Dutch Player Got FM Title For Free
By Douglas C. · Wed, 28 Oct 2026
A 2113-Rated Dutch Player Collects an FM Title at the European Club Cup, and a Croatian Creator Says the Rules Need Changing
Most chess players spend years chasing a FIDE title. A result in Budva has now sparked an argument about whether some of them are getting it too cheaply. At the center of it is Dick De Graaf, a Dutch player rated 2113, and a rule that lets a strong result at the European Club Cup lead straight to the FIDE Master title.
The accusation, and what it says
According to a report published on October 28, the criticism comes from Vjekoslav Nemec, a Croatian FM and content creator, who posted a video about the case on his Chessentials channel. He accuses De Graaf of exploiting FIDE regulations and argues that the title rules should be revised. His language was harsh. The report does not say De Graaf broke any rule. It says he met the stated requirements, and that the complaint is about the rule itself.
How the route works
The usual way to become an FM is to reach a rating of 2300. There is also a route through direct-title events. At the 2026 European Club Cup, the report says, a player could earn the title by scoring at least 5/7 with a rating above 2100. That matches how the route worked a year earlier. An Irish chess news site reported three new FMs from the 2025 event in Rhodes, who needed 65 percent from seven games and a rating of 2100, under the FIDE Table for Direct Titles that took effect in May 2025. The table now in force was not reviewed, so the 2026 thresholds rest on the report.
De Graaf, playing last board for his team, scored 5/7. By the report's account, his five wins included one against an opponent rated 1575 and two against unrated players. His performance rating was 2049, about 64 points below his own rating, and his teammates were all rated below 2000, two of them unrated. Nemec contrasts this with a player from the same club who earned the title in 2025 playing first board with a performance under 2000.
Why it matters
The numbers explain the unease. A result that would normally be a modest one against stronger competition can become a title when the opposition on the lower boards is weak, and the 2100 threshold is far below the 2300 needed through ratings alone. That is the argument for reform. The argument against is just as simple: the rule was published, De Graaf met it, and the players in Rhodes earned titles the same way. Nothing in the report suggests he did anything other than play the games.
What is not known
De Graaf has not responded in anything the report quotes. Neither the Dutch federation nor FIDE is reported to have commented, and no review or ruling is mentioned. The report summarizes a video, so Nemec's full case and the exact rule wording are not reproduced. Whether the 2113 rating is the one the threshold refers to is also unclear.
One possible response would be a change to the table before the next European Club Cup. Whether anyone at FIDE sees a problem worth fixing is the question the video leaves open.
