Arbiter Guide

How to use this guide

This guide is not a substitute for official FIDE documents. It is a practical overview of the rules, procedures and situations an arbiter encounters in tournament practice. A useful study order is: first the Laws of Chess, then rapid and blitz, followed by ratings and titles, and finally Swiss pairings, tie-breaks and practical arbiter cases.

2. Arbiter titles and professional development

FIDE Arbiter (FA) is the entry-level international arbiter title, while International Arbiter (IA) is the advanced level. In practice it is more useful to understand the route to a title and the conditions for a norm than to memorize article numbers.

Route to the FA title

• Attendance at a FIDE Arbiters' Seminar and a successful examination result of at least 80% are required.
• An FA application requires three valid tournament FA norms in addition to the seminar norm.
• An applicant for the FA title must be at least 19 years old. To obtain a tournament FA norm, the arbiter must be registered as a National Arbiter and be at least 18 years old.
• For the FA title application itself, the candidate should have held an NA licence for at least one year; alternatively, one additional FIDE-rated tournament in the FRS record, not used in the FA application, is required.

Which events may produce an FA norm?

For ordinary standard events, check the minimum requirements: a Swiss event needs at least 20 rated players, a Round Robin at least 8, a Double Round Robin at least 6, and a team or knockout event at least 20 rated players.

Norm events should normally have at least seven rounds; only one event with five or six rounds may be accepted in an FA application.

Rapid and blitz norm

A rapid or blitz event may be used at most once in an FA application. It must be FIDE rated, have at least 30 rated players and at least 9 rounds.

Two more practical checks

• The dates of tournament norms must not overlap or connect directly to one another; no more than one norm may come from the same festival, except for the specific exemption for events lasting more than 30 days.
• A tournament norm may not be more than 6 years old, a seminar norm more than 4 years old, and the application must be submitted no later than one year after the latest event listed. All tournaments in the application must already have been rated.

3. Role of the arbiter

An arbiter is not simply a person who gives penalties. The arbiter ensures proper playing conditions, application of the rules, Fair Play and equal treatment of all players.

The arbiter should

• ensure that the Laws of Chess are observed,
• prevent players from being disturbed,
• monitor the event, clocks, scoresheets and results,
• make calm and impartial decisions,
• avoid unnecessary arguments with players,
• apply the tournament regulations consistently,
• record important incidents in the arbiter report.

4. Laws of Chess – essentials for arbiter practice

4.1 Board, pieces and initial position

• The board has 64 squares, arranged 8×8.
• Each player must have a light square in the right-hand corner.
• The queen starts on a square of her own colour.
• White makes the first move.

4.2 Legal move

A move is legal only when it follows the movement rules of the piece and does not leave or place the player's own king in check.

4.3 Castling

Castling is a move of the king and a rook of the same colour on the same rank. It is not permitted if the king has moved, the relevant rook has moved, the king is in check, the king crosses an attacked square or the king finishes on an attacked square. The squares between king and rook must be vacant.

4.4 En passant

A pawn that advances two squares from its starting square and lands beside an opposing pawn may be captured en passant as though it had moved only one square. This right exists only on the immediately following move.

4.5 Promotion

When a pawn reaches the last rank it must be replaced by a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour. The choice does not depend on pieces previously captured.

4.6 Touch-move

• If the player to move deliberately touches one of their own pieces, that piece must be moved if a legal move exists.
• If the player deliberately touches an opponent's piece, it must be captured if a legal capture exists.
• If the player intends only to adjust a piece, this must be announced beforehand, for example by saying “j'adoube”.
• If none of the touched pieces can legally be moved or captured, the player may make any legal move.

5. End of the game

Dead position

Typical examples include K versus K, K+B versus K and K+N versus K, as well as blocked positions in which neither side can ever give checkmate by any legal sequence.

6. Draws – rules often tested

6.1 Threefold repetition

Positions are considered the same only when the same player has the move, pieces of the same kind and colour occupy the same squares, and all possible moves are the same. Castling and en-passant rights therefore matter.

A player may claim a draw if the intended move will produce the third occurrence, or if the same position has already appeared for the third time.

6.2 Fivefold repetition

Five occurrences of the same position result in an automatic draw; the arbiter should intervene.

6.3 50-move rule

A player may claim a draw after 50 moves by each player without a pawn move and without a capture.

6.4 75-move rule

After 75 moves by each player without a pawn move or capture, the game is automatically drawn unless the last move resulted in checkmate.

6.5 Draw offer

The correct sequence is: make a move, offer the draw, then press the clock. A draw offer remains valid until the opponent accepts it, rejects it verbally, rejects it by making a move, or otherwise clearly rejects it.

