FOA titles have been developed by FIDE to recognize achievements of the online and lower-band players and encourage them to continue their chess journey in over-the-board play.
FOA titles are not the same as OTB (over-the-board) titles because they are awarded under different regulations and solely for the online games played on FIDE Online Arena, the official FIDE gaming platform.
They are for lower-band players (i.e. Arena GM is not the same as the Grandmaster, the most prestigious title in chess, because to become a Grandmaster you need to play in the OTB tournaments and fulfill GM norms). However, Arena titles are also major achievements and give title holders a clear indication that they can continue their chess journey. The FOA titles are official, they are displayed on the player’s FIDE profile as well as at official OTB events.
Unlike over-the-board titles, the FOA titles do not differentiate by sex and apply to both women and men equally. The online titles are automatic: once the player reaches a certain rating and is able to maintain it for a required number of games, they are eligible for the online title.
You can obtain the FOA Title recognized by FIDE by playing FOA-rated games on FIDE Online Arena.
What are the exact FOA Titles:
👑 Arena Grandmaster (AGM) — Rating 2000; the player must maintain the rating at or above 2000 for 50 games for Rapid time control or 100 games for Blitz or 150 games for Bullet to qualify for the online title.
👑 Arena International Master (AIM) — Rating 1700; the player must maintain the rating at or above 1700 for 50 games for Rapid time control or 100 games for Blitz or 150 games for Bullet to qualify for the online title.
👑 Arena FIDE Master (AFM) — Rating 1400; the player must maintain the rating at or above 1400 for 50 games for Rapid time control or 100 games for Blitz or 150 games for Bullet to qualify for the online title.
👑 Arena Candidate Master (ACM) — Rating 1100; the player must maintain the rating at or above 1100 for 50 games for Rapid time control or 100 games for Blitz or 150 games for Bullet to qualify for the online title.
Once you reached a certain rating and kept it for a certain number of games (you can read full eligibility rules here), you do not need to claim your FOA title. Arena checks if you reached the title level automatically and adds it to your profile. If you do not see your title in your Arena and/or Fide profile immediately, no worries — this info just has to take some time to sync.
Only players with active FIDE Online Arena subscriptions are eligible to receive online titles recognized by FIDE.
If a player's rating drops under the threshold, the number of games is reset to zero for this time control category. The number of games in different time control categories is not affected.
To qualify for the title, you need to fulfill FIDE requirements.