01. Chess Olympiad

D.II.01 Regulations for the Chess Olympiad

1. General

1.1 The Chess Olympiad is the principal team contest organized by FIDE.

1.1.1 The Olympiad is held regularly at two year intervals in the autumn of the even numbered years (2006, 2008, etc.)

1.1.2 The Olympiad for both the open section and the women section must be held, if possible, at a single venue.

1.1.3 However, in exceptional cases as determined by the FIDE General Assembly or (in between congresses) by the President - separate venues may be used for the men and women contests.

1.1.4 Organizing body:
FIDE, represented by the FIDE President.

1.1.5 Administrator

1.1.5.1 The administrator is appointed through a special selection process (section 2 below).
1.1.5.2 The administrator is responsible to FIDE, and must abide by these regulations.
1.1.5.3 The administrator shall make available all necessary premises, staff and funds for the contest. The minimum requirements are laid down in individual sections of these regulations.
1.1.5.4 The administrator may utilize the services of outside bodies or private persons for the purpose of financing and running the contest.
1.1.5.5 Administrators may be proposed by the federations.
1.1.5.6 The President may also receive offers from sponsors outside the sphere of FIDE.
1.1.5.7 The tasks of the administrator are detailed in subsequent sections of these regulations.

1.1.6 FIDE Congress
The administrator who undertakes the running of the Chess Olympiad must also undertake to hold the FIDE Congress for the same year.
Exceptions may be made by the General Assembly or the President (compare 1.13 above).

1.1.7 Participants

1.1.7.1 FIDE and the Organizing Committee shall appoint
• officers, and/or
• specialist sub-committees to control the play and conduct the administrative business of the Olympiad, as specified in further detail in the organization plans (D.II.07 Annexes A, B and C).
1.1.7.2 Players
The national teams of federations affiliated to FIDE.
Open: 4 players, 1 reserve
Women: 4 players, 1 reserve
1.1.7.3 Captains
Each team shall have a captain, who may also be one of the players (or reserve).
Duties:
• Leadership of the team matches
• Liaison with the Chief Arbiter
1.1.7.4 Chiefs of delegations
The federations take full responsibility for the conduct of their players. Each federation may be represented by a Chief of delegation; it may either appoint a person exclusively to this office, or entrust the team captain, or one of the players or reserves, with this function.
Duties:
• Administrative supervision of the team
• Liaison with the organizing authorities and Tournament Director.

2. Procedure for selection of Organizer for the Chess Olympiad and FIDE Congress

2.1 FIDE shall open its bidding procedure no later than five years before the event is scheduled to commence.

2.2 All bids must be submitted on the prescribed bidding form and submitted to the FIDE Secretariat.

2.3 Upon receipt of the bidding form, Presidential Board shall assign two officials to inspect the relevant facilities.

2.4 The candidate organizer shall be required to fill up a Memorandum of Understanding (published on the FIDE website when the bidding is opened). The MOU shall be signed by the candidate organizer, sealed and sent by registered mail to the FIDE Secretariat within four weeks of the departure of the inspectors.

2.5 The inspectors shall submit a joint evaluation report to the Presidential Board signed by both the inspectors.

2.6 Four years before the scheduled Olympiad, the General Assembly shall made its final decision as well as to rank the three candidate organizers in order of the number of votes received by each candidate organizer.

2.7 Three months after being awarded the Olympiad, the candidate organizer and FIDE shall sign a contract covering all aspects pertaining to the overall organization of the Olympiad and FIDE Congress.

2.8 If the candidate organizer is unable to sign the contract within three months as stipulated in item 8 above, then the Presidential Board shall offer the privilege to the candidate organizer ranked second stipulated in item 7 above. The procedure stipulated in Item 8 above is repeated.

2.9 If none of the first two candidate organizers are able to sign the contract, then the Presidential Board shall reopen the bidding procedure which shall be completed by the following FIDE Congress.

3. Period of preparation for the Chess Olympiad

3.1 After the appointment of an administrator, the preparatory period begins.

3.2 Draft submitted to the FIDE President

3.2.1 Not later than six months before the start of the tournament, the federation entrusted with the organization must deliver to the FIDE Secretariat a draft of the invitation to the tournament, which shall contain full information on the following:
(a) venue;
(b) dates for the start and finish of the Chess Olympiad, and application deadlines;
(c) material arrangements for the participating teams;
(d) travel facilities, conditions for the visas, etc.

3.2.2 At the same time as this draft is submitted, the President or his representatives must be invited
• to inspect the venue, and
• to conduct a preliminary discussion at the administrators expense.

3.3 Confirmation
Immediately afterwards, the draft invitation shall receive the Presidents confirmation, with (if appropriate) a note of any modification which he considers desirable on the basis of his inspection of the venue and the preliminary discussion. If necessary, further inspection may be arranged.

3.4 Organizing Committee
On receiving the Presidents confirmation (3.3), the federation of the administrator shall form an organizing committee, the duties of which are laid down in section 4.

3.5 Invitation to the Federations
Not later than five months before the start of the Olympiad, the organizing federation shall send the invitation in its final form to all federations affiliated to FIDE. Copies of the invitation are to be forwarded to the members of the Executive Board and the Zone Presidents.

