The Quality of Arbiting for County Matches

[John Upham]

Do you have any general observations on the quality (good, bad or ugly) of arbiting in county matches (including Chiltern League) compared with tournaments and congresses?

Is there a natural tendency to a higher degree of laxity and blind eye turning in these matches?

[Ian Thompson]

Do you have any general observations on the quality (good, bad or ugly) of arbiting in county matches (including Chiltern League) compared with tournaments and congresses?

I'm surprised by this question because I cannot recall there ever being an arbiter present at any county match I've played in.

[Roger de Coverly]

I'm surprised by this question because I cannot recall there ever being an arbiter present at any county match I've played in.

Generally speaking, county matches including the Chiltern competition would be played under the conventions for "No arbiter present". The alternative is that the match captains jointly act as arbiters. One practical difference is that when playing without an arbiter and without an increment, the game ceases if with less than two minutes remaining of their own time remaining, a player makes a claim that the opponent is "unable to win".

[Stephen Westmoreland]

Arbiters have been fine but out of all the teams I have run or played for, we have not had the need. Probably more for the higher graded teams, where things often happen.

[John Upham]

I'm surprised by this question because I cannot recall there ever being an arbiter present at any county match I've played in.

The alternative is that the match captains jointly act as arbiters.

One of the issues here is if the Team Captains are playing in the match. If they are non-playing Captains then not so bad.

Are we to assume that Team Captains are familiar with the latest laws and rules or do we hope on a wing and a prayer that they might be?

[Roger de Coverly]

Are we to assume that Team Captains are familiar with the latest laws and rules or do we hope on a wing and a prayer that they might be?

It's my preference that team captains do not act as joint arbiters, but not everyone agrees. But as said elsewhere, when does it ever matter that a dispute, even if it arises, cannot be handled by the eperienced players usually participating in county matches.

[Kevin Williamson]

Are we to assume that Team Captains are familiar with the latest laws and rules or do we hope on a wing and a prayer that they might be?

I think it's fair to assume that team captains are familiar with the rules of the competition they are participating in, or at least have access to them on the day. But not fair to assume they know all the laws and rules of chess unless they are themselves qualified arbiters. In my experience most situations can be resolved by the captains talking to each other, maybe taking advice from any arbiters who may be playing in the match, but if not there will always be an appeal process to follow.

[Ian Thompson]

I think it's fair to assume that team captains are familiar with the rules of the competition they are participating in, or at least have access to them on the day.

I don't. Many years of being on a league committee leads me to think that would be the exception, not the rule. The majority of disputes that the committee had to deal had a starting point of "neither team followed the rules; if they had this situation could not have arisen; how do we best deal with the resulting mess?"

[Kevin Williamson]

I think it's fair to assume that team captains are familiar with the rules of the competition they are participating in, or at least have access to them on the day.

I don't. Many years of being on a league committee leads me to think that would be the exception, not the rule. The majority of disputes that the committee had to deal had a starting point of "neither team followed the rules; if they had this situation could not have arisen; how do we best deal with the resulting mess?"

The question, and my answer, related to county matches where disputes, in my experience, are quite rare. I can't comment on your league but if any competition is having a lot of disputes then maybe that is saying more about the tournament rules than the captains who are not following them.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

I played in quite a few matchs for Oxfordshire in the Chiltern League and the only dispute I can remember is one involving John Upham in a game against the Oxfordshire captain, the late Ian Brooke. I was very unimpressed by the former's behaviour on that occasion. Is this game the reason for your strange campaign against the Chiltern League on this forum, John? (see "Living in the Past: The Chiltern League"). If you don't like the Chiltern League then perhaps you could simply play your chess elsewhere.

[Ian Thompson]

I think it's fair to assume that team captains are familiar with the rules of the competition they are participating in, or at least have access to them on the day.

I don't. Many years of being on a league committee leads me to think that would be the exception, not the rule. The majority of disputes that the committee had to deal had a starting point of "neither team followed the rules; if they had this situation could not have arisen; how do we best deal with the resulting mess?"

The question, and my answer, related to county matches where disputes, in my experience, are quite rare. I can't comment on your league but if any competition is having a lot of disputes then maybe that is saying more about the tournament rules than the captains who are not following them.

I made no comment on the frequency with which disputes occurred in the league. They did not occur often.

[Andrew Zigmond]

For national stage county matches either team has the right to request a neutral arbiter with the costs being split across both teams (or at least this was the case when I was controller). Given that arbiters were drawn from the relatively small pool of official ECF arbiters who are normally active on the tournament circuit anyway I can't see how the quality of the arbiting would be significantly different. Union stage matches are potentially a different kettle of fish.

During my tenure as controller I had two "laws of chess" related disputes that happened in matches with no arbiter present. In both cases I had to spend a lot of time collecting witness statements and then consult with a qualified arbiter to try to find some sort of solution. Had an arbiter been present these disputes could have been sorted in five minutes flat.