About the ARB

The FIDE Arbiters’ Commission (ARB) is the body in charge of the chess arbiters’ sector in FIDE.

Our missions are:

Management & Regulations

The ARB shall be responsible for managing the arbiter’s sector of FIDE. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Defining missions, vision, objectives and strategy for the sector, in line with overall FIDE objectives
  • Regulating arbiter titles, classification, discipline and licensing; working processes of the commission
  • Ensuring proper use of the budget assigned to the commission
  • Reporting activities to the FIDE Council, Executive Board (EB) and General Assembly (GA)

Operations & Administration

The ARB shall be responsible for the administrative and operational activities relevant to the arbiter’s sector:

  • Licensing of arbiters (National, FIDE and International level)
  • Evaluation of title applications and classification of arbiters in categories to be presented to the FIDE Council, EB or GA.
  • Supervision of FIDE Arbiter seminars (endorsement, advertisement, archiving)
  • Administration of the FIDE arbiter’s database (including Lecturers)

Development

The ARB shall be responsible for raising standards of quality, while taking into account various levels of development around the globe.

The ARB shall be responsible for any projects relevant to the arbiter’s sector. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Initiating and leading new projects to support the development of the sector
  • Deploying existing initiatives in collaboration with other chess bodies (FIDE commissions, Affiliated Organizations, Federations etc.)

In any occasion, the ARB shall position itself in a way to encourage collaboration and synergy with other chess bodies.

Education and training

The ARB shall be responsible for the education, training and certification of Arbiters and Lecturers. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Designing the curriculum for arbiter seminars and examinations
  • Providing reference documents for trainees and lecturers
  • Organizing seminars, workshops or joint trainings with other commissions (e.g. Rules, Fair Play)

Official FIDE Events

The ARB shall be responsible for the appointment of arbiters in official FIDE events, in collaboration with relevant FIDE commissions (Global Strategy Commission, Events Commission).

Communication & Recognition

The ARB shall be responsible for communication relevant to the arbiter’s sector. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Producing official publications (Arbiters Manual and Arbiters Magazine), which may be printed and distributed
  • Advertising about seminars and development projects and initiatives on their official website

The ARB shall be responsible for recognizing arbiters through programs like the Arbiters Awards

Disciplinary

The ARB shall be responsible for discipline in the arbiter’s sector, as described in the Disciplinary Regulations for Arbiters.