Objectivity - The
Duties and Responsibilities of the Arbiter
Compiled by Robert Wheeler, November 2003
The following is
based upon the FIDE Laws of Chess (July 2001), referred to later only as “The
Laws”. Firstly, let us quote from the Preface of the Laws.
The Laws of Chess
cannot cover all possible situations that may arise during a game, nor can they
regulate all administrative questions. Where cases are not precisely regulated
by an Article of the Laws, it should be possible to reach a correct decision by
studying analogous situations, which are discussed in the Laws. The Laws assume
that arbiters have the necessary competence, sound judgement and absolute
objectivity. Too detailed a rule might deprive the arbiter of his freedom of
judgement and thus prevent him from finding the solution to a problem dictated
by fairness, logic and special factors. FIDE appeals to all chess players and
federations to accept this view.
The role and purpose
of the Arbiter is to make sure that the games are played in accordance with the
Laws of Chess, under the best conditions possible.
It is clear that it is
impossible to cover every situation that may arise, so the decisions of the
Arbiter must also be based on arriving at a fair solution to problems by means
of sound reasoning and practical common sense.
References as to the
duties of the arbiter are to be found throughout the Laws, however Article 13
clearly details the role of the arbiter. Following is the complete text.
Article 13: The role of the arbiter
13.1 The arbiter shall see
that the Laws of Chess are strictly observed.
13.2 The arbiter shall act in
the best interest of the competition. He should ensure that a good playing
environment is maintained and that the players are not disturbed. He shall
supervise the progress of the competition.
13.3 The arbiter shall
observe the games, especially when the players are short of time, enforce
decisions he has made and impose penalties on players where appropriate.
13.4 The arbiter can apply
one or more of the following penalties:
(a) warning,
(b) increasing the remaining
time of the opponent,
(c) reducing the remaining
time of the offending player,
(d) declaring the game to be
lost,
(e) reducing the points
scored in a game by the offending party,
(f) increasing the points
scored in a game by the opponent to the maximum available for that game,
(g) expulsion from the event.
13.5 The arbiter may award
either or both players additional time in the event of external disturbance of
the game.
13.6 The
arbiter must not intervene in a game except in cases described by the Laws of
Chess. He shall not indicate the number of moves made, except in applying
Article 8.5, when at least one player has used all his time. The arbiter shall
refrain from informing a player that his opponent has completed a move.
13.7 Spectators
and players in other games are not to speak about or otherwise interfere in a
game. If necessary, the arbiter may expel offenders from the playing venue.
There should be a
person designated as the Chief Arbiter, who shall be responsible for all the major
decisions to be made in the running of the tournament. Working with him will be
a number of assistant arbiters. The number of arbiters for an event will vary
depending on circumstances. For a tournament with 100 players it is advisable
to have five arbiters.
It is vital that before
a tournament begins the Chief Arbiter must make sure that the playing venue,
equipment and playing conditions are suitable.
The organizers of a
tournament are responsible for announcing the date, time & venue for the
drawing of lots. The Chief Arbiter should see that the drawing of lots be made
according to the regulations and that it takes place according to the
announcement. He should ensure that a Tournament Appeals Committee is formed
before play begins. The function of this committee is for players to have
recourse against decisions made by the Arbiter, and it may comprise the Chief
Arbiter and a number of knowledgeable players (see “Settlement of Disputes /
Functions of the Tournament Appeals Committee”).
Before the event
commences, the Chief Arbiter should make sure that all participants in an event
have received the rules and regulations in writing. It is bad practice to make
verbal announcements just before play begins – sometimes players are not
present or are not listening. If during an event, there are any changes in the
schedule or regulations, every player should be informed individually. This
will avoid later disputes.
The Chief Arbiter must
supervise the running of the event. This includes the work of technical
personnel during the competition. For example he must supervise media personnel
to ensure they do not disturb the players and he should know where to contact a
doctor in case of medical problems.
He must produce the
pairings list round by round, dependent on the type of tournament he is
regulating. If possible there should be a room set aside for this purpose so
that the arbiters can work away from the players. It is very annoying while
doing this type of technical work to be interrupted. The Chief Arbiter must
keep the records of each round, check the working of the clocks
He must keep order in
the tournament hall, ensuring that the players do not disturb one another and
are not disturbed by spectators. He should observe the players to make sure
they do not exceed the time limits. When players are in time trouble, an
arbiter (or other observer) should be nearby to keep track of the moves being
played (in order to settle disputes if they arise). He is responsible for
imposing penalties if players break the Laws (see Article 13 for details).
You ought to like and
understand chess and chess players! You should know the rules and be able to
them in a fair way! You should have reasonable common sense and be prepared to
go the extra mile to find fair solutions to problems that arise.
You should have a sense
of humour. Then you will know what it means when it is said that an Arbiter
should have type ‘A’ blood!
Any player is entitled
to ask an Arbiter about the Laws. A good Arbiter will always take the trouble
to explain fundamentals of tournament play to those unfamiliar with the rules
(examples: Jones–Brown means that Jones has White; you don’t get knocked out in
a Swiss; touch-move rule; coming late means you can lose; time controls;
keeping score; reporting results).
Remember that you once had to learn these things!
A complainant should be
treated with due respect at all times, even if the complaint is thought to be
without basis. The Arbiter should keep a copy of the latest Laws so that he can
show the complainant the relevant rule.
Common failings of
inexperienced arbiters include being overbearing, or interfering where it is
unnecessary. Sometimes it is better not to intervene in a minor problem. Often
just the approach of the arbiter can settle such things!
It is sometimes
impossible to satisfy both sides in a dispute, and it is possible that nobody
will agree with a decision of the Arbiter! Discussions involving a dispute
should be held in private, so that the event is not disturbed. Settlement of a
dispute must depend entirely on the Arbiter. He should make a decision and
enforce it without excess argument. He should definitely not engage in “words”
with any of the persons concerned.
If the Arbiter has made
a mistake, he should admit it! If he really does not know what to do, then he
should ask for help. There is usually someone who can give assistance. The
Arbiter should not fall into the common trap of being too bossy or interfering
too much.
These functions should
be clearly included in the regulations governing the event, however the
following points should be kept in mind.
If a player wishes to
dispute an Arbiter’s decision, then he should make an appeal in writing to the
Tournament Appeals Committee, not more than one hour after the decision. This
appeal should state precisely the exact point or points being appealed against
and the grounds of appeal.
It is advisable that
such appeals should be submitted together with a pre-announced cash deposit. If
the appeal is upheld this deposit may be refundable. If the appeal fails the
Tournament Appeals Committee can also refund the deposit if the appeal was
considered to have good grounds.
A very good article was written by International Arbiter Geurt Gijssen in 1991. While it is too long to include here we have made it available for download (see downloads section). This is almost mandatory reading for the budding arbiter!