Appeals Committee

An Appeals Committee is a body separate from the arbitral team that examines whether a challenged decision followed the Laws of Chess and the tournament's specific regulations. It is not a place for every informal disagreement. A decision by the Chief Arbiter, the person leading the arbitral team, must come first, and the appellant must be directly affected by the dispute.

Under the procedure of FIDE, the International Chess Federation, the committee has a chair and two members. It should preferably include a titled player and a person holding the International Arbiter title with a current license. Reserve members may also be appointed to handle certain conflicts of interest, such as a committee member representing the same federation as a party.

How an appeal is filed

1. The player, or the captain in a team competition, first receives the Chief Arbiter's decision.
2. The appeal is submitted in writing within the event's deadline. Under the general FIDE procedure, the deadline is one hour for standard chess, meaning long time-control games, and fifteen minutes for the faster rapid or blitz formats.
3. The stated fee is paid unless the event has waived it. The committee may request statements and then communicates a written verdict.

The committee may consider an incorrect application of the Laws of Chess, an incorrect application of event regulations, or player conduct. The exact process belongs to the competition, so its deadline, fee, language, and permitted grounds should be checked before play begins.