6.6 Claim procedure

• Only the player having the move may claim a draw by threefold repetition or the 50-move rule.
• If the position is to arise after an intended move, the player writes the move down without playing it, stops the clock and summons the arbiter.
• If the claim is correct, the game ends immediately as a draw.
• If the claim is incorrect, the arbiter applies the time adjustment required by the Laws for the relevant time control and the game continues.

7. Irregularities

7.1 Illegal move

An illegal move is one that does not comply with the Laws: leaving the king in check, moving a piece incorrectly, illegal castling, improper promotion, an invalid en-passant capture, and similar cases.

7.2 Completed illegal move

• First completed illegal move in a standard game: add two minutes to the opponent.
• Under the applicable rapid/blitz rules, the first completed illegal move normally gives the opponent one minute.
• A second completed illegal move by the same player in the same game loses the game, unless the opponent cannot possibly checkmate by any series of legal moves.

7.3 Incorrect initial position

If it is discovered during a standard game that the pieces were incorrectly placed at the start, the game is cancelled and a new game is played. This should not be confused with a wrongly oriented board or reversed colours.

7.4 Wrong board orientation and reversed colours

If only the board is wrongly oriented, the game is not restarted: the position reached is transferred to a correctly oriented board and play continues.

If the players started with reversed colours, a new game is played only if the error is discovered before both players have made 10 moves. After that, the game continues. If the game has already ended normally before the error is discovered, the result stands.

7.5 Incorrect clock setting

If a clock is incorrectly set, the arbiter pauses and corrects it using the best available information. Before making an adjustment, it is useful to record the times shown on both clocks and the move count so that the decision can be checked.

In rapid chess, when the event is played under the regime where the arbiter does not directly supervise every game, after 10 moves by each player an incorrect initial set-up or board orientation is no longer corrected, and the clock setting is changed only if the error would seriously affect the event schedule. If the king or a rook was incorrectly placed from the start, this may affect the right to castle.

7.6 Illegal position

If an illegal position is found, reconstruct the last known legal position when possible. Use scoresheets, the current board and reliable evidence.

8. Chess clocks

8.1 Basic use

The player must press the clock with the same hand used to make the move. A player must not keep a finger on the clock button or hover over it.

Open Benko Chess digital clock

8.2 Time controls

8.3 Flag fall

A legally delivered checkmate ends the game immediately. If a player's flag has fallen, that player loses only if the opponent can checkmate by some possible series of legal moves; otherwise the result is a draw.

9. Rapid and blitz

9.1 Definitions

• Rapid: more than 10 minutes but less than 60 minutes per player, including the increment calculated as specified by the Laws.
• Blitz: 10 minutes or less per player under the FIDE calculation.
• Standard: 60 minutes or more per player under the FIDE calculation.

9.2 Arbiter intervention

In rapid and blitz, practical arbiter work also depends on how the event is organised. When an arbiter can directly follow a game and there is appropriate move recording, the procedure is closer to standard chess. At most events one arbiter supervises several games, so the timing of a claim and the exact sequence of events at the board become especially important. Before play begins, the arbiter must know which procedure applies under the event regulations.

9.3 Illegal move in rapid/blitz

Typical practical cases involve an illegal move, a clock press, the opponent's next move, checkmate after an illegal move, a flag fall and a player's claim.

When the special rapid/blitz procedure applies, an illegal move must be noticed or claimed in time. If the opponent makes the next move before the arbiter intervenes or a claim is made, the previous illegal move is no longer taken back. The arbiter should first establish exactly what happened and in what order.

If the arbiter sees both kings in check, or a pawn remaining on the last rank without promotion, the game is not stopped immediately. The arbiter waits for the next move to be completed; if the illegal position is still on the board, the game is declared drawn.

10. Scoresheets

In standard chess, players normally record their moves clearly and move by move. Scoresheets are tournament documents and can be essential when verifying repetitions, move counts, illegal moves and other claims.

Time trouble

Under the Laws, a player may be excused from recording when the remaining time and increment meet the specified conditions. With an increment of at least 30 seconds per move, the obligation generally continues.

Reconstruction

After time trouble, the record may need to be completed before play continues, depending on the applicable rule.

11. Player conduct

• Players must not distract or annoy the opponent.
• Analysis on another board during the game is not permitted.
• Notes, information sources and outside advice are prohibited.
• Electronic devices are governed by the Laws and competition regulations.
• Players must respect arbiter decisions, while retaining any right of appeal provided by the regulations.

