At the US Open FIDE meeting, a proposal to run more FA training was made. It became a DM and IIRC was referred to the EB.
I have a more basic question. How does one become a FIDE NA (National Arbiter) and start running FIDE events? What is the process? I hope to be a Sr. TD soon and I understand that is the first step. I know I’ll need to brush up on FIDE rules (which may or may not involve some regs and handbooks beyond the FIDE LOC). I also understand that I may need to buy a new pairing program.
I live in an area of the country where there really aren’t any FIDE events, so it’s not really practical for me to work with existing FIDE Arbiters. One of my medium to long term goals is to bring some FIDE events to my area.
To be clear, I’m talking about doing non-norm events. I want to be comfortable with FIDE non-norm events first.
I feel comfortable running USCF events. I will write out below how I would explain the process of doing that in the dual hope that the information will be useful to others and also in the hope that someone will write out a similar list for FIDE events.
How to Run USCF tournaments, a step by step guide:
Create a USCF affiliate or co-ordinate with an existing affiliate
Although not technically required, you are going to want to buy either WinTD or SwissSys and learn how to use the one you buy.
Gain access to the USCF TD/Affiliate area of the website.
Google Tim Just 80/20 TD for excellent tutorials on how to use the TD/A website, the pairing software you bought in step 5, and a variety of other useful information.
All arbiters in FIDE rated events must be licensed, with absolutely no exception. Any certified TD who is certified at least at the senior level may apply for the NA title. The office will send the applicant an examination. If the applicant passes the exam, the fee for the NA license is twenty euros.
The first step to becoming a FIDE National Arbiter is to become a USCF Senior TD. This is required. Once you attain this status level, you can request an examination from the USCF which you need to pass in order for the USCF to submit for your license for National Arbiter to FIDE. There is a 20 euro fee (if I’m not wrong on the amount) which you pay to USCF for the license.
Once you have this, you can be the Chief Arbiter of non-norm events.
Non-norm events must abide by the FIDE Laws of Chess and the FIDE Rating Regulations (both can be found in the FIDE Handbook on the FIDE website).
You must contact the USCF (fide@uschess.org I believe - if that’s wrong someone here will correct me) to register the event 7-days in advance.
I would suggest using SwissSys when you run your events as you can provide the SwissSys file to the office upon the completion of the event so they can submit the event for rating to FIDE.
Also there is a rating fee to pay for FIDE for regular / standard rated games. Blitz and Rapid is no charge for the FIDE rating fee.
This is a quick and dirty to get the discussion going.
I had written up some articles for the Illinois Chess Association but they are dated. I’ll try to update those in the next few days and post them on their website with a link from here.
I didn’t realize that. I run a tournament in January that is already being FIDE rated for the regular main event. We also do a side blitz that we’ve always had USCF rated but I hadn’t considered submitting it for FIDE. Is there any downside to turning it in for FIDE rating along with the regular event? (I understand we’d have to use FIDE rules and have an arbiter.)
While there is no rating fee, you must still register the tournament with FIDE at least seven days before the start of the event. And, of course, all arbiters must be licensed.
The most notable difference in blitz rules between US Chess and FIDE: Capturing the king is an illegal move according to the FIDE Laws of Chess (as it should be). If a player leaves the king in check and the opponent captures the king, the opponent loses the game (and has given up the right to claim a win on the basis that the player left the king in check) by making a move himself before making a claim).
(I would certainly not cry if “capture the king” were eliminated from the Official Rules of Chess. It’s just another gratuitous difference from the FIDE Laws of Chess. But it’s not something I feel strongly enough about to push any time in the foreseeable future.)
(Edited: I mistakenly stated that a player loses the right to claim a win based on an opponent’s illegal move once the player touches a piece. That is incorrect; the right is lost after the player makes a move.)
Side note: Ken, I really appreciate the document you put together outlining the differences between USCF rules and FIDE laws (http://www.uschess.org/content/view/12723/). I’ve used it more than once… it has been so helpful!
