FIDE Classification of Arbiters (IA and FA only)

[Kevin Bonham]

The ACF has been asked by FIDE to classify arbiters according to the classifications found at http://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/Re...ssArbiters.pdf

The classifications are used to determine who is entitled to be an arbiter at certain classes of World and Continental events.

By default an arbiter is classified as D Category. I seek information on any Australian-registered IAs or FAs who fit the requirements for categories A, B and C. The most relevant requirements are:

Category A:

* IAs who have acted as Chief Arbiter or Deputy Chief Arbiter in at least one (1) major World event (Olympiad, World Individual Championship tournaments and matches, for Men and Women, World Cup, World Team Championships for Men and Women, World Youth and Junior Championships, FIDE Grand Prix Tournaments) in the period of the last five (5) years.

Category B:

* IAs who have acted as Chief Arbiter or Deputy Chief Arbiter in at least two (2) of the major Continental events (Continental Individual Championship tournaments for Men and Women, Continental Team Championships for Men and Women, Continental Youth and Junior Championships, Continental Club Cup Tournaments, or the minor World events ( World School Individual Championships, World Amateur Championships for Men and Women, World Senior Championships for Men and Women, Olympiad U-16, World Blitz and Rapid Championships), in the period of the last five (5) years.

Category C:

* IAs or FAs who have acted as Chief Arbiter or Deputy Chief Arbiter in at least two (2) minor Continental events (Continental School Individual and Team Championships, Continental Blitz and Rapid Championships, Teams Tournaments or Swiss System Tournaments with more than 150 participants), in the period of the last five (5) years.

If anyone is, or is confident they know of, an Australian-registered IA or FA meeting the above requirements then please advise me of the details as soon as possible - to this thread, via PM or by email to k_bonham@tassie.net.au . Note that "Continent" does not mean the same thing as "Zone", eg Australia's continent is Asia whereas Oceania is our Zone.

Kevin Bonham
ACF FIDE Delegate

(PS there has been a little discussion about this on CC before.)

[Brian_Jones]

I had some recent email exchanges with FIDE Arbiters Commission members in early July this year, before you were appointed as the ACF Delegate to FIDE.

I will forward the relevent email concerning my recommendations about the Australian (and Oceania) arbiters.

[peter_parr]

The ACF has been asked by FIDE to classify arbiters according to the classifications found at http://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/Re...ssArbiters.pdf

I had some recent email exchanges with FIDE Arbiters Commission members in early July this year, before you were appointed as the ACF Delegate to FIDE.

The correct procedure was for BJ to correspond with the ACF if he thought his input as a non-ACF Councillor was necessary. The previous ACF Delegate to FIDE was Phil Viner.

FIDE asked the ACF to classify Australian arbiters. The ACF is the governing body of chess in Australia and corresponds with FIDE on matters relating to Australia.
BJ does not have this authority and is by-passing the ACF once again.

[Denis_Jessop]

The correct procedure was for BJ to correspond with the ACF if he thought his input as a non-ACF Councillor was necessary. The previous ACF Delegate to FIDE was Phil Viner.

FIDE asked the ACF to classify Australian arbiters. The ACF is the governing body of chess in Australia and corresponds with FIDE on matters relating to Australia.
BJ does not have this authority and is by-passing the ACF once again.

I think that, with the greatest respect to Brian, he is letting his position as Oceania Zone President run away with him and is neglecting some of his previously expressed principles.

DJ

[Kevin Bonham]

The emails Brian forwarded to me were helpful, since they showed that some of the information FIDE was requesting was already being processed and they also showed that some of the applications of the regulations are rather different to what I'd expect on a literal reading.

The start of the discussion wasn't included in the emails Brian sent me but it appears that Brian made a suggestion that various Oceania Zone (not just Australian) arbiters be reclassified upwards from the default classifications on the FIDE site. Brian is President of FIDE Oceania Zone so I don't really see a problem with him making such a request.

[Kevin Bonham]

Arbiters Commission has provisionally approved Charles Zworestine and Gary Bekker as Cat B, also Shaun Press (PNG) and Bob Gibbons (NZL) as Cat C. Everyone else is either D or inactive but I didn't check the breakdown there.

