How to become a chess grandmaster?

Becoming a Chess Grandmaster (GM) is a highly challenging and prestigious accomplishment in the world of chess. It requires years of dedicated training, understanding the game at a deep level, and achieving specific milestones. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to become a Chess Grandmaster:​

1. Learn the Basics of Chess​

Start with mastering the basic rules and strategies of chess:

Learn how the pieces move and the goal of the game (checkmate).
Understand basic simple opening principles, such as center control, development, and early castling.
Learn basic endgames, such as king and pawn vs. king.
Practice tactics: pins, forks, skewers, and discovered attacks.

2. Strong Foundation​

Once you feel you understand the fundamentals, it's time to dig deeper:

Tactics: Improve your tactical vision. Daily solve chess puzzles to train your eyes to spot combinations and threats.
Strategy: Learn to create long-term plans, know your pawn structures, weak squares, and piece activity.
Endgames: Master some of the important endgame techniques since strong endgames win many games.

3. Practice Regularly to Gain Experience​

Play Competitively: Start playing in local tournaments and online chess platforms. Regular practice against strong players is critical to improving your skills.
Analyze Your Games: After each game, analyze it, especially your losses, to understand your mistakes and improve.
Play Against Stronger Players: Challenge yourself by playing against players who are stronger than you. Learn from their moves, and observe how they handle different situations.

4. Get a Chess Coach​

A chess coach can provide invaluable guidance in your improvement:

Find a coach who has a strong understanding of the game and ideally holds titles like International Master (IM) or Grandmaster (GM).
A coach can help you:
Refine your opening repertoire.
Improve tactical vision and strategic understanding.
Study famous games and historical matches.
Correct weaknesses in your play.

5. Understand and Study Chess Openings​

Study various openings and learn how to play them. Build up your personal repertoire suited to your play style (aggressive, tactical, or positional).
Keep updated with the modern games played by top grandmasters in order to keep abreast of the trends and innovations of opening theory.

6. Know Chess Endgames​

To be good at the endgames, one needs to move forward in the game of chess. Most games-even between international masters-reach their final result in the endgame. Learn these key endgame positions:
King and pawn vs. king
Rook endgames
Queen and pawn endgames
Simple checkmate patterns (e.g., winning with king and queen).

7. Earn Elo Rating Points​

To become a Grandmaster, you need to achieve an Elo rating of 2500 or more (depending on the federation). Here's how you can work towards it:

Achieve Norms: You need to earn three GM norms by performing well in international tournaments. A GM norm is earned by scoring a certain number of points in a tournament while playing against players who have higher ratings (IM, GM, etc.).
For example, in a 9-round tournament, you should win at least 6/9 playing against a spectrum of titled opponents.
Rating Norms: In addition to the above norms, you should achieve a rating of 2500 at some point in your life.

8. International Tournaments​

Participate in FIDE-rated tournaments which are open for international entry. This enables you to earn FIDE points and hence raise your rating.
In the tournaments, play good enough to win the norms and try to raise your rating as much as you can.

9. Study Famous Games and Grandmasters​

Read games of all-time great grandmasters like Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, Magnus Carlsen, and other top players. This will teach you high-level strategies, tactics, and what the best in the world is thinking.
Observe games, read books on them, and analyze key moments from their games.

10. Consistent Practice and Improvement​

Consistency is the key. Play games every day, or do puzzles or review openings and endgames.
Keep going up and down with motivation and dedication throughout your chess journey. The transition from a beginner to a Grandmaster might take a decade or more.
Develop psychological skills to handle pressure while playing and improve mental toughness.

11. Fulfill the Criteria for the Grandmaster Title​

To be officially recognized as a Chess Grandmaster, you need to:

Achieve a rating of 2500 or higher.
Win three GM norms from FIDE-approved tournaments.
Maintain those achievements and apply to FIDE for the title.

Conclusion​

It's a long and dedicated journey to become a chess grandmaster. To learn such a game, one first needs to master its theoretical fundamentals, participate in tournaments, gain GM norms, achieve high ratings, and then be experienced by playing against greater players. You just need to put theoretical knowledge together with practical experience constantly implying improvement through study and practice.