How many player can a Club director host in a tournament? Is it 50, or is it 50 per section?
It is 50 total, but that is a guideline not a hard and fast rule. If you get 51 players that doesn’t mean you can’t direct the event. On the other hand it is a good idea for inexperienced TDs to get experience before dealing with the larger numbered events by themselves. Ask about being an assistant at a large event, as there will be another [likely more experienced] TD there who you can ask questions and get help with rulings if needed.
Way back when I was a club TD I did do events of more than 50 players, but not in my first few events. I did small club events, and asked more experienced TDs questions. Most TDs are very willing to share their knowledge with those who want to learn.
Larry S. Cohen
Senior Level TD
A sole club director (CTD) can be the chief of a tournament expecting no more than 50 players. A CTD with a certified assistant and using a program for pairings can increase that number 20% (to 60). A CTD can be the section chief of a section larger than 50 as long as the chief TD is certified at a level high enough to be the chief of the event.
The key word is “expecting”. If you expect 40 and it turns out that 120 show up then a CTD can still do it (a prize fund based on 100 undercuts any claim that you didn’t expect more than 50). The rules are not designed to send players home if there are more than expected.
If a CTD is a scheduled assistant to a Local-level TD and the LTD gets into a car accident on the way to the event and ends up in the hospital then the word “expecting” still comes into play and the CTD that was not expected to be the chief can still be the chief in the emergency (this exact situation happened to me when I inherited the chief TD position of a state all-grade as an LTD when the scheduled SrTD chief had an accident the night before). If a LTD says two months in advance that the LTD would not be available then that is NOT an emergency and the organizer needs to find a TD of an appropriate certification level.
If there are problems at an event that are sent to the TDCC then the TDCC takes a much less forgiving view of a TD that is director a larger tournament than the TD should.
Remember that the limits apply to the USCF-rated sections since any non-rated sections are not reported anyway.
Jeff Wiewel
NTD
Current Chair of the Tournament Director Certification Committee (TDCC)
Go ahead and take the local TD test. You will do fine on it and that will boost your authorized numbers a bit.
And THANKS!!! for what you are doing to get USCF chess moving in SE KY!!!
If you send in the data and correct amounts for USCF memberships sold and send the correct rating fees, as well as direct the tournament with no problems, I doubt that anyone will call you on the number of people you directed in your tournament. Should you start consistently getting 100+ to your tournaments, request the LTD and the SrTD tests. Given how few active TDs there are in the country, the USCF should be happy to have your energy and enthusiasm on board.
Thanks I appreciate it! We’ve put a little blurb in Tournament Life. You’ll see it beginning in the February issue. It’s just a line or two but I plan on adding more. It’s already on the “Kentucky” upcoming tournaments listed here: uschess.org/tlas/upcoming.php?STATE=KY
My goal is to begin an yearly chess tournament with: 1st place, Metal Cup Trophy + $100 + % to be determined of EF collected. 2nd place. Smaller cup trophy, + $50 + % to be determined of EF collected and some more prizes. Now I know that won’t draw out a HUGE amount of players, but my goal is to make tournaments here attractive and offer above average prizes.
I’ve advertised on the KCA tournament site now and I’m giving away two small door prizes in January, a gift card in February’s and I believe I’m going to order two hardback scorebooks each month as door prizes in addition to returning 90% of EF as prizes.
Allen, the sentiment is great and well deserved.
Unfortunately, Ricky needs cannot yet request the LocalTD test.
It requires being the chief of a Swiss (3+ rounds), the chief or chief assistant of a Swiss (3+ rounds), working one or more additional Swisses (3+ rounds), having the total number of players in the events come to 50 or more, and having an established rating.
Before Ricky can ask for the test he needs (at least) 37 more players in the Swiss tournaments he directs, a Swiss where he is chief or chief assistant TD, and another 10 regular-rated games as a player. One if his current tournaments is a 4-player round robin and will not count for the Swiss requirements.
Rick
Contact Randas Burns with the KCA. He can connect you with the spring KCA scholastic series which can get you in events large enough to qualify.
The Quad D regional is usually at Morgan County HS - that is closer to you than any of the other event. The Quad C regional will be somewhere in Lexington. Quad C is for sure higher than 50 - they will have individual sections that are that large and you could probably take a section. Quad D is usually 50-75 players. Both of those will be a Saturday in late January or early February.
And to get the other rated games play so you get an established rating, you can do that in your own events.