The chess arbiter enforces the FIDE Laws of Chess during a tournament: they check the clocks, rule on claims, penalise irregularities and submit the results for approval. In France, arbiters are trained and titled by the FFE's national arbitration directorate (DNA); FIDE awards the international titles of FIDE Arbiter and International Arbiter.
The rules of the game proper (how the pieces move, castling, en passant) are the same everywhere. But a tournament adds a layer of competition rules: how to touch the pieces, how to record the moves, when to claim a draw, what you may have on your person. These rules are set out in the FIDE Laws of Chess in force since 1 January 2023, reproduced and commented on in the FFE's Arbiter's Handbook (Livre de l'arbitre).
The role of the chess arbiter
- Before the tournament: prepare the tournament regulations with the organiser, apply for approval, check the equipment and set the clocks.
- At check-in: confirm that each player holds a licence and, for a FIDE tournament, has a FIDE ID.
- During the rounds: make the pairings, start the rounds, supervise the games, note flag falls, rule on claims and apply penalties.
- After the tournament: draw up the standings and tiebreaks, write the technical report and send in the results for approval, making sure the organiser pays the fees.
Arbiter titles in France and at FIDE
The FFE reformed its arbiter titles for the 2026-2027 season. The federal pathway now has four titles, awarded by the DNA to A-licence holders, each with the type of competition it allows the holder to arbitrate.
| Title | Main requirements | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Youth Arbiter (AFJeune) | Junior A-licence holder; loses the title after the season of their 18th birthday | Route to AFMatch from age 16 |
| Federal Match Arbiter (AFMatch) | Minimum age 16, course, exam and practical placement at a Swiss tournament of at least 5 rounds | Former AFC holders become AFMatch |
| Federal Club Arbiter (AFClub) | Minimum age 18, AFMatch title, course, exam, practical placement and application for FIDE accreditation | Can run a FIDE-rated tournament once accredited |
| Federal Open Arbiter (AFOpen) | Minimum age 18, AFClub title, exam and two practical placements assessed by two tutors | Former AFO1, AFO2, AFE1 and AFE2 holders become AFOpen |
At international level, FIDE awards two titles: FIDE Arbiter (FA), the entry level, and International Arbiter (IA), the advanced level. For a tournament to count towards the FIDE rating, its chief arbiter must be accredited by FIDE; for a player norm to be scored there, they must be a FIDE Arbiter or International Arbiter, present on site, and no arbiter may play in the event.
Touch-move and “j'adoube”
The touch-move rule (Article 4.3) is the most famous of the tournament rules: a player on the move who deliberately touches one of their own pieces must move it if it can be moved; if they touch an opponent's piece, they must capture it if it can be captured. A piece released on a legal square can no longer be moved elsewhere.
J'adoube: a French expression, recognised throughout the world, that the player on the move says before touching a piece to centre it on its square without having to move it (Article 4.2). You can also say “I adjust”. Only the player on the move may do this.
The gesture matters as much as the words: saying “j'adoube” after touching the piece does not release you from having to move it. Clearly accidental contact creates no obligation.
The scoresheet
In classical play, each player must record their own moves and their opponent's, move by move, in algebraic notation, on the scoresheet supplied by the organiser (Article 8.1). They are exempt from recording if they have less than five minutes left and the time control does not add at least 30 seconds per move. In rapid and blitz, recording is not compulsory. The scoresheet serves to prove a repetition of position and to reconstruct a game after a dispute, and it is handed to the arbiter at the end, signed by both players.
Illegal moves, claims and draws
| Situation | What the Laws of Chess provide |
|---|---|
| First completed illegal move (clock pressed) | The position is restored and the opponent receives 2 minutes (1 minute in rapid and blitz) |
| Second completed illegal move | Game lost, unless the opponent cannot checkmate: then a draw |
| Moving with both hands, pressing the clock without moving | Treated as an illegal move |
| Same position for the 3rd time | Draw on a correct claim by the player on the move, who first writes their move on the scoresheet |
| 50 moves without a capture or pawn move | Draw on claim |
| Same position 5 times, or 75 moves without a capture or pawn move | Automatic draw, declared by the arbiter |
| Incorrect draw claim | The opponent receives 2 minutes (1 minute in rapid and blitz) |
Phones and electronic devices
This is the rule that surprises new players most. Article 11.3 forbids having on your person, in the playing area, any electronic device not authorised by the arbiter, whether switched on or off. If a phone is found on a player, they lose the game and the opponent wins, whatever the position. A competition's regulations may provide for a lighter penalty, or allow devices to be left completely switched off in a bag stored as the arbiter directs, a bag the player has no right to use without permission. It is also forbidden to use notes or consult any source whatsoever during the game.
In practice: before each round, switch your phone off and leave it where the regulations say. A ring during the game is enough to lose.
A tournament's regulations
Every tournament approved by the FFE must have its own regulations, drawn up by the arbiter and the organiser, posted on site and published before the start. At a minimum they must specify: the rating the approval covers, dates and times, the pairing system and software, tiebreaks and the prize distribution, the arbiters, the default time, the bye conditions and special rules (phones, anti-cheating, limits on draws by agreement). By entering, the player accepts these regulations. How to draft them is detailed on the page about organising a chess tournament.
The equipment is regulated too
Finally, the arbiter checks that the equipment complies: Staunton-pattern pieces, a board whose squares suit the size of the pieces, clocks in working order and correctly set. FIDE publishes precise standards for competition equipment; Le Palais des Échecs summarises them in an article on the official dimensions of a competition chessboard. For clocks, see the page on the clock in tournaments; for time controls and recording according to playing time, the page on time controls in chess.
Frequently asked questions
What does “j'adoube” mean in chess?
It is the expression the player on the move says before touching a piece in order to centre it on its square, without being obliged to move it (Article 4.2 of the FIDE Laws of Chess). It must be said before touching the piece.
What does the touch-move rule say?
A player on the move who deliberately touches one of their own pieces must move it if it can be moved, and if they touch an opponent's piece, they must capture it if it can be captured (Article 4.3).
Can you keep your phone on you in a chess tournament?
No. Any electronic device not authorised by the arbiter is forbidden on your person in the playing area, even switched off; a player caught with a phone loses the game. The regulations may allow it to be left completely switched off in a bag stored as the arbiter directs.
How do you become a chess arbiter in France?
You need an A licence, must attend the courses and exams of the FFE's national arbitration directorate and complete practical placements at tournaments. From 2026-2027, the pathway leads to the titles AFJeune, AFMatch, AFClub and AFOpen; the titles of FIDE Arbiter and International Arbiter are then awarded by FIDE.