[Thunderspirit]

Arbiters Commission has provisionally approved Charles Zworestine and Gary Bekker as Cat B, also Shaun Press (PNG) and Bob Gibbons (NZL) as Cat C. Everyone else is either D or inactive but I didn't check the breakdown there.

As Gary Bekker was Chief Arbiter of the Women's Olympiad, doesn't that make him Category A? Or was it more than 5 years ago?

[Kevin Bonham]

As Gary Bekker was Chief Arbiter of the Women's Olympiad, doesn't that make him Category A? Or was it more than 5 years ago?

I have some material on this at home which I will post when I get back sometime; he is not Cat A and actually some discretion was used to make him Cat B instead of Cat C.

An issue I had with the regulations is this:

1.3 An International Arbiter (IA) is considered to be Inactive if in a period of two (2) years he has never acted as an Arbiter in any international chess event, according to the Article 4.6 of the Regulations for the Titles of the Arbiters.
1.4 A FIDE Arbiter (FA) is considered to be Inactive if in a period of two (2) years he has never acted as an Arbiter in any FIDE rated chess event according to the Article 3.5 of the Regulations for the Titles of the Arbiters.

As it reads above it is possible for an IA who is routinely arbiting small local FIDE-rated events to be declared inactive although an FA would be considered active in the same circumstance. I brought this up at the Arbiters Commission meeting and it was agreed that it would be fixed. (It was mainly the case of IA Roland Eime that caused me to do this.)

[Garvinator]

An issue I had with the regulations is this:

As it reads above it is possible for an IA who is routinely arbiting small local FIDE-rated events to be declared inactive although an FA would be considered active in the same circumstance. I brought this up at the Arbiters Commission meeting and it was agreed that it would be fixed. (It was mainly the case of IA Roland Eime that caused me to do this.)

I can understand why there is a difference. The IA title comes from being chief or deputy arbiter at four playing norm events (to simplify the criteria).

And so to be considered an active IA, that arbiter would need to be in charge of the same style of events that got them the IA title.

If that arbiter is not being an arbiter of those types of events, then they have been inactive for those events. I think having them marked as inactive is beneficial to those IA's who have been involved in the 'right' events. It also then serves as information to playing norm events for organisers about which arbiters are more likely to be aware of current practices for norm events.

[Kevin Bonham]

I can understand why there is a difference. The IA title comes from being chief or deputy arbiter at four playing norm events (to simplify the criteria).

And so to be considered an active IA, that arbiter would need to be in charge of the same style of events that got them the IA title.

But consider the parallel to IM, FM etc. The IM title comes (soft titles excluded) from performing at a certain strength. But to be considered an active IM, a player need not still be returning IM results. The title is for life and activity indicates activity at some level.

I also think that it's being active (rather than the level of activity) that matters most for arbiters because an IA who is active in local FIDE-rated events will still (if competent) be keeping up to date with Laws changes, while an IA who hasn't refereed anything in 25 years will probably not have done so.

A more detailed alternative would have been to have two tiers of activity so that an IA could be indicated as active at FA level only.

[Thunderspirit]

Hi Kevin,

In part I find your answer a little odd. Gary was the Chief Arbiter of the Women's Olympiad, a top tier event. From memory this was less than five years ago, so it would still be valid. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)

No other Australian Arbiter has arbitered anything near being the Chief Arbiter at the Women's Olympiad in the past five years. Yes, he is less active then Charles, but Charles only runs events in the Oceania, not the Olympiad and World Champs).

(Apologies in advance to Cathy Rogers, if she's arbitered a World Champs that I've omited?)

While he less active then arbiters like Charles, the Olympaid has (in my opinion) a lot of weight. No 3 at the Olympaid.

Thanks

Lee.

[Kevin Bonham]

In part I find your answer a little odd. Gary was the Chief Arbiter of the Women's Olympiad, a top tier event. From memory this was less than five years ago, so it would still be valid. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)

The issue is either that it was more than five years ago or that his actual title was not Chief Arbiter, but without access to emails I received about it I cannot remember which it is for certain. I just know it has been covered.

[EDIT: I note a post on Shaun Press's blog states Gary was actually Deputy Chief Arbiter.]