I’ve never been a big fan of the “illegal move loses” blitz rule to begin with. Without it, both the FIDE and USCF versions of “capture the king” would be moot.
Better would be 1 minute added to the opponent’s clock, on the first violation. Subsequent violations (by the same player in the same game) could each result in 1 minute subtracted from the offender’s clock, possibly resulting in a time forfeit.
But given that we have “illegal move loses” in blitz, I must admit I prefer the USCF version in this case. What better way is there, if the opponent leaves his king in check, to point out the illegality by capturing the king?
If FIDE wants to discourage the practice of capturing the king, at least it should do so in a less draconian way. The act of capturing the king – or, for that matter, making any illegal move just after the opponent has already played an illegal move – could be “doubly penalized” by simply restoring the position before the first illegal move, without any clock adjustments.
This may be one area where we may have to agree to disagree. I read that as “what better way is there, if the opponent makes an illegal move and leaves his king in check, to point out the illegality by making yet another illegal move?” Right now, the FIDE rule is very simple: a player loses the right to claim a win based on the opponent having made an illegal move once the player himself makes a move. Is it really worth the verbal gymnastics to write “capture the king” as an exception to that, when the player’s remedy is simply to stop the clock and claim the win?
Well, either the no charge rule has expired or I was incorrectly charged for the Washington International Blitz. I was charged $60 to FIDE rate the event. If we are now getting charged to FIDE rate blitz, I won’t be FIDE rating the WI Blitz anymore.
Mike Regan
Not doubting you but are you sure the amount was $60 dollar exactly? or that’s rounding.
The only reason I can come up with is USCF still charges at 25 cents a game and an overestimate of the number of games in your blitz tournament (http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201508070142.0) would be ~$50 dollars (I didn’t look for forfeits, half-point byes, etc. etc.)
Does this mean "once the player himself makes a legal or illegal move?
If so, there’s still a difference between the general pair-of-illegal-moves situation and the capture-the-king situation. In the former case, the player loses the right to claim a win. In the latter case, he loses the whole game.
So the FIDE rule here is not completely self-consistent.
The actual text of the FIDE rule (which also applies to “rapid play”, equivalent to US Chess “quick”, if there is “inadequate supervision”) is:
The phrase “provided the opponent has not made his next move” does not contain an adjective constraining “his next move.” So, I would interpret this as the player loses his right to claim a win based on the opponent leaving the king in check once the player has captured the opponent’s king. If the player then presses the clock, the player has completed an illegal move, and the opponent is entitled to claim a win.
I suppose there’s some “rules lawyering” that can be extracted from this. What if the player captures the opponent’s king and then stops the clock? (Under FIDE rules, I would argue the player has no right to stop the clock, as the game is not over, so there should be a penalty for that player. Suggested penalty: loss of game. )
As the OP, I don’t mind the bump. I’d like to get my NA and then move up to FA and IA, time permitting (among other factors). I’m hopeful that there will be another seminar in connection with the National Open. If there are others planned, I’d like to hear about them as well. Sevan, are you doing more? Can I request that one be held each year in connection with the US Open? That seems like a natural place to do one.
The next one will be online on Saturday Feb 6 and Sunday Feb 7 from 12pm to 9pm central time with a 1 hour lunch break each day. Examination on Saturday Feb 13.
Participants are expected to have performed the following PRIOR to the seminar:
(1) Read the following:
a. FIDE Laws of Chess
b. International Title Regulations
c. Arbiter Title Regulations
d. Anti-Cheating Requirements for Arbiters
e. Arbiters Manual
All mentioned reading can be found on the FIDE website.
The FA seminar is a must-do for anyone interested in directing play under the FLC or correctly awarding title norms. Sevan is an excellent instructor. If you’re thinking you might want to take part, you’re thinking right. Do it.
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