3.6 Notice of participation

3.6.1 Not later than four months before the start of the tournament, every federation that intends to participate must inform the organizing federation of its acceptance of the invitation. Copies of the letter of acceptance should at the same time be sent to the FIDE General Secretary and the President of the federations Zone. The Administrator is not allowed to let federations, which did not fulfil this demand, participate in the Olympiad (PB `98)

3.6.2 At the same time, the federation concerned must pay FIDE the requisite entry fee, failing which the federation shall not be allowed to participate in the Olympiad (PB `98)

3.7 Submission of team lists

3.7.1 Not later than two (PB '98) months before the start of the tournament, every Federation that has entered must notify the following details to the Administrator:
(a) name and initials of the Chief of Delegation;
(b) name and initials of the team captain;
(c) name of each team member (one first name in full, initials of additional first names, surname);
(d) FIDE rating of team members (according to the most recent FIDE rating list);
(e) any information required in connection with visas.

3.7.2 Late notification of team particulars shall be accepted up to 20 hours before the start of Round 1 (PB '98), but subject to a late submission fee of 100 euros per name.

3.7.3 The ranking of teams shall be finalized 16 hours before the start of the first round.

4. Organization of the Chess Olympiad by the Administrator

4.1 Organizing Committee
The Chess Olympiad shall be held in accordance with the FIDE organization scheme laid out in D.II.07, annexes A, B and C.

4.1.1 The federation entrusted with the organization shall, in consultation with the administrator, appoint a chairman for the organizing committee.

4.1.2 The chairman of the organizing committee shall assign personnel to the committees sub-departments, except in so far as this falls within the competence of FIDE.

4.1.3 Each sub-department shall be assigned a manager; the chairman is free to decide on any further administrative divisions that he considers necessary.

4.1.4 A tournament physician must be at the disposal of the participants for the duration of the contest.

4.1.5 A list of the staff in the organizational sub-departments must be supplied to the FIDE Secretariat and to the organizing federation. Addresses, telephone numbers, email and telefax numbers (where applicable) should be included.

4.1.6 After the organizing committee is constituted, further arrangements for the Chess Olympiad shall follow guidelines laid down by the FIDE President.

4.1.7 In addition to this, the administrator shall take responsibility for informing his federation of points which he considers to be important.

4.2 Finance

4.2.1 Combined financial accounts are to be kept; all ascertainable income and expenditure must be itemized for inspection.

4.2.2 The FIDE President shall be kept informed of the financial aspects of the Olympiad.

4.2.3 Income accruing from the Chess Olympiad through admission charges, concessions, sale of equipment, etc., shall go to the administrator.

4.2.4 The television rights (including video and film rights) and the internet rights belong to the administrator who shall pay 20% of the revenue to FIDE.

4.2.5 FIDE shall be reimbursed for the expenses it incurs in direct connection with the contest and its preparation, according to the agreement between FIDE and the organizer.

4.3 Provision of amenities and stipends

4.3.1 The form of amenities provided for members of the organizing committee, and the extent of compensation paid to them in the absence of work shall be at the discretion of a panel consisting of the following committee members:
• chairman
• manager of the sub-department for finance
• representative of the organizing federation.

4.3.2 To the FIDE principals (see 4.3.3), the administrator shall pay stipends and provide amenities as detailed in the following paragraphs. Any intended changes in the level of stipends and pocket money shall be submitted by the President to the General Assembly for approval.

4.3.3 The FIDE principals are:
• the President,
• the Chief Arbiter,
• the two Deputy Chief Arbiters and six Sector Arbiters,
• the four members of the Technical Administration Panel, and
• the three members of the Appeals Committee.
The functions of these principals are laid down in section 6: Parties to the Chess Olympiad.

4.3.3.1 The stipend shall be SFr.6,000 for the President, SFr.5,000 for the Chief Arbiter and SFr.3,000 for each of the other principals.
4.3.3.2 Any of the principals who are active at the Olympiad for only part of the time shall only receive a pro rata portion of the stipend.
4.3.3.3 For the services of the FIDE General Secretary, a fee of 3,000 SFr. shall be paid.
4.3.3.4 The administrator is responsible only for such amenities as are actually utilized by any of the principals during the period of the contest and in the course of activity directly connected with it, the tournament venue or in transit.
4.3.3.5 The administrator shall be host to the principals for the entire duration of the contest.

4.3.4 Provision for the principals

4.3.4.1 Travel
The President is entitled to first class travel by air, sea or rail.
For all other principals, provisions shall be made for return travel by air, sea or rail, or, at their own option, by other means of transport which shall not, however, be more costly to the administrator than air travel.
All travel arrangements shall be made by the administrator. Principals who wish to make their own arrangements shall do so entirely at their own risk.
4.3.4.2 Accommodation
For the President: a suite in a hotel of his choice.
For each of the other principals: a double room with bath/WC.
If possible, all principals should be accommodated in the same hotel. If more than one hotel is used, accommodation of equal quality should be aimed at.
4.3.4.3 Food and drink
Free choice of items on the restaurant menu in the hotel and at the tournament site; free use of hotel room service.
On payment of a daily allowance for food, the best possible conditions should be ensured for dining in several good restaurants; the allowance should be paid every 10 days.
In the matter of food and drink, all principals are to be treated equally.
4.3.4.4 Pocket money
30 Swiss Francs per day, in local currency. The account shall be settled with the administrator jointly at regular intervals, through a representative of the principals.
4.3.4.5 Transport in the tournament locality
For the President: a chauffeur-driven car.
For the other principals: a pool of cars shall be provided, the use of which shall depend on the location of the hotels, tournament hall and media centre, and on the leisure requirements of the principals. Where appropriate, journeys should be made jointly, by arrangement with the administrator.
4.3.4.6 Leisure facilities
General access, without lengthy waiting periods, to a variety of sport and recreation facilities such as swimming, tennis, bowling and riding; also to libraries, museums, concerts, theatres, etc.
4.3.4.7 Medical care
- Consultation by the tournament physician, any medical services he prescribes
- The administrator shall meet the cost of treating acute illnesses including the cost of medicines, but not chronic ailments.
4.3.4.8 Miscellaneous
The provision of amenities for persons accompanying the principals shall be settled between the President and the administrator.

