Hey,
I need some advice here. I’m a local rated tournament chess player rated more less 1200+ and I’m interested in tournament directing. My local tournament director (who just happened to be a Assistant Nat’l TD) advised me that tournament directing and growing a higher rating is very hard. What would you all advise I do - do you think the above statement holds true?
Thanks.
If you want to become a club tournament director, all you have to do is send in the form that you have read the 5th edition of the rule book and follow the rules. Just print the forum right from the computer, then send it in for 37 cents. In 6 or 8 weeks, they will send you a card.
I do own a fifth edt. USCF Rules book - and have read it. It wasn’t that hard to go through a sizable majority of the rules though technicality does sometime come into play. Where do I get the form saying I read it?
Thanks,
I think what he meant was, that directing is OK, and playing is OK, but that directing and playing IN THE SAME TOURNAMENT will prove to be hard on your rating.
Bill Smythe
Go down to ‘Application to be a U.S. Chess Federation Certified Club Tournament Director’.
When you were talking to that director, for him at that level of certification it was a lot of hard work to earn that title. It is up to the director, how many tournaments you want to do in a given year, and how many players are you looking for.
The Application to be a USCF Certified Club Tournament Director Form can be found under “Brochures and Forms” link of the main page of USCF website. See link below.
http://www.uschess.org/about/forms/CERTIFIEDTDFORM.pdf
I just faxed mine, and in less than 4 weeks I received my kit.
ChessMaMa:
If you are going to run a tournament and need a affiliate number, will let you use the “Greater Grand Rapids Chess Club”. Just let my know your USCF ID number, and will posted it in the TD/A. If you want to send it in on paper just use the number, will not have a problem.
What are all your statuses as TDing and how long did it take you to achieve that status?
Thanks.
There’s a National TD in my area who has directed hundreds of events and 1000+ sections. In his case, I believe that the above statement is true. This TD was once an expert level player several years ago. Though he continued to play tournament chess, as he became more serious as a TD (directing several tournaments a week sometimes), his chess rating gradually began to fall until he hit his floor at 1800. Therefore I do believe that the busy schedule of a National TD (or Assistant National TD in the case of your TD) does not allow much time to concentrate on competitive chess. But this may not hold true for a Club TD or Local TD, since they generally do not have as much organizing to do.
Being a good TD takes a lot of time, time that isn’t spent studying chess.
I thought it might be interesting to get a breakdown of TD’s by experience and rating class.
The following includes only those TDs who have directed at least one event in 2003 or 2004 and who have also played at least one rated game in that time frame.
National TD’s
2 master, 7 experts, 8 A players, 7 B players
Assistant National TD’s
3 experts, 2 A players, 2 B players, 1 C player
Senior TD’s
2 senior masters, 12 master, 16 experts, 25 A players, 34 B players, 14 C players, 8 D players, 7 E players
Local TD’s
3 senior masters, 16 masters, 32 experts, 78 A players, 103 B players, 91 C players, 28 D players, 13 E players, 8 under 1000
Club TD’s
3 senior masters, 12 masters, 39 experts, 76 A players, 116 B players, 119 C players, 70 D players, 57 E players, 40 under 1000.
This doesn’t show whether these TD’s have gone up or down in rating in that time frame.
For myself, since April 1997 have 71 events rated with 249 sections. At this time have two tournaments and one being dual rated, then needing to have two sections needing a be performed as the rating department has only rated one section.
Started to get active as a director as of June 2003, since then had 49 events. Some are match events, most are quick events. My second term as a local tournament director ends in June 2005, very sure I have the 4 tournaments in my 4 year term. So I will not need to take the test for my third term.
Had an idea, does it matter who or how fast the time controls are. Does it matter if there are 10 or 100 players at the tournament, as both number of players there still a fixed number of games for myself to play. If the time control is G/90 and 4 rounds, does it matter if there is 10 players or 100 at the tournament.
Most of the players at my tournaments, are high school level or have the skill that is the same as mine. They like to play against me as it help them remove that provisional rating from their record. The reason to play them, as it gives me enjoyment to play rated games.
For a director, its up to the director how active they want to be. Being a director, its all the goals you want to set. If you do become a director, if you perform as a director: do it to make yourself happy.
Do know a Senior Tournament Director, his classical rating is 2622, he is a international master. Have been paired up with him 3 times, have not won or even a draw. The first time I seen or play a game against him, rated or just for fun was the Motor City Open in 1981. For 23 years never even had a draw in any type of game. He is at the 2005 US Chessmaster Championship. Would have to say IM Ben Finegold is doing well as a senior tournament director and as a player.
Thank you Mr Forsythe for the generous offer. But I went ahead and applied for an affiliate, fund courtesy of empty toner and cartridge 
.
Yeah, good question: what exactly does 4 tourneys in 4 years mean to stay current at the Local TD level?
Regards,
AJG
I’ll apply for Club Director this weekend and see how things go. Thanks for all your help 
kram
Garcia:
If a director is a ‘local tournament director’, the director would need 4 tournaments in a 4 year term. If the director does not have 4 tournaments in a 4 year term, the director would need to take the local tournament directors test.
It is a way to weed out directors that have given up being a director. Having 4 tournaments of any type or size, as chief tournament director or assistant tournament director in 4 years. It is not asking much from the federation to ask the directors to be active with 4 tournaments in a 4 year term. If the director, not willing to perform this much, the director has the right to take the test. If the director is not willing to perform 4 tournaments in 4 years, also not willing to take the test – de-certification is the best for the director and the federation.
Kram8806:
Good luck and enjoy your tournaments.
How does one become a local TD? As of today, I have directed two dualrated scholastics with roughly 25 people in each and I have more coming along, as well as a few rated matches for my team.
No, its not much for the USCF to ask its directors stay active with at least 4 tourneys in 4 years.
I just wanted to make sure I understood it right, ie: any tournament of any size as chief.
I guess that says it all!
Thanx,
A. Jorge Garcia
KnightMair:
You would need 3 swiss tournaments, one must be as chief tournament director, with a grand total of 50 entries with all your tournaments. You have 2 swiss tournaments with 50 entries, the team matches should also count towards something. If it is just dealing with a match with two people, the event does not count but the entries are worth 2. Email Larry King, he should tell you if you can or cannot take the test at this time. If you want, check the official rules of chess, there is a section dealing with everything needed to become a local TD.