--- title: "Arbiter in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/arbiter.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/arbiter" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "The arbiter is the official who sees that the Laws of Chess and the rules of the event are followed, rules on disputes and claims." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rules-of-chess.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-clock.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/forfeit.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/illegal-move.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/scoresheet.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/touch-move-rule.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/rules-notation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Arbiter in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. The arbiter is the official who sees that the Laws of Chess and the rules of the event are followed, rules on disputes and claims. The arbiter is the official who sees that the Laws of Chess and the rules of the event are followed, rules on disputes and claims, and can penalize rule breaches during a tournament. Every serious competition needs someone who does not play. The arbiter watches games, especially when players are short of time, answers claims and makes rulings. The Laws give the arbiter a list of duties: ensure [fair play](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fair-play.md), act in the best interest of the competition, keep a good playing environment, make sure players are not disturbed, supervise progress, and take special measures for disabled players. The arbiter must not interfere in a game except in the cases the Laws describe, and may appoint assistants. When a rule is broken, the arbiter can choose among penalties ranging from a warning, through changing the clock times or the points, to a fine, exclusion from rounds and expulsion. Players have rights too. You may ask the arbiter to explain a point in the Laws, and unless the event rules say otherwise you may appeal a decision even after signing the [scoresheet](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/scoresheet.md). In some places the role is called a tournament director. Practical advice: stop your clock and raise your hand if you need a ruling, state the facts calmly, and do not argue with your opponent in the meantime. Also called: tournament director. It sits close to [Resignation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/resignation.md). Resignation is a player's declaration that they give up the game, which ends it as a loss for that player unless the opponent could never checkmate, in which case the game is drawn. Compare it with [Seventy-five-move rule](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/seventy-five-move-rule.md). The seventy-five-move rule ends the game in a draw automatically when each player has made at least seventy-five moves without a pawn move or a capture, unless the last move was checkmate. A neighboring idea is [Adjusting a piece](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/adjusting-a-piece.md). Adjusting a piece means straightening one on its square; the Laws allow it only to the player on the move, who must first say "j'adoube" or "I adjust" to show they do not intend to move it. Knowing "Arbiter" is the easy part; what to practice next depends on your rating, and the [improvement plans by rating band](https://georgelichess.com/improve.md) list the habits worth building at each level. ## Related terms - [Rules of chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rules-of-chess.md) - [Chess clock](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-clock.md) - [Forfeit](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/forfeit.md) - [Illegal move](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/illegal-move.md) - [Scoresheet](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/scoresheet.md) - [Touch-move rule](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/touch-move-rule.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. ## Sources - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Article 12), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Article 12.9), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Articles 11.9 and 11.10), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Preface), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Rules of chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rules-of-chess.md) - [Chess clock](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-clock.md) - [Forfeit in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/forfeit.md) - [Illegal move in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/illegal-move.md) - [Scoresheet in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/scoresheet.md) - [Touch-move rule in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/touch-move-rule.md) - [Chess terms: Rules, notation and equipment](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/rules-notation.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)