4.4 Provision for the Arbiters

4.4.1 The organiser will invite at least 65 foreign arbiters who will receive 1000 euros each (if from the same continent) or 1500 euros each (if not from the same continenent). This amount includes their air travel expenses. This list of invited foreign arbiters will be nominated by the FIDE President.

4.4.2 The administrator shall provide the foreign Match Arbiters with accommodation and meals as well as 600 Euro to cover their travelling expenses and pocket money.

4.5 Provision for teams

4.5.1 Each individual federation shall pay the travelling expenses of its team, and also the living expenses of its Chief of Delegation if he is not one of the persons mentioned in 4.5.2.

4.5.2 All federations except CACDEC members shall pay a minimum of USD 25 per day for each official member of the team as mentioned in 1.1.7.2. Criteria shall be established for deciding those federations (that may not include only CACDEC members) to be considered for exemption.

4.5.3 The Administrator shall provide all teams with double rooms, unless the composition of players + captain is an odd number (PB `98).

4.5.4 The quality of accommodation and meals shall match the standards and importance of the Chess Olympiad.

4.5.5 The administrator shall, in addition, provide all prizes (team, individual and special).

4.6 Furnishing of the playing hall(s)

4.6.1 The administrator is responsible for the furnishing and upkeep of the playing hall and its environs.

4.6.2 The FIDE flag and the national flags of the participating federations are to be flown from the playing hall.

4.6.3 The hall is to be divided into the playing area and a spectator area. The playing area of the tournament hall must total a minimum of 10.000 m2 (ten thousand square meters) without taking into consideration additional facilities such as relaxation areas, congress/exhibition venues, etc. During the event, the tournament hall should be used only for chess and cannot be used for any other activity other than FIDE's. The maximum distance of the tournament hall to any or all hotel(s) of the participants must not exceed 4 km (four kilometers).

4.6.4 Acoustics, decoration, ventilation, heating or air-conditioning, and lighting must conform to the highest modern standards. The carpeting should eliminate distracting noise.
Tables, chairs, chess boards, pieces and clocks should be chosen according to FIDE specifications.

4.6.5 The spectator area must be clearly separated from the playing area, but the spectators must have the opportunity to follow the matches directly.

4.6.6 The players must not, however, be disturbed by spectators. The Chief Arbiter shall decide what constitutes a disturbance. If necessary, those causing it shall be expelled from the hall.

4.6.7 The administrator shall appoint staff with clearly visible insignia to supervise the hall.

4.6.8 Relaying of the games on video equipment or demonstration boards (with or without commentaries) may only take place inside of rooms of the playing hall. The equipment, management and staffing of these rooms are responsibility of the administrator.

4.7 Media facilities

4.7.1 The administrator shall make every conceivable effort to attract the worlds finest reporters and to enable them to convey the best possible presentation of these matches to those who cannot attend as spectator.

4.7.2 The administrator shall ensure an efficient media service for writers, photographers, national and international news agencies, and the electronic media.

4.7.3 The administrator shall appoint an information officer to supervise these activities, and shall set up a media centre (press centre).

4.7.4 The media centre should be:
• near the playing hall, with easy access to parking;
• large enough to contain all necessary professional equipment (and internet facilities), as well as leisure and refreshment facilities for journalists;
• under strict supervision to exclude anyone not in possession of a valid pass issued by the administrator;
• open for a period before the contest (as determined by the administrator), and for one day after the end of the contest; and
• manned by properly qualified personnel.

4.7.5 Facilities in the media centre
Working Stations:
Sufficient tables and chairs (if possible, not more than two people to a table); typewriters with various keyboards; paper, and other general stationery; copying machines.
Information area:
Clearly marked notice boards for news and results service; a public address system to inform journalists of calls or messages.
Means of communication:
Telephones in booths or with soundproof canopies; telefax machines with accessories, with self-service or operation by staff; monitors.
The refreshment bar or restaurant and lavatories should be in the immediate vicinity.

4.8 Guidelines for co-operation with journalists

4.8.1 All persons wishing to operate in the media centre must receive official credentials.

4.8.2 Every journalist (in the wide sense) shall be issued with a pass. This must incorporate a firmly attached photograph, and must be worn prominently on all media premises.

4.8.3 The passes shall give access to the playing hall, the media centre and the restaurant(s) for the players and press.

4.8.4 Accommodation for journalists
The administrator shall assist journalists with hotel reservations. He shall recommend suitable accommodation at favourable prices, or endeavour to make it available. The journalists should preferably be accommodated in a single hotel or in adjacent hotels.
Information supplied to journalists should include: addresses, telephone or telefax numbers, location of hotels and prices.

4.8.5 Payments
All possible methods of payment for the use of facilities, specially in the media centre, should be permitted (credit cards, cash, telephone calls with reversed charges, telex cards).

4.8.6 Press conferences
For these, special rooms should be made available.
Notice of all press conferences by the President or by players, as well as any special announcements by the administrator, should be conveyed to the journalists in good time.
Similarly, all Principals should be informed.

4.8.7 Conduct of interviews
General interviews with participants in the Chess Olympiad may be conducted by direct arrangement with those concerned.

