FIDE Arbiters Seminar in Kuala Lumpur

A FIDE Arbiters Seminar was held in Kuala Lumpur last month. Twenty participants passed the FIDE Arbiters' test  which qualified them for one FIDE Arbiter (FA) norm. See the full name list and pictures at the FIDE site here.

Their goal is to achieve the FIDE Arbiter title which requires passing the exam and to be appointed chief or deputy arbiter in at least three (3) FIDE Rated events .



If the FIDE Arbiter is equivalent to International Master for players, than the International  Arbiter is the International Grandmaster version in arbitership. The requirements are higher than FA.

Some little known facts on the requirement difference between attaining Grandmaster and International Arbiter. You can become a Grandmaster without first attaining the International Master title but you cannot become an IA without first getting the FIDE Arbiter title.

And one more.

Let's say a player gained two International Master norms followed by a Grandmaster norm. He uses all three norms  for IM application. Later, our IM gains two more Grandmaster norms. He can use these two norms plus the earlier GM norm to become grandmaster.

However, this logic does not apply for IA! You cannot use the FA norms for the IA title even if the norms fulfil the higher requirements for IA norm. Furthermore, you can only use IA norms which you attained after getting the FA title.

The consolation is that arbiter norm is easier to obtain than any IM or GM norm. Maybe the arbiters will disagree with me....

Our current active IA are Hamid Majid and if not mistaken, Lim Tse Pin.