Did ECU violated FIDE

international title regulations ?

 

   Browsing the list of arbiters on European team championship 2009 in Novi Sad, as well as the individual European Championship in Rijeka, it was noted that several arbiters have no international titles.

   In these tournaments you can win international titles, and organization of arbitrage is such that each arbiter receive either certain number of games (usually two games) or at individual competitions a certain number of boards (ten to fifteen).

    So, these (mini) tournaments arbitrate arbiters with no international title and that is contrary to fide regulations. Namely, Article 1, 17 of FIDE Title Regulations specifically says: “The tournament shall be conducted by an International Arbiter, failing that, by a FIDE Arbiter”.

   Someone will say that the main arbiter and his deputies (usually two: for male and female section) are arbiters with international titles. And what are the others then: game arbiters in team competitions and arbiters on mini tournaments (10-15 boards) in individual competitions?

   As I was arbiter on such competitions, my opinion is that other arbiters in these competitions are – DEPUTIES! They also make decisions during the competitions.

   Some federations send to these competitions arbiters without any international experience, saying they are reducing costs. It seems that only in chess arbiters are too much ballast, and there is no clear criteria on who can arbitrate the most important competitions of the world, continental or national ranking. In football, basketball, tennis or any other sport, it is not the case.

   Will anyone stop this (un)conscious violation of rules? And what would happen if in the sector in which is the arbiter without international title some player met the norm for higher (IM or GM) title? Would that norm be verified?

   The answer is positive, because the certificate will be signed by someone who, perhaps, was nowhere near the place where that norm was achieved. But whether it is in accordance with applicable regulations? Our answer is - NO!

 

                                                          Mihajlo Savic