4.8.8 Conduct in the playing hall
On entering the playing hall, media personnel are treated as spectators. They are subject to the regulations applying to spectators, except in so far as their work as media personnel necessarily requires exceptions. The taking of photographs in the playing hall is restricted to officially recognized reporters with the administrators express permission. This permission shall only be valid for the first 10 minutes after the start of any round.
Film or television cameras and recording instruments may be brought into the press lobby or spectator are, installed and operated, only by special permission of the administrator.

5. Specific measures at the start of the Olympiad or shortly before it

5.1 Inspection of the site and preliminary discussion with the Chief Arbiter

5.1.1 Not later than 4 days before the start of the Chess Olympiad, the administrator shall invite the Chief Arbiter to oversee final preparations.

5.1.2 The matters discussed should include the plan for instruction, deploying and supervising the Regular Arbiters and their assistants.

5.1.3 The travelling and accommodation expenses for its discussion shall be paid by the administrator.

5.2 Notification of the precise schedule to the federations:

5.2.1 Not later than 6 weeks before the start of the Olympiad, if not before, all participating federations must possess the following information.

5.2.2 Date and time of: the opening ceremony, the start of the first round, the end of the final round and the closing ceremony.

• Note: these particulars are of great importance to the travelling teams. Only precise information from the administrator enables the chess federations to make the correct bookings for air, sea or rail travel in good time.

5.2.3 The administrators hospitality to teams shall commence with the evening meal and nights accommodation on the day before the opening ceremony.

5.2.4 Any extra arrangements, and provision for their cost (e.g. in case of missed airway connection, etc.), must be agreed in advance with the administrator.

5.2.5 The FIDE principals must be present 3 days before the opening ceremony. The services provided to them by the administrator shall begin from that time.

5.3 Federations shall ensure that team captains and Chiefs of Delegations possess copies of the Olympiad regulations and the FIDE laws. The administrator shall supply the participants in the Olympiad with folders of literature giving points of information and interest.

5.4 Invitations
The administrator shall send written invitations to the FIDE principals 6 weeks before the opening. Copies of these invitations shall go to the FIDE General Secretary.

5.5 Inspection of the venue, and concluding discussion

5.5.1 Two days before the opening ceremony, in the morning, the chief organizers shall inspect the tournament venue.

5.5.2 Immediately after this inspection, a discussion of the results shall take place among the same group of people. Any wishes relating to other matters may also be voiced at this point.
A written report on the results of the discussion shall be made by the administrator, and copies of it shall be distributed to all who participated.

5.5.3 Before the first round of the tournament, the administrator shall ensure that action is taken on the matters arising from discussion. If necessary, a further inspection may be arranged.

5.6 Passes
The administrator shall provide conspicuous passes for players and organizers.

5.7 Care of players
The administrator and his colleagues shall give every assistance in looking after the players, both immediately after their arrival and during the tournament itself.
The administrator shall make effort to provide the players with the best possible quality of accommodation, food, drink, transport and playing conditions.

5.8 Opening Ceremony
The Chess Olympiad begins officially with the opening ceremony.

5.8.1 All players and organizers shall be invited to take part in this ceremony.

5.8.2 The program of events and the list of speakers are to be agreed between the FIDE President and the chairman of the organizing committee.

5.8.3 The building or hall where the ceremony is held shall be decorated with the FIDE flag and the flag of the host country.

5.8.4 At the start of the ceremony, the national anthem of the host country and the FIDE anthem shall be played.

6. Parties to the Chess Olympiad

6.1 The FIDE President represents the interests of FIDE and is empowered to take the final decision on all questions relating to the Olympiad as a whole.

6.2 Organizational spheres of competence.

6.2.1 The chairman of the organizing committee represents the interest of the administrator. He shall appoint the managers of the administrative sub-departments and establish contacts with official bodies, associations and sponsors. He shall be the highest authority in the organizational process, specially in the financial sphere.

6.2.2 The Tournament Director shall be appointed by the chairman of the organizing committee.
He is competent for all matters of organization inside the tournament hall. His tasks are indicated by the organization plan in Annex B, and by the specific tournament regulations.
The organization plan is to be treated as a guide. Alterations or additions to it, demanded by local and technical conditions, may if necessary be undertaken with agreement of the organizing committee. For the performance of his tasks, the organizing committee shall assign to the Tournament Director two Deputy Tournament Directors, as well as any other management personnel and assistants who may be considered necessary.
The plan for the organizational framework in its final form, as determined by the organizing committee, shall be distributed before the start of the tournament to all FIDE principals, chiefs of delegations and team captains.
The Tournament Director shall maintain close contacts with the Chief Arbiter, and shall be responsible for the availability of Match Arbiters for the playing sessions.
The layout of the tournament hall shall be decided by agreement with the Chief Arbiter.

6.2.3 The information officer is wholly an agent of the organizing committee. He shall be appointed by the committee chairman.
He shall be supplied with competition results and news by the Tournament Director, and with the daily pairing list by the Technical Administration Panel.
The information officer in his own capacity shall decide how to utilize and publicize this information.
He shall be responsible for the management of the media centre.

6.3 Spheres of competence in controlling the play

6.3.1 The play shall be controlled by:
• the Chief Arbiter and the two Deputy Chief Arbiters
• 6 Sector Arbiters;
• the Match Arbiters.

6.3.2 The Chief Arbiter shall be in charge of the controlling team in the Chess Olympiad.
He must be an International Arbiter. After consultation with the chairman of the organizing committee, the President shall propose the Chief Arbiter to the General Assembly for approval.

6.3.3 The two Deputy Chief Arbiters and six Sector Arbiters who must all have the International Arbiter title and must all belong to different federations, shall assist the Chief Arbiter; they shall be appointed by the FIDE President. The Sector Arbiters are to oversee and coordinate the work of the Match Arbiters.

6.3.4 The Match Arbiters shall be assigned duties by the Chief Arbiter and supervised by the Deputy Chief and Sector Arbiters.

6.3.5 The general responsibility of all Arbiters is the trouble-free conduct of the playing sessions in the Chess Olympiad. The Arbiters shall ensure overall compliance with the Laws of Chess and the supplementary regulations. They are expected to insist that participants observe a high standard of chess etiquette and refrain from disturbing or harassing their opponents (e.g. by repeating draw offers or by crowding around any board). In doubtful cases the Chief Arbiter shall decide what constitutes a disturbance and shall act accordingly. Any personnel required to implement his decision shall be provided by the Tournament Director.

6.3.6 The Match Arbiters shall support the Sector Arbiters, and shall have the following tasks:
• to ensure that the playing equipment is in order and is set up ready for the start of each game;
• to check that the players are correctly seated, facing the right opponents;
• to make sure that the clocks are set correctly for the start of play;
• to see that the starting of clocks at the beginning of the session proceeds according to the tournament regulations for the Chess Olympiad;
• to check that the clocks are going correctly during the game;
• to ensure that enough Match are on hand to watch the clocks at the time control, if several players are in time trouble at once;
• to ascertain whether the requisite number of moves have been made upon expiry of the allocated time;
• to give assistance as far as possible, if players express any wishes during the game;
• to prevent any unnecessary conversation in the course of play.
Infringements of the regulations are to be reported to the Regular Arbiters. For every match, the Match Arbiters must draw up a results sheet featuring the number of the round, the countries involved, list of the players in board order, and the results of finished games. This results sheet (or where necessary a partial results list) must be handed to the Chief Arbiter immediately after the end of the round.

6.3.7.A The Technical Administration Panel (TAP)

The Technical Administration Panel (TAP) shall consist of a chairman and 3 other members, each from a different FIDE federation. The FIDE President shall appoint the chairman and two other members for a period of four years after consulting the chairman of FIDE Technical Commission. The fourth member shall be the representative of the organizing federation. If necessary, additional a programmer can be included to take care of the software and to adjust the software according to the local requirements or to internet transmission.

6.3.7.1 Members of the Technical Administration Panel (TAP)
All the members of the Technical Administration Panel (TAP) shall be experienced in the field of electronic data processing and have to assure a backup function as each member shall be able to take over the work of any other member in case of technical or personal failure. Although the pairings shall be calculated with the help of a computer program, all the members of the Technical Administration Panel (TAP) must be able to check and/or produce the pairings manually.

6.3.7.2 General task description
In principle the Chief Arbiter has to approve any output of the Technical Administration Panel (TAP), but may delegate the responsibility for certain tasks to a member of the panel.
Technical Administration Panel (TAP) shall be responsible for processing of the data of
- players
- teams
- general team composition (fixed board order)
- individual pairings
- pairings ( team and individual)
- results (team and individual)
- title results
- evaluation of team/individual ranking and awards
- rating report.

The Technical Administration Panel (TAP) has to
- establish and check the list of “Fixed Board Order”
- produce team pairings of each round
- receive team compositions for each round and establish the list of individual pairings and the “Matchreports”
- evaluate the matchreports for keeping the team’s and individual scores
- save the matchreports
- prepare result lists for teams and individuals
- prepare the ranking lists for bulletin, press and internet
- deliver all necessary data to press officer and to internet administrator.

6.3.7.3 Technical equipment
The technical equipment of Technical Administration Panel (TAP) shall consist of:
- a lockable room to be used as office for the panel
- telephone to be used for local calls only
- internet access in the office with minimum two connections
- two computers provided by the local organizer
- a computer program checked and accepted by FIDE Technical Commission and officially endorsed by FIDE for this task
- black/white laser printer, including refills of toner
- a copy machine, including refills of toner
- sufficient paper for printer and copy machine
- local mobile phones for all members, provided by the organiser; the capability of these mobile phones shall be limited to local calls (prepaid mobile phones).

6.3.7.4 Necessary input from the organiser to the Technical Administration Panel (TAP)
1. Information about all arriving teams
The organiser has to collect all the necessary information about arriving teams and names of team members and to forward the information to the Technical Administration Panel (TAP) as soon as possible, latest at midnight of the day before the first round.
These information are:
- name of the team captain
- name of all players arrived
- fixed board order, if available.
Teams arriving so late that the deadline is missed, may not be paired correctly for the first round. They may be paired against each other and will be paired correctly for the second round.
Teams arriving after start of the first round will be paired for the round following the day of arrival.
2. Information about the “Fixed Board Order” of the teams.
If not given upon arrival the captains have the possibility to present the “Fixed Board Order” at the captain’s meeting in the morning of the day of round one directly to the Technical Administration Panel (TAP).
3. Information about the team composition of each team at each round
Technical Administration Panel (TAP) will provide all participating teams with forms to deliver the team composition for each round.
(a) The team composition for the first round has to be given directly to the Technical Administration Panel (TAP) at the time specified by the Chief Arbiter for delivering.
(b) The team composition for the following rounds has to be given to an arbiter at the time and the place specified by the Chief Arbiter for delivering.
(c) The local organiser has to collect the team compositions from the arbiters and to deliver these papers to the Technical Administration Panel (TAP).

6.3.7.5 Output of the Technical Administration Panel (TAP)
- teams and team compositions
- team pairings
- individual pairings
- match report forms
- team results and individual results
- ranking of the teams
- medal winners and winners of board prizes
- statistics about the tournament
- norm reports for the players.

(a) All information are prepared as soon as the relevant data are available for the Technical Administration Panel (TAP)
(b) In principle the Chief Arbiter of the Olympiad is responsible for delivering of any information data. He may give this responsibility to one or more of the members of Technical Administration Panel (TAP).
(c) The local organiser has to fulfil the tasks of the press officer and the internet administrator. It must be clear that the official data about the tournament are prepared by the Technical Administration Panel (TAP). Therefore it must be avoided to distribute data of different content.

6.3.7.B The team of the local organiser
The local organiser has to set up a team capable to fulfil the task described in art. 1.4 to provide the proper information for the Technical Administration Panel (TAP). Planning to set up this team has to take in consideration many local conditions, as - situation of the lodging venues for players and arbiters
- local traffic situation
- status of available local information facilities
- availability of supporting manpower.
Therefore details of the local organisation cannot be described in advance independently from these influences. It is up to the organiser to prepare in cooperation with the Chief Arbiter an organisation which fulfils the described requirements as much as possible.
However, the planned organisation shall be checked and approved by the Chief Arbiter of the Olympiad and FIDE Technical Commission in due time before start of the Olympiad.

6.3.8 The teams are the open and women national teams for federations affiliated to FIDE. Eligibility to participate is covered under the FIDE Eligibility Regulations.

6.3.8.1 Every team participating in the Chess Olympiad must declare in advance that it is willing to play against teams from any other affiliated federations. The only possible exception would arise in the case of war. The Assembly accepted a proposal of the President that if any match could not be played owing to a state of war, its result would be decided on the basis of probabilities deduced from the players` FIDE ratings.
6.3.8.2 Every participating team is in principle under obligation to play in the tournament from start to finish. If a team is, however, compelled to withdraw from the tournament through circumstances beyond its control, the treatment of any unplayed matches for the purpose of scoring shall be settled by the FIDE President, the Tournament Director and the Chief Arbiter.
Any further measures shall be taken later by the President in
consultation with the Executive Board.
6.3.8.3 Every team shall be headed by a captain (in matters relating to the play) and a chief of delegation (in administrative matters).
The administrator shall incur no expenses for any chief of delegation who is not of the persons listed under 4.5.2.
Before the start of the contest, each participating federation shall send the administrator two miniature flags of its nationality, suitable to be placed on the tables.
Every chief of delegation must come equipped with a tape recording of his country` national anthem.
6.3.8.4 Fixed Board Order (FBO)
See D.II.07, paragraphs 1.172 - 1.174 and 3.7. Not later than 20 hours before the start of round 1, the players in each team must be listed in a fixed board order by their captain. The FBO cannot be changed during the tournament.
6.3.8.5 During the whole course of the contest, the players must conduct themselves in accordance with sporting fairness and decency, and must take care neither to distract nor to annoy their opponents. They should endeavour to settle all disputes by mutual accommodation.
6.3.8.6 Prior agreement between players as to the result of individual games or of a match shall be penalized with the utmost severity. If any such agreement is proved to have taken place, the points apportioned by it shall be annulled and the matter shall be referred to the appeals committee for the fixing of the penalty.

6.3.9 The team captains

6.3.9.1 Before the start of a round, the captain of a team must deliver to the Chief Arbiter, a sealed envelope containing a Round Team List (RTL) of the team members who are to take part in the round in question. If this list is not delivered by the appointed time, the team may only use its top 4 players.
6.3.9.2 In the exercise of his functions the team captain has the right of access to the area reserved for the players, but it is his duty to ensure that the members of his team who are not involved in the current match or have finished their games do not enter or remain in this area.
6.3.9.3 At the end of the playing session, the captain is responsible both for reporting the result to the controllers and for delivering to them legibly written scoresheets of the finished games.
6.3.9.4 During the games the captain must refrain from interfering in any way. He is, however, entitled to advise his players on the offering or accepting of draws or resigning of games, provided that he makes no comment on the actual position on the chess board, and confines himself to giving brief information which can in no way be construed as an opinion about the progress of the game. The exchange of information between captain and player must take place in the presence of a controller.
6.3.9.5 The captain is permitted to appoint a deputy to exercise his functions, but must inform the Chief Arbiter of this in writing.
6.3.9.6 In matters relating directly to the play, the captain alone is entitled to lodge or present demands made by his players.

6.4 Special committees

6.4.1 In the Chief Arbiters initial discussion with the captains, the latter shall elect an Advisory Panel.
6.4.2 This panel shall be composed of 5 persons, as follows:
• the members may be team captains or players;
• they should be chosen from all 5 rating categories (see 7.73);
• the 5 members shall nominate their own chairman.
6.4.3 The task of the advisory panel is to give advice to the Chief Arbiter and Tournament Director whenever they request it. Equally, the appeals committee or the FIDE President may take advice from the panel before arriving at a decision.
6.4.4 Request for this advice should be addressed to the chairman of the panel.
6.4.5 Procedure in the case of infringement of the rules, disputes and improper conduct.
6.4.5.1 In matters relating to the play:
• the initial decision shall be taken by the Arbiters
• an appeal against this decision may be addressed to the Chief Arbiter.
• the second, provisionally binding decision, shall be taken by the Chief Arbiter.
6.4.5.2 In administrative matters
• the initial decision shall be taken by the Deputy Tournament Director.
• an appeal against this decision may be addressed to the Tournament Director.
• the second, provisionally binding decision shall be taken by the Tournament Director.
6.4.5.3 General Stipulation
Any ruling by the Chief Arbiter or Tournament Director shall take effect immediately; any proceedings which were suspended shall then be resumed.
6.4.5.4 Written Protests
Against a decision of the Chief Arbiter or Tournament Director are permissible and shall be settled by an appeals committee.

6.5 The Appeals Committee

6.5.1 The FIDE President, as the highest executive officer of the Chess Olympiad, shall have the support of an appeals committee, of which he himself shall select the three members.

6.5.2 The President shall appoint one of members as chairman.

6.5.3 The following may be the subject of rulings by the appeals committee:
• protests against decisions of the Chief Arbiter or Tournament Director;
• complaints of improper conduct by participants in the Chess Olympiad;
• any other matters which the committee considers important and worth debating.

6.5.4 Procedure of appeals
Any protest against a decision by the Chief Arbiter or the Tournament Director must be typed and presented to the appeals committee in triplicate, together with the sum of 100 Swiss Francs or the equivalent in local currency, as a deposit from the signatory. If the appeal is granted, the sum shall be returned immediately.
Those entitled to lodge appeals are the team captains and the chiefs of delegation. Where appropriate, the appeal may be accompanied by written statements from the witnesses.
The deposit must be handed to the chairman of the appeals committee. If the appeal is refused, the deposit if forfeited to FIDE. Requests to the appeals committee by organizers of the Chess Olympiad may be made without payment.

6.5.5 Upon submission of the appeal, the committee shall proceed to examine the evidence. For this purpose it may take statements from anyone as required, consult members of the advisory panel, and conduct other forms of investigation. The decision of the appeals committee should be reached as quickly as possible.

6.5.6 The appeals committee should endeavour to find acceptable solutions in the FIDE spirit. It may resolve disputed issues with or without disciplinary action.
In the case of gross unsporting offenses or other misconduct, the following principles apply:
• The Laws of Chess provide for the penalization of players who break the rules;
• the FIDE interpretations of the laws state that "Arbiters are requested to impose, in cases where clear contravention of moral principles of the game are demonstrated, penalties as severe as the loss of the game";
• if a participant fails to comply with the Laws of Chess or the relevant regulations, disobeys the controllers, commits breaches of chess etiquette or conducts himself improperly inside or outside the tournament building, the following steps may be taken.

Code of penalties
For minor offences or petty infringements
• admonishment
• correction
• demand for an apology to the offended party.

If a participant fails to make the apology demanded of him, which must be presented to the offended party in writing, the appeals committee shall instead impose a fine, the amount of which shall have been stipulated in a postscript to the original verdict.
For serious offences
• written warning
• fine
• conditional or definitive disqualification.

The appeals committee shall decide whether an offence is "serious" or "minor". All fines are to be remitted to FIDE through the administrator, who should be notified by the committee.

The federations shall take responsibility for their players.

6.6 Right of veto and commutation

All rulings by the appeals committee are subject to the Presidents right to veto. Application for the veto to be exercised must be submitted to the President in writing not later than 24 hours after the appeals committee has communicated its verdict. An application submitted late shall be invalid. The President may confirm the committees decision, quash it or reduce the penalties imposed.

6.7 Co-operation

The attempt is made in these regulations to draw a clear line of demarcation between the sphere of competence of the Chief Arbiter and that of the Tournament Director.
Notwithstanding this attempt, there will repeatedly be borderline cases, an overlapping of functions, and questions of prerogative. In such cases the Tournament Director and the Chief Arbiter should endeavour to resolve the
question between themselves.
If this proves impossible, the question of competence shall be decided by the appeals committee.
In the process of its development, the Chess Olympiad is in constant need of new impulses, it is continually changing.
To ascertain the tendencies during the Chess Olympiad and determine the correct modes of cooperation between all parties, one member of the appeals committee shall be appointed as

7. Tournament regulations for the Chess Olympiad

7.1 Laws of Chess
The general FIDE laws shall be applied with their supplements and interpretations as laid down by the FIDE Rules Commission. The following specific regulations for the Chess Olympiad shall also be in force.

7.2 System of Play
The contest shall take the form of a Swiss system tournament with fixed rules for pairings. The pairing procedure and its rules are set out in detail under D.II.02.

7.3 Schedule
The matches shall be conducted according to a playing schedule which must be distributed to the participants before the start of the tournament. The time span between the opening and closing ceremonies shall not exceed 14 days. Only in exceptional cases may the Chief Arbiter, in consultation with the Tournament Director, make alterations to the times of play. If this is done, all those concerned are to be informed directly (not merely by a notice on a notice-board).

7.4 Start of the session
Five minutes before play commences, the Tournament Director must announce the approaching start of the session by a double acoustic signal. The playing session shall start by the announcement of the Chief Arbiter. Once the Chief Arbiter announces the start of the round, the clock of the player with the white pieces shall be started by his opponent.
At the start of the round the players shall be seated in their places, in front of the chessboard, according to their team composition. Any player who will not be in his/her place at the start of the round will be forfeited, thus losing his/her game. So the Zero Tolerance Rule shall be in effect.

7.5 Playing Conditions

7.5.1. Only the players, principals and people with permission of the Chief Arbiter shall be allowed in the actual playing area.
7.5.2. During the playing session the following additional regulations shall be in force:

a) The players are not permitted to bring into the playing area technical and other equipment extraneous to play, including mobile phones, which may in any way disturb or upset the opponent. The Chief Arbiter shall decide what constitutes extraneous equipment liable to offend the opponent.
b) A player may talk only to an arbiter, or communicate with his captain, or with his opponent, as permitted by the Laws of Chess.
c) The players are not allowed to leave the playing area without the permission of the Chief Arbiter.
d) When standing close to the chessboards, captains and players should be behind the players of their team, not facing them.

7.6 Behavior

7.6.1 During the whole course of the contest, the players must conduct themselves in accordance with sporting fairness and decency and must take care neither to distract nor to trouble their opponents. They should endeavor to settle all disputes by mutual accommodation.
7.6.2 Prior agreement between players or captains as to the result of games or of a match will be penalized with the utmost severity. If any such agreement is proved to have taken place, the points apportioned by it will be forfeited, and the matter will be referred to the appeals committee for the fixing of the penalty.

7.7 Draw restrictions

7.7.1. The players are not allowed to offer a draw to their opponent before thirty (30) moves have been completed by both players.
7.7.2. A game is drawn according to the Articles 5.2.a, 5.2.b and 9.6 of the Laws of Chess.
7.7.3. A game may be drawn according to the Articles 5.2.d, 5.2.e, 9.2 and 9.3 of the Laws of Chess.
In the case of a threefold repetition before thirty (30) moves have been completed, the player has to claim to the Arbiter, as per article 9.2 of the Laws of Chess.

7.8 Time control

The time control will be 90 minutes for 40 moves and 30 minutes until the end of the game, with 30 seconds additional time per move, starting from move 1, per player.
The games shall be played using the electronic clocks.

7.9 Scoring

Each teams place in the order of classification shall be decided by the number of match points it has scored.
Ties shall be resolved by the procedures in D.II.07, Annex D, paragraph G.

7.10 Prizes

7.10.1 Trophies
The winning team in the open section of the Chess Olympiad shall receive the "International Hamilton-Russell Cup".
The winning team in the women section of the Chess Olympiad shall receive the "International Vera Menchik Cup".
The winning teams for the best composite scores in the open and women Olympiads shall receive the "Nona Gaprindashvili International Trophy".
The federation of the respective winning teams shall have custody of the cups, which are property of FIDE, until the following Olympiad.
Both trophies are to be competed for at each successive Olympiad; they cannot be acquired in perpetuity.
The dates of the tournament and the name of the winning federation are to be engraved on the base of the Cup. Should the original trophy be lost, a replacement is to be made on the same pattern.
The winning federations of the tournaments, and the names of their players, shall be recorded in the FIDE Golden Book, of which the President has custody.

7.10.2 Chess Medals
Every member of the winning team (players, reserves and captain) shall receive a gold medal. Similarly, the team finishing second shall receive silver medals and the team in third place, bronze.

7.10.3 Special prizes for teams in particular rating categories

Before the start of the tournament, the Technical Administration Panel shall have divided the teams into 5 rating categories, on the basis of their position in the initial overall ranking list (see Annex D, paragraph 4-7); as far as possible, the categories should contain equal numbers of teams.
Every team that finished with the highest score for its category, provided that it has not won medals, shall receive a prize of money or goods.

7.10.4 Individual Chess Medals for Board Prizes

Players assigned to the same board number in their respective team lists shall be in competition for individual board prizes namely: gold, silver and bronze medals. For the purposes of this award, the players performance rating shall be compared. If the performance rating is equal, the tie shall be broken by
(a) the number of games, and if this is also equal by
(b) the players performance rating after deducting the result against the lowest rated opponent, and if this is also equal by
(c) the players performance rating after deducting the results against the two lowest rated opponents and so on.
Only players who have played a minimum of 8 games shall be eligible for board prizes.

7.10.5 Additional prizes

offered by the administrator or by sponsors should be made known to the players in good time, together with the conditions of their award. The FIDE President shall decide how and when such prizes are to be presented.

7.10.6 Certificates

After the end of the Chess Olympiad, the federation of the teams finishing first, second and the third shall be sent certificates by the President, recording the success of their teams and the medals they have won.

7.11 Qualification for the World Team Championship

The three highest-placed teams in the open section and the five highest-placed teams of the women section are entitled to participate in the World Chess Team Championships in the following year.

8. Conclusion of the Chess Olympiad

8.1 Final placing
With the aid of the Chief Arbiter, the Tournament Director shall draw up lists of the final placing for the men and women sections, showing the teams in their precise order and giving their final scores.
These lists are to be signed by both organizers and enclosed with the Chief Arbiters concluding report to the FIDE President.

8.2 Closing ceremony
The closing ceremony with honours to the winning teams shall be held in the evening on the day of the final round. It should follow the same guidelines as the opening ceremony (where applicable); in addition, the national anthem(s) of the men and women winning teams shall be played. Members of the Presidential Board and the Chief Arbiter shall be seated according to VIP protocol.

8.3 Payment of stipends
Before the end of the contest, the administrator shall pay the sums specified in these regulations (as net amounts, after meeting any tax liability). At the option of the participants, he shall pay them in person or arrange for transfer of the sums to their home countries or any other place they choose. For this purpose, the specific principles in D.II.01, paragraph 1.3, shall apply.

8.4 Reports
As soon as possible the Chief Arbiter and the chairman of the appeals committee shall deliver to the FIDE President an official written report on the course of the contest, with supporting documents if appropriate.
Within 4 weeks after the closing ceremony, the chairman of the organizing committee shall present the President with a general report of the proceedings. A copy shall be supplied to the organizing federation.

8.5 Accounts
Immediately after the end of the contest, the FIDE Treasurer shall present the administrator with the account of expenses incurred by FIDE. Not later than 3 months after the closing ceremony, the administrator shall supply an official concluding balance sheet of the operation, which shall give a synopsis of the overall income and expenditure and the administrator net profit.

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