Home Info Calendar Ratings Forum
Handbook | C. General Rules and Recommendations for Tournaments | 06. FIDE Tournament Rules | VI. The Chief Arbiter and his duties

VI. The Chief Arbiter and his duties

  1. The chief arbiter of a World competition shall be nominated by the President of FIDE, and of a Continent Competition by the Continental President, each in consultation with the Administrator. He shall have the title of International Arbiter and shall have adequate experience of FIDE Competitions, FIDE official languages and relevant FIDE Regulations. FIDE and/or the Organising Committee may also nominate of other arbiters.

    His duties are specified by the Laws of Chess, the regulations of the competition and other FIDE Rules. During the tournament they are also to keep the record of each round, to oversee the proper course of the competition, to ensure order in the playing venue and players' comfort during play, and to supervise the work of technical staff of the competition.

    Before the start of the competition he may make additional regulations in consultation with the Administrator.

    Prior to the commencement of the competition, he must check all the conditions for play, secure through the organiser all the necessary equipment and ensure a sufficient number of deputies and auxiliary staff are engaged.

    He must check the playing venue, the lighting, heating, ventilation and other conditions. It is his final decision, whether all playing conditions meet the requirements of FIDE regulations.

  2. He must ensure that the drawing of lots is done strictly according to FIDE regulations and that it takes place on the date and hour announced in advance by the organiser.

  3. He shall note the special cases when the drawing of lots must be carried out in such a way that players of the same federation do not meet each other, for example, in the last three rounds, and follow the procedure prescribed by the regulations (see 2.4).

  4. The arbiter shall ensure that the Appeals Committee, if one is prescribed by the regulations, is elected before the start of the first round, and usually at the drawing of lots.

  5. At the end of a competition the arbiter shall deliver to the appropriate FIDE official and the organising Federation an official written report on the course of the contest, with documents if appropriate. At the same time he shall send through the organising federation, the cross-table and other necessary data for rating purposes. In the case of a big Swiss-system tournament a rating officer should be appointed to assist him with the large amount of data to be compiled for rating purposes.


   FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

FIDE President

   New Chess Calendar

   Current events

LASK Open 2003, SWE
SCOTTISH NATIONAL LEAGUE-Division 1, SCO
Indian National Women`s A Championship
1st Najdorf Invitational, Los Angeles, USA
Friendship Chess Tournaments, Cartak, CZE

   World top players

  Copyright © 2002-2003 Casto Abundo
Contacts map