Ekanem [13th November 2023]; Sam Essen; David J Faulkner; Michael Fletcher [28th July 2011]; Nicholas Fordham [4th December 2013]; Karl Forman; David Fryer [10th February 2015]; David J Hamblin; Matthew Harborne [18th December 2013]; Dean Hartley; Tim Hebbes; Brian WR Hewson [4th March 2015]; Jamie Hillman; Ian Hunnable; Radha Jain [8th August 2011]; Angus S James; Richard M Jones; Stephen M Jones; Timur Kuzhelev [6th April 2021]; Antonio Moneva-Jordan [9th August 2010]; Robert Kane [27th March 2019]; Robert A Lanzer; J Ezra Lutton; Stephen J Meek [8th October 2015]; Kevin Millward; Steve Moore; James R Nicolson; Ethan Norris [22nd August 2022]; Paul W O’Brien; Dennis Paul Owen [11th November 2015]; Neil Owen [24th April 2020]; Anna Partington; David A Patrick; Carl S Portman; Mark I Roberts; Julien Shepley; Jinwoo Song; Gordon Stables; Daniel Staples [10th August 2010]; Neville H Twitchell; Miroslaw Walkusz [19th January 2022]; Kajetan Wandowicz [26th November 2014]; Dr Steve M Williams; Winston Williams [13th August 2010]

English Club Master
J Garth Andrews; Jo Badger; Paul Badger; Dale J Bailey; Lyall C P Bayliss; Andy Bellingham [19th February 2020]; William D Bennet; Greg Breed [31st August 2023]; Niamh Bridgeman [5th February 2020]; Nigel Bye; David Campbell; Stephen J E Casement; Kumardip Chakraborty (India); James Chappell; Stephen J Chick; Barry Childs; Malcolm C Clarke; Peter Dallas; Dennis Dartnell [25th March 2013]; Paul Davies; Connagh-Joseph de Mooi; Daniel Diamond; Trevor A Dickerson; Anthony M Eskinazi; Vojtech Leopold James Matthew Fiser [6th June 2012]; Douglas Forbes; Raymond Gosden; Christopher Hansell; Michael Hardman [17th March 2021]; Ralph M Hewes; Douglas Hogan [15th August 2013]; Raymond K Hunt; Mohammed Aayan Ismail [8th March 2021]; Aivar Jefremov; Christopher M Jones; Gawain C B Jones; Gaurav Kamath [24th February 2021]; Nigel P Kerby; Roy Lawrence [29th March 2010]; Graham Lee; Fraser A Lees [15th August 2013]; Cosmos Lim; Karl Lockett [8th November 2021]; Alireza M Manuchehri [30th July 2010]; Dan Marcos [28th January 2015]; William McLaughlin; Stephen J Meek [11th December 2013]; George Miller [22nd January 2021]; Steve Mills; Robert Mitchell; Gillian A Moore [8th August 2011]; Peter Morrey; Michael Moura [3rd August 2016]; A Philip Neatherway; Charles Newman; Dinah Norman; Brendan O’Gorman [1st February 2011]; John A Oliver [21st January 2011]; James Peet; Tom Peet; Liviu Nestor Podgornei [24th August 2015]; Mark C Pooley; Robert P Radford; William Ramsden; Christopher Rawlinson; Paul Richards; Alan Riddoch; James Malcolm Robinson [11th July 2012]; Alex Royle [13th November 2023]; Henry Sharples; Kevin Shaw [4th September 2012]; Charlton Siddo [30th July 2020]; Peter K Smith [31st January 2013]; Stephen Tarr [13th May 2015]; Gregory Tebble; Liam D Varnam; Mark Wadsworth [28th August 2013]; Adrian Walker [29th July 2011]; Peter A Williams; David Willsher [14th August 2019]; Kevin Winter [11th March 2011]; Paul Welford; Steve Whatmore; Ashley David Wright [6th November 2014]

English Team Master
Niall Ali [31st January 2013]; Ronald Adams [3rd November 2011]; Hassan Atteeque [15th August 2013]; Megel Barker [22nd December 2011]; Devdoot Barman [8th August 2012]; Phill Beckett [18th February 2022]; Dhruva Bhagwat [19th September 2014]; Niamh Bridgeman [9th February 2017]; Hok Chiu [31st August 2021]; Larissa Cuthbert [26th July 2020]; Tim Cutter [17th January 2019]; Patrick Damodaran [25th October 2019]; Dillan Duke [8th December 2020]; Barry Edgar [21st January 2014]; Roy Egginton [1st September 2017]; Alan Evans; Robert Michael Friday [20th August 2010]; Sam Gaffney [11th October 2021]; Dhairye Gauri [21st January 2022]; George Gowers [17th January 2024]; Peter Harrington [15th August 2011]; Joshua John [2nd February 2017]; Alexandros Kalyviotis [29th October 2019]; Thomas Key [17th January 2024]; Daniel Knight [4th May 2021]; David Knight [5th May 2021]; Jiping Li [26th Ocober 2020]; James A McDonald [28th January 2015]; Michael Moura [1st July 2015]; Steven Odongo Opio [15th August 2013]; Rob A Oughton [16th September 2019]; Tristan Pearce [16th March 2011]; Thomas Philidor [8th January 2024]; Ben Radford [2nd October 2014]; Shreyas Royal [1st February 2017]; Alex Royle [27th November 2022]; Shahjahon Saidmurodov [12th May 2016]; Peter Shaw Banks [12th September 2019]; Daniel Shek [22nd October 2021]; Charlton Siddo [13th November 2017]; Bruno Alexandre Dos Santos Silva [19th January 2023]; Paul Spencer [8th August 2012]; Venkatesh Subramoniam [20th December 2022]; Frederick Sugden [17th January 2024]; Naomi Wei [20th December 2011]; Richard White [3rd October 2011]; Mason J Woodhams [31st January 2013]

English Chess Maestro
John Robert Appleby [25th August 2016]; Amy Ba; James Bedford [12 August 2014]; Megh Bhide [26th September 2022]; Niamh Bridgeman [3rd February 2016]; Chris Budden [15th August 2023]; Martin Karl Cockerill; James Coward [24th January 2019]; Martin Curry [28th August 2018]; Larissa Cuthbert [30th January 2019]; Patrick Damodaran [25th October 2019]; Richard Dawson [14th November 2023]; Dhairye Gauri [11th May 2021]; Jennifer Goldsmith [30th January 2012]; Abeer Gogia [26th February 2020]; Amy Marie Greenhough; George Gowers; Adam-Rafael Holmes [12th February 2020]; Stefania Iosub [1st February 2018]; Sachin Kumar [14th December 2022]; Alex Lushpa [30th January 2019]; Keeghan McGarry; Stephen Palmer [30th August 2022]; Christopher Pegg [4th May 2016]; Thomas Philidor [8th January 2024]; Freddie Phillips [1st September 2020]; Archie Piatt [4th January 2022]; Lindsay Pyun [3rd February 2021]; Kyle Reed; Shreyas Royal [3rd February 2016]; Shahjahon Saidmurudov [29th July 2015]; Jane Scott [1st August 2023]; Gary Slegg [3rd October 2022]; Umar Syed [13th November 2017]; Charles W Wood; Paul Vanlint [15th August 2013]; Colin Vernon [21st August 2014]