1st Arbiter’s Seminar on the Net

Boyd Reed at 2010 World Open.
Photo by Daaim Shabazz

In yet another example of the Internet’s influence on chess, FIDE held its first Arbiter’s Seminar online. The seminar was hosted by FIDE’s Arbiter’s Commision in conjunction with the North American Chess Association. Nine persons from US and Canada passed the exam and will earn one norm toward the title of FIDE Arbiter. They are:

Boyd Reed (USA)
Tom Langland (USA)
David Kuhns (USA)
Ken Ballou (USA)
Andre Harding (USA)
Kevin Hyde (USA)
Simon Ong (CAN)
Andrei Botez (CAN)
Allen Priest (USA)

Despite being a top 10 chess nation, the U.S. has relatively few International Arbiters. Boyd Reed from Pittsburgh is a fixture at the World Open tournament and told The Chess Drum that with his experience he hopes to earn the International Arbiter title. He also mentioned that Andre Harding of New York may have already earned the norms required to get the FA title at the next FIDE Congress.

Link: https://main.uschess.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&p=195881#p195881