Establishment of National Arbiter System

The Japan Chess Federation has established the National Arbiter (NA) system.

Background of the Establishment

The National Arbiter is a chess arbiter qualification defined by FIDE. While the criteria for certification have been delegated to each national federation, Japan has not had a system for certifying NA qualifications until now, resulting in a lack of NA-certified individuals. This new NA system aims to certify individuals who attend a seminar and acquire a certain level of knowledge about the rules of chess competition.

What You Can Do as an NA

By obtaining the NA qualification, you will be able to host FIDE rated tournaments. Furthermore, after obtaining the NA qualification, you can gain practical experience as an arbiter in tournaments that meet FIDE’s conditions to acquire a norm (certificate). By attending a FIDE seminar and passing the exam and acquiring three or more norms, you can achieve the higher qualification of FIDE Arbiter (FA). Additionally, for domestic tournaments that require a certain level of quality in their operation, such as regional qualifiers for the Japan Chess Championship, the requirement will be to have a chief arbiter with an NA or higher qualification.

How to Obtain the NA Qualification

You can obtain the NA qualification by attending the NA seminar hosted by the Japan Chess Federation and passing the exam. Information on the NA seminar schedule will be announced separately on our website.

With the establishment of the NA system, we expect an increase in FIDE rated tournaments held domestically and an improvement in the level of knowledge regarding competition rules within Japan. We look forward to your participation in the NA seminar.