Mobile Phones and Electronic Devices

During a game, a player should not have an unapproved electronic device on their person in the playing venue. If the event regulations allow a device to be brought in, it must be completely switched off and left in the designated place, for example in a bag that the player may not access without the arbiter’s permission.

If it is evident that a player has such a device on their person, the result may be loss of the game. The event regulations may specify a less severe penalty in advance, so the arbiter must know and clearly announce the applicable procedure before play begins.

12. Fair Play and anti-cheating

Fair Play is one of the most important areas of modern arbiter work. The aim is not to treat players as suspects in advance, but to organise the event so that opportunities for prohibited assistance are reduced and any concern can be checked calmly and professionally.

Three levels of protection

The FIDE Fair Play Protection Measures distinguish three levels: Standard Protection, Increased Protection and Maximum Protection. As an event becomes more important, stronger, more valuable or relevant to title norms, the required protection measures become more demanding.

What the arbiter does before the event

• checks which Fair Play protection level applies to the event,
• works with the organiser to define player and spectator areas,
• checks the rules for phones, smart watches, headphones, bags and other devices,
• knows who is responsible for Fair Play and where a serious concern must be reported,
• checks which controls, screening and other measures must be in place.

When a concern arises

• record facts rather than impressions,
• do not publicly accuse the player,
• do not treat an engine evaluation as the sole proof,
• follow the Fair Play procedure and involve the Chief Arbiter/Fair Play personnel when required.

13. FIDE rating regulations

13.1 What the arbiter checks

• The event was registered correctly and on time.
• The time control is eligible for the intended rating category.
• Players have the correct FIDE IDs and federations.
• Results and dates are entered correctly.
• Games reported as played were actually played.
• Forfeits and byes are marked correctly.

13.2 K-factor – what is worth remembering

The K-factor controls how quickly a rating can change. In practical work it is useful to remember the main groups: K=40 for a new player until they have completed events with at least 30 rated games; K=20 for most players while their rating is below 2400; and K=10 once a published rating has reached 2400. There is also K=40 for young players until the end of the year of their 18th birthday while their rating remains below 2300.

If a player has many games in one rating period, K may be reduced so that K × the number of games does not exceed 700. This means the K used in an actual calculation is not always the player's basic K.

13.3 Large rating differences

From 1 October 2025, the 400-point rule in standard rating no longer works identically for every player. For a player rated below 2650, a rating difference greater than 400 is counted as 400. For a player rated 2650 or above, the actual rating difference is used.

13.4 Rapid and blitz – very large rating differences

For rapid and blitz rating there is another situation worth checking: a game with a rating difference of 600 points or more is not rated if at least one of the players is rated above 2600 on the relevant list.

14. FIDE titles and norms

14.1 The usual route to a title

14.2 Direct titles and norms

Rating thresholds and standard norms are not the only route to a FIDE title. In certain official championships and qualifying events, a specified result or final placing can earn a direct title or a direct norm. The exact award depends on the current FIDE Direct Titles table and on the conditions of the event.

14.3 Norm events

Important factors include the number of games, titled opponents, federations represented, opponents' average rating, performance and all other conditions in the current Title Regulations.

The arbiter must verify the data carefully and should never certify a norm that does not satisfy the regulations. In events awarding direct titles, the table applicable to the date and type of event must also be checked.

15. Swiss pairing systems

15.1 Key terms

• Score group: participants with the same score.
• Floater: a participant transferred to another score group.
• Downfloater: a participant transferred to a lower score group.
• Upfloater: a participant transferred to a higher score group.
• Colour preference: the colour a participant should ideally receive according to the colours of games actually played.
• Absolute colour preference: a strong colour requirement, for example when the colour difference is greater than 1 or the participant played the same colour in the two latest games actually played.

15.2 Basic rules from 1 February 2026

• The number of rounds is declared in advance.
• Two participants must not play each other more than once.
• When the number of participants to be paired is odd, one participant receives a pairing-allocated bye according to the system and event regulations.
• A participant who has already received a pairing-allocated bye, or scored in one round without playing as many points as are awarded for a win, must not receive another such bye.
• In general, participants are paired with others on the same score.
• In general, the difference between the number of games with Black and White should not be greater than 2 or less than -2.
• In general, a participant should not receive the same colour three times in a row.

15.3 Unplayed rounds and colour history

Where colour sequence is relevant, only games actually played count. A bye, a forfeit without a played game, or another unplayed round gives no colour and does not break the sequence of previously played colours.

15.4 What the arbiter checks before publishing pairings

• all previous-round results are entered correctly,
• played and unplayed games are correctly distinguished,
• byes and forfeits are entered with the correct status,
• no participants are improperly paired against each other again,
• the software is using the intended FIDE Swiss system and current rules.

