Special requests not to pair in FIDE rated events

[MichaelAtkins]

Several months ago I asked the IA Takis, the chair of FIDE Arbiter’s Commission a question that had been on my mind for awhile. Within US Chess events, 2 friends often ask not to be paired if possible. I usually tell them only in the first half of a tournament, after that anything goes. I asked Takis:

There was another part of my question which I forgot and happens more often in US tournaments. We often have several friends travel to a tournament together and request not to be paired with each other. In non FIDE rated events it is typically honored for the first half of a tournament and then the restriction is removed. Say we have 3 friends in the same car and a 6 round event, they’ll be protected in the first 3 rounds and then the protection removed.

Obviously this is completely not allowed in a norm/title event. What about a regular FIDE rated event? Seems to be that it should not be allowed but it might not be addressed directly in the rules. It would seem that protecting the three friends from playing each other in any round is a manipulation of the natural pairings.

His response was

for sure such a rule does not exist in tournaments valid for both FIDE rating and FIDE titles.
Rules cannot consider if two friends do not want to play against each other
You must delete such an option from your tournaments.
The general rule for the pairings says : “It is not allowed to vary the correct pairings in favour of any player”.

Seems pretty clear that this is not allowed in FIDE rated events…

Michael Atkins

[fpawn]

As we all found out in the last round of Gibraltar, where IM Zatonskih had to play the final round as black against her husband GM Fridman. She probably would have preferred a different pairing, considering that she stood to earn a major prize with a win. They battled to a fighting draw.

The only exception to this rule in FIDE events seems to involve pairings between an Israeli and a player from a short list of Arab federations, notably Iran and Palestine.

Michael Aigner

[franc]

I was the Chief Arbiter for the 1st Washington International in 2012. Mike Atkins, who is the OP of this thread, was my Deputy Chief Arbiter. Mike may remember that we had the Foisor family in attendance: Ovidiu, his wife Cristina-Adela (RIP), and daughters Sabina-Francesca and Michaela. The younger daughter, Michaela, ended up playing both mom and dad, and the husband and wife also played against each other! The only one who “escaped” without playing a family member was Sabina!

[Smythe_Dakota]

So, a three-player round robin and an isolani.

Bill Smythe

[MichaelAtkins]

@franc

I was the Chief Arbiter for the 1st Washington International in 2012. Mike Atkins, who is the OP of this thread, was my Deputy Chief Arbiter. Mike may remember that we had the Foisor family in attendance: Ovidiu, his wife Cristina-Adela (RIP), and daughters Sabina-Francesca and Michaela. The younger daughter, Michaela, ended up playing both mom and dad, and the husband and wife also played against each other! The only one who “escaped” without playing a family member was Sabina!

Yes, that was interesting. All Takis said for families like this is to not let them play in the last round in a swiss and in a RR to arrange the lots so they play in Rounds 1 or 2.

Mike

[relyea]

@MichaelAtkins

All Takis said for families like this is to not let them play in the last round in a swiss and in a RR to arrange the lots so they play in Rounds 1 or 2.

Mike

Which flies in the face of what Mr. Aigner reports above.

Alex Relyea

[MichaelAtkins]

@relyea

@MichaelAtkins

All Takis said for families like this is to not let them play in the last round in a swiss and in a RR to arrange the lots so they play in Rounds 1 or 2.

Mike

Which flies in the face of what Mr. Aigner reports above.

Alex Relyea

It is probably a “best practice” that Takis refers to. Would be nice if it were specifically codified so chess lawyers would feel less emboldened.

Mike