new.uschess.org/sites/default/f … s-2020.pdf
“b10. For any applicant who takes and passes the Senior TD test (closed book) under supervision at a
category N tournament, experience requirements are reduced to satisfactory performance as a Chief TD at
three category C tournaments of at least four rounds”.
Does this mean that the total number of category C tournaments in a1 through a3 is reduced from 10 to 3 or does it mean the number of category C tournaments in a3 is reduced from 4 to 3?
That is a reduction of 10 category C tournaments to 3 category C tournaments plus 3 category D (or larger) tournaments (quite understandably, you were focusing on just the part of the b10 substitution you had a question on but I didn’t want to leave others with the impression there was nothing else required).
They all have to be regular-rated Swisses of 4 or more rounds and two quick or blitz rated category C tournaments can substitute for one of the three, one category C1 plus category C2 combination can substitute for another of the three. One of the category D (or larger) tournaments can have two quick/blitz events substitute for it.
Note that b10 also requires at least two events submitted on line (one less than the standard requirement) and a two week notice so that the Federation can arrange to have somebody administer the test, so anybody planning to take it at the US Open should have already requested it a while ago.
Please also note that passing the test closed book is quite difficult. Most people capable of doing so already have (at least) virtually all of the normal experience requirements.
Current Chair of TD Certification Committee (soon to swap places with the current Vice Chair)
Thanks Jeff!
Would the test be available to take at the 2022 National Open? I am planning on attending either the National Open or the US Open in 2022. Haven’t decided which one yet.
What is the format for the Senior TD exam (multiple choice, essay, etc.)?
If you request it far enough in advance it the 2022 National Open should be fine. The test is 30 multiple choice questions (4 pts each), one pairing question (20 pts) and 112 pts needed to pass (80% of the 140 pts).
The term “under supervision” allows the proctor to be somebody other than an NTD, possibly a trusted non-TD staff member. So far I’ve only been the proctor for one person taking the test and in that particular case the test was able to be graded immediately (less than 112 points were earned).
For Senior TD Certification, rules a1 and a2 contradict rule b10 since a1 and a2 say “no substitutions are allowed” but b10 is a way you can substitute some of the TD credit requirments in a1 and a2.
“a1. Satisfactory performance as Chief TD of five Category C tournaments of at least four rounds; no
substitutions are allowed for these five TD credits.”
“a2. Satisfactory performance as Chief TD or chief assistant TD of one Category C tournament of at least four
rounds; no substitutions are allowed for this TD credit.”
“b10. For any applicant who takes and passes the Senior TD test (closed book) under supervision at a
category N tournament, experience requirements are reduced to satisfactory performance as a Chief TD at
three category C tournaments of at least four rounds”.
b10 and e are complete overrides to the standard requirements, not mere substitutions. That is why they also include the on-line submission requirement.
PS You’ve only quoted a portion of the b10 rule, not the entire rule (see below). Quoting only a portion may make it seem like a mere substitution, but when the entire rule is quoted it is clearly a replacement of both the a and the d requirements.
b10. For any applicant who takes and passes the Senior TD test (closed book) under supervision at a
category N tournament, experience requirements are reduced to satisfactory performance as a Chief TD at
three category C tournaments of at least four rounds (either a Category C1 or C2 tournament may be
substituted for one of the three Category C tournaments, or two Quick/Blitz Chess Category C, C1 or C2
tournaments may be substituted for one of the three Category C tournaments) and three additional Swiss
system tournaments of at least four rounds (two Quick/Blitz Chess Swiss system tournaments may be
substituted for one of the three additional Swiss system tournaments) with at least 2 tournaments, of any
size, having been successfully submitted for a rating online. Applicants must contact US Chess two weeks
in advance of the tournament to request this option.
When I google “substitution synonym”, one of the words that comes up is “replacement”.
Closed book means you can’t use a thesaurus, either. 
I don’t recall what the experience requirements were at the time, but I passed the senior exam closed book at the 1987 US Open in Portland. Ira Riddle proctored and graded it.
Well you can choose to argue with a leader of the TDCC, or you can choose to accept that he knows what he is taking about.
Since the TDCC approves the TD certifications I think I would listen to Jeff rather than try rule book lawyering.
You’ve completely missed the point of my posts.
I’m not arguing with Jeff on how the rules are applied. What I am simply saying is some of the wording of the rules is contradictory. My mom happens to be a language teacher and she says a1 and a2 do indeed contradict b10 the way they are written.
Rule writing doesn’t follow the same grammatical rules as writing an essay in school.
True, but different rules still shouldn’t contradict each other!
But it has been pointed out multiple times that the subsequent rules start by cancelling out the previous (and otherwise contradictory) ones. That’s how rule writing works, the specific overrules the general. The rules aren’t independent of each other, unlike the Ten Commandments.
The “no substitutions are allowed” wording in a1 and a2 seems pretty specific to me.
If your first reaction is to deconstruct the language at every turn you’re not going to pass the Senior TD test. A “rules lawyer” mentality is counterproductive here.
The conditions of taking the exam at a national event are very different from the conditions in rule 5 (mailed/e-mailed to the applicant to be taken at home and returned within two months). Because of the very different conditions the experience requirements are totally replaced.
Think of going into a restaurant wanting chicken and fries and seeing:
Chicken Vesuvio full meal (half chicken, baked potato slices and peas in garlic sauce - no substitutions, choice of dessert)
If you order it asking for fries instead of baked potato slices you will be told that you cannot substitute for fries, but that “no substitutions” clause doesn’t stop you from completely replacing your order with chicken tenders and fries.
He is already demonstrating he is not qualified on temperament alone.
But if you look at things objectively here, you will see that I am not deconstructing the language at every turn.
Temperament? That’s the pot calling the kettle black!
But the experience requirements aren’t completely replaced.