FIDE requirements: what makes a tournament ratable

For classical rating the regulations set a minimum length of game, and it depends on the strength of the field. What counts is the total time a player receives for a game of a typical 60 moves.

In addition: the first control must cover at least 30 moves, and no more than 12 hours of play are permitted in a single day. Rapid and blitz have their own control boundaries - and those decide which of the three rating lists the event enters.

The practical consequence for an amateur event: an evening blitz at 5+3 will never enter the classical rating. It can only go to the blitz list, and then only if the other conditions are met.

The tournament has to be registered before it starts, not after. The deadline depends on the level: 30 days ahead for high-level competitions, at least 3 days ahead for everything else.

Registration goes through the national federation: the organizer submits the name, place, dates, system, time control, number of rounds and chief arbiter. An unregistered event will not be rated even if it is otherwise flawless. This is the commonest and most galling mistake new organizers make.

The report afterwards has its own timing: lists are published on the first of each month and the period closes several days before that. Miss it and the results go into the next list.

The event must be run by an arbiter of the appropriate grade. The grades ascend from national categories up to FIDE Arbiter (FA) and International Arbiter (IA). The higher the status of the competition, the higher the grade required.

For an ordinary rated event a nationally qualified arbiter is usually enough, but the specific requirement is set by the national federation - it is the body that accepts the report. What the work involves - arbiting a tournament.

The event must run under one of the recognized systems: Swiss, round robin or another described in the handbook. Swiss pairings follow the FIDE rules, and at official competitions they are made by software endorsed by the pairing-programs commission (SPP).

This is a distinction worth understanding. Any developer can implement the Dutch rules, and many do so correctly. But formal endorsement is granted to specific programs, and which of them suits your event is a question for your federation, asked in advance.

In the Vibe Chess app pairings are computed by the open-source bbpPairings engine under the Dutch system, and the report exports as TRF. The service has no SPP endorsement - no obstacle for club and company events, but something to agree in advance for a rated one.

• An ID. Every player needs a FIDE ID. A player without one does not appear in the report; the ID is issued by the national federation.
• A first rating. An unrated player needs at least five games against rated opponents to receive a rating, and the floor for a first published rating is 1400.
• Report data. Surname and first name in Latin script, sex, date of birth, federation and title where held. The report will not be accepted without them.

From experience: collect this at entry rather than on the day - taking registrations.

On top of the usual sections, the regulations of such an event state:

• that the competition is played under the FIDE rules;
• which rating is calculated - FIDE, national, or both;
• the time control in the exact form matching the rating type;
• that pairings are computer-generated, naming the software;
• the chief arbiter's qualification;
• the requirement for players to hold IDs.

A ready structure - tournament regulations.

1. 1. Agree the event with the federation and register it before the start
2. 2. Appoint an arbiter of the required grade
3. 3. Choose a control matching the rating you want
4. 4. Publish regulations containing the mandatory points
5. 5. Collect the players' data, IDs included
6. 6. Pair with the agreed software
7. 7. Complete the round protocols and player cards
8. 8. Prepare the report in TRF format
9. 9. Submit before the rating period closes

General preparation - the organizer's checklist and the full guide.