Chief Arbiter

The Chief Arbiter leads the arbitral operation of a competition. This person coordinates the other arbiters, works to ensure that the Laws of Chess and event regulations are applied, resolves incidents escalated to that level, and maintains consistency across different playing areas or rounds.

The exact scope depends on the tournament. It may include supervising the playing venue, organizing the arbitral team, interpreting regulations, confirming results, and handling pairings, meaning who plays whom, clocks, conduct, or tie-break issues. In events that produce arbiter norms, performance certificates that may count toward an arbiter title, the Chief Arbiter also issues or signs them when the rules require it.

Chief Arbiter is a role, not a title. A person may hold the FIDE Arbiter or International Arbiter title and also be appointed Chief Arbiter of a particular event. Appointment depends on the competition's level and regulations. Major official FIDE events organized by the International Chess Federation use specific eligibility and appointment procedures.

Where an Appeals Committee exists, a formal appeal can be filed only after the Chief Arbiter has issued a decision. This does not make the committee the Chief Arbiter's day-to-day supervisor. The Chief Arbiter continues running the tournament while the committee reviews only the appealed matter.