Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter

THE Bulawayo Chess Association is set to host an arbiters’ seminar early next month as they aim to increase the number of arbiters that the city has.

Scheduled to take place from February 4-5 at a venue yet to be advised by the provincial governing body, some of the main talking points at the event will be the laws of chess, use of electronic clocks, system of games and tie break, anti-cheating guidelines for arbiters, International Chess Federation (FIDE) competition rules and standards of chess equipment and league.

There will also be an examination for the participants at the end of the programme.
Registration for the event is pegged at US$50 of which US$30 will go towards seminar fee while the balance will contribute to Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF) affiliation and certification. International Arbiter (IA) Simbarashe Murimi, National Arbiter (NA) Thabang Moyo and NA Thaddeus Ndebele will facilitate the programme.

Only two qualified arbiters are available in Bulawayo thus the seminar will open doors for many which will come good for the development of the sport.
“Our aim is to increase the number of arbiters in the City of Kings and afar. Currently there are only two qualified arbiters to run tournaments, which is not good for the sport. Arbiters get remuneration for every tournament, this workshop is an investment.

“As the sport is growing, demand for arbiters is growing. Being just two arbiters, we are overstretched as we sometimes go for international duties and the city is left stranded,” said one of the seminar facilitators.
In the sport, an arbiter oversees matches and ensures that the rules of chess are followed at all given times.

The seminar comes at the right time as the city will also host the annual Bulawayo Chess Championship from February 19-21. The event will have two sections, an open section (both men and women) and a women’s section. Both sections will have 10 players each. The tournament will be structured in a round-robin format where all participants will face each other and the one with the most points will be crowned the winner in their respective sections.

It will be the first championship post Covid-19 restrictions which brought every sporting code to a standstill over the last two years. Last year, qualifiers were held for the event but could not proceed to the main event due to a lack of sponsorship.
Attendants who will get between 51 percent and 79 percent will be awarded district arbiter certificates while for one to acquire the provincial arbiter certification, they have to score 80 percent. — @brandon_malvin

Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter

THE Bulawayo Chess Association is set to host an arbiters’ seminar early next month as they aim to increase the number of arbiters that the city has.

Scheduled to take place from February 4-5 at a venue yet to be advised by the provincial governing body, some of the main talking points at the event will be the laws of chess, use of electronic clocks, system of games and tie break, anti-cheating guidelines for arbiters, International Chess Federation (FIDE) competition rules and standards of chess equipment and league.

There will also be an examination for the participants at the end of the programme.
Registration for the event is pegged at US$50 of which US$30 will go towards seminar fee while the balance will contribute to Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF) affiliation and certification. International Arbiter (IA) Simbarashe Murimi, National Arbiter (NA) Thabang Moyo and NA Thaddeus Ndebele will facilitate the programme.

Only two qualified arbiters are available in Bulawayo thus the seminar will open doors for many which will come good for the development of the sport.
“Our aim is to increase the number of arbiters in the City of Kings and afar. Currently there are only two qualified arbiters to run tournaments, which is not good for the sport. Arbiters get remuneration for every tournament, this workshop is an investment.

“As the sport is growing, demand for arbiters is growing. Being just two arbiters, we are overstretched as we sometimes go for international duties and the city is left stranded,” said one of the seminar facilitators.
In the sport, an arbiter oversees matches and ensures that the rules of chess are followed at all given times.

The seminar comes at the right time as the city will also host the annual Bulawayo Chess Championship from February 19-21. The event will have two sections, an open section (both men and women) and a women’s section. Both sections will have 10 players each. The tournament will be structured in a round-robin format where all participants will face each other and the one with the most points will be crowned the winner in their respective sections.

It will be the first championship post Covid-19 restrictions which brought every sporting code to a standstill over the last two years. Last year, qualifiers were held for the event but could not proceed to the main event due to a lack of sponsorship.
Attendants who will get between 51 percent and 79 percent will be awarded district arbiter certificates while for one to acquire the provincial arbiter certification, they have to score 80 percent. — @brandon_malvin