16. Tie-break systems

The competition regulations should state the tie-break order in advance.

Forfeits and byes

Unplayed games, byes and forfeits require the special treatment prescribed by the current tie-break regulations. The old “virtual opponent” method should not be used as a general Buchholz rule; before publishing the final standings, the arbiter should verify that the pairing software uses the current rules and that every unplayed round has been entered correctly.

17. Team competitions

The arbiter should verify team compositions, board order, submission deadlines, player identity, captain communication rules, match points, game points and team tie-breaks.

The captain during play

Communication between a captain and a player is not unrestricted. If a captain wishes to speak to a player, the captain first approaches the arbiter; the conversation then takes place in the arbiter's presence and in a language the arbiter can understand. The same applies when a player wishes to speak to the captain.

A captain must not analyse the position, evaluate who is better, suggest a move or otherwise give chess advice.

18. Appeals and disciplinary decisions

A player may ask for an explanation of an arbiter's decision and, when the event regulations provide an appeal procedure, may lodge an appeal. The arbiter should remain calm, explain the decision briefly and direct the player to the prescribed procedure.

Before the event begins

The arbiter should know whether an Appeals Committee exists, who its members are, the appeal deadline, whether an appeal fee applies and how an appeal must be submitted. These matters should not be improvised after a dispute occurs.

Deadlines – an important distinction

Under the FIDE C.11 procedure, an appeal is submitted in writing to the Chairman of the Appeals Committee within 1 hour in a standard-play tournament or within 15 minutes in a rapid or blitz tournament, measured from the end of the round or the particular infringement.

Order of appeal

Under the C.11 procedure, an appeal to the Appeals Committee may be made only after the appellant has received a decision from the Chief Arbiter. In a team event the appeal is submitted by the captain, while for a minor it may be submitted by a parent, guardian or Head of Delegation according to that procedure.

What the arbiter should record

• the exact sequence of events,
• the times on both clocks and the move count when relevant,
• the player's claim and the arbiter's response,
• who was present and what they directly saw or heard,
• the decision taken and the rule on which it was based.

The arbiter's report should be factual and concise. The purpose is not to “win an argument” before the Appeals Committee, but to give the committee a reliable account of what actually happened.

19. Swiss-Manager, Vega and Chess-Results

An arbiter does not need to be a programmer, but must understand basic pairing-software operation and know how to prevent data and pairing errors.

Before the event

• Enter the correct event name, dates and time control.
• Verify every player's FIDE ID, federation, sex, year of birth and rating where relevant.
• Set the correct number of rounds, pairing system and tie-breaks.
• Create regular backups.

After each round

• Verify every result before pairing the next round.
• Check wins, draws, forfeits and byes carefully.
• Publish pairings only after verification.
• At the end, verify final standings, prizes and rating reports.

20. Practical arbiter cases

Case 1: A player touches the queen, then wants to move a knight

Apply the touch-move rule. If the queen has a legal move, it must be moved.

Case 2: A player says “checkmate”, but it is not mate

The verbal statement has no special force. Continue the game if the position is legal; deal with any disturbance separately if needed.

Case 3: A phone rings in a bag

Apply the Laws of Chess and the event's published electronic-device regulations.

Case 4: A player claims a draw under the 50-move rule with an incomplete scoresheet

Establish the facts using all reliable evidence. A claim must be verified, not assumed.

Case 5: A player delivers checkmate while a flag-fall issue is being raised

Determine the exact sequence of events. A legal checkmate ends the game immediately when it occurs.

Case 6: An incorrect result is entered in Chess-Results

Verify the actual result and correct the tournament record as soon as possible.

21. Knowledge check

After studying this guide, use the dedicated 150-question test page to practice the Laws of Chess, rapid/blitz, clocks, ratings, titles, Swiss systems, Fair Play and practical arbiter decisions.

Open 150 Arbiter Test Questions

22. Official sources

Use this guide together with the official documents currently applicable to the event:

• FIDE Laws of Chess – effective from 1 January 2023
• FIDE Arbiters’ Manual 2026 – official PDF
• FIDE Regulations for the Titles of Arbiters – effective from 1 March 2026
• FIDE Rating Regulations – current Handbook chapter; also check later amendments that have entered into force
• FIDE Title Regulations – main regulations for titles and norms
• Table for Direct Titles – effective from 1 January 2026
• General Handling Rules for Swiss Tournaments – effective from 1 February 2026
• Play-Off and Tie-Break Regulations – effective from 1 March 2026
• FIDE Arbiters’ Commission – official news, manuals and arbiter material