FIDE Arbiter Sought

[Paul McKeown]

Richmond Juniors would like to run an U18 standard play tournament on Saturday 3rd December, alongside our London Junior's U8/U10/U12 qualifier at Orleans Park School.

We have done this for the previous couple of years ourselves, but this year we would like to have it FIDE rated.

I understand this means that we would need a FIDE arbiter, however none of us have this qualification at Richmond Juniors.

Would anyone like to help?

We are willing to pay a fair, negotiable fee and any reasonable expenses.

We would like that the arbiter concerned is able to give some form of training and "arbiter points" towards an ECF Level 2 qualification, for one of our Level 1 arbiters, assisting.

Email: [email protected]

[IM Jack Rudd]

I think I'm available on that day.

(Stewart Reuben would probably be cheaper if he's available, though.)

[Paul McKeown]

Great. PMed.

[David Sedgwick]

Richmond Juniors would like to run an U18 standard play tournament on Saturday 3rd December, alongside our London Junior's U8/U10/U12 qualifier at Orleans Park School.

We have done this for the previous couple of years ourselves, but this year we would like to have it FIDE rated.

I understand this means that we would need a FIDE arbiter, however none of us have this qualification at Richmond Juniors.

Would anyone like to help?

We are willing to pay a fair, negotiable fee and any reasonable expenses.

We would like that the arbiter concerned is able to give some form of training and "arbiter points" towards an ECF Level 2 qualification, for one of our Level 1 arbiters, assisting.

Email: [email protected]

As far as I can see, you don't need a FIDE Arbiter, only a FIDE licensed arbiter.

However, Jack Rudd or Stewart Reuben would be able to help with your training requirement.

Regarding the date, did you mean Saturday 1st December?

[Paul McKeown]

As far as I can see, you don't need a FIDE Arbiter, only a FIDE licensed arbiter.

However, Jack Rudd or Stewart Reuben would be able to help with your training requirement.

Regarding the date, did you mean Saturday 1st December?

Hi David,

Thank you for your help.

Could you clarify when a FIDE Licensed Arbiter is sufficient, and when a FIDE Arbiter is required?

The date for our LJCC Qualifier at Orleans Park has been set for over a month as Saturday, 8th December. The Under 18 will take place in parallel.

Best wishes
Paul McKeown

[Paul McKeown]

I have been advised that there was an error in my original post concerning the date. Sorry about that. More haste, less speed! Saturday 8th December.

[IM Jack Rudd]

That is an even better date for me than the original one.

[Paul McKeown]

Thanks, Jack!

[David Sedgwick]

Could you clarify when a FIDE Licensed Arbiter is sufficient, and when a FIDE Arbiter is required?

For any FIDE rated tournament, all the arbiters must be FIDE licensed.

For a Title Tournament an International Arbiter or a FIDE Arbiter must be present at all times. This does not apply if the tournament is merely FIDE rated.

[Paul McKeown]

For any FIDE rated tournament, all the arbiters must be FIDE licensed.

For a Title Tournament an International Arbiter or a FIDE Arbiter must be present at all times. This does not apply if the tournament is merely FIDE rated.

David, thank you for this. Is there anywhere where I can find these rules formally stated?

[Michael Flatt]

For any FIDE rated tournament, all the arbiters must be FIDE licensed.

For a Title Tournament an International Arbiter or a FIDE Arbiter must be present at all times. This does not apply if the tournament is merely FIDE rated.

David, thank you for this. Is there anywhere where I can find these rules formally stated?

The information is in the FIDE Handbook. The two relevant regulations are:
(i) All arbiters of a FIDE rated tournament shall be licensed otherwise the tournament shall not be rated. (Ref 1, para 0.3).
(ii) The Chief Arbiter of a title tournament shall be an International Arbiter (IA) or FIDE Arbiter (FA). He may appoint a temporary deputy. An IA or FA must always be in the playing venue. (Ref 2, para 1.16).

References
1. FIDE Rating Regulations effective from 1 July 2017: https://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html ... ew=article
2. FIDE Title Regulations effective from 1 July 2017: https://www.fide.com/fide/handbook.html ... ew=article

[Roger de Coverly]

(i) All arbiters of a FIDE rated tournament shall be licensed otherwise the tournament shall not be rated. (Ref 1, para 0.3).

You wonder whether the potential change in management at FIDE might see a change in approach. I believe it is correct to say that FIDE doesn't impose any quality standards on licensed arbiters other than that the national Federation has to pay FIDE for the privilege. So it's a tax on rated tournaments really. What is the objection to having one "qualified" arbiter with "assistants"? With increments and computerised pairings, it's not as if arbiters have anything particularly specialist to do, other than being able to make computer pairing and results programs behave and set digital clocks.

[Alex Holowczak]

(i) All arbiters of a FIDE rated tournament shall be licensed otherwise the tournament shall not be rated. (Ref 1, para 0.3).

You wonder whether the potential change in management at FIDE might see a change in approach. I believe it is correct to say that FIDE doesn't impose any quality standards on licensed arbiters other than that the national Federation has to pay FIDE for the privilege. So it's a tax on rated tournaments really. What is the objection to having one "qualified" arbiter with "assistants"? With increments and computerised pairings, it's not as if arbiters have anything particularly specialist to do, other than being able to make computer pairing and results programs behave and set digital clocks.

Nothing particularly specialist - except those things you listed, and make decisions based on the Laws of Chess whenever something happens.

I don't think your solution would work, because I don't think that was the reason why it was introduced. You can't remove a title (FA, IA) from someone because the title is for life, and has been awarded to many people for life some time ago. However, a licence can be taken away and was designed specifically for this purpose. So if you want to ban an arbiter, you remove the licence to work as an arbiter at FIDE-rated events. However, if that is the purpose, it remains unclear to me why there should be a charge for it; or indeed different charges depending on your title and category.

[Roger de Coverly]

However, a licence can be taken away and was designed specifically for this purpose.

The attempt by Kirsan, or was it Makro, to introduce the concept of a "licence to play chess" was widely mocked, not least in Malcolm's magazine. But was the point to be able to suspend players for offences like being nasty to FIDE officials?

[NickFaulks]

But was the point to be able to suspend players for offences like being nasty to FIDE officials?

No it wasn't. Like the licensed arbiter scheme, it was entirely about money.

By the way, the ECF can claim much of the credit for that scheme. The vexatious lawsuit which cost FIDE so much money caused the funding of all Commissions to be slashed. Arbiters reacted imaginatively by introducing their own tax system.