The set of documents depends on what the tournament gives players: a rating, sports ranks or just places.
| Tournament type | What is submitted | To whom |
|---|---|---|
| FIDE rating | a TRF file, and if needed details of arbiters and norms | to the national federation's rating officer, who uploads it to FIDE |
| National rating | the tournament file and final standings in the federation's format | to the national or regional federation |
| Sports ranks and titles | result protocols, regulations, the arbiter's report | to the regional federation or sports authority - by their rules |
| Official event (championship) | the chief arbiter's report, standings, protocols, decisions on disputes | to the organisation that held the tournament |
| Club tournament without rating | nothing mandatory | standings - to players and the club's social media |
Formats and deadlines for national rating and sports ranks are set by the national and regional federations. Check them before the tournament where you register it: the requirements change, and regions sometimes have their own.
Under the FIDE Rating Regulations (2024 edition) the chief arbiter sends the tournament report - the TRF file - to their national federation's rating officer, who uploads it to the FIDE rating server (Article 9.1).
| When | What to do | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Before the tournament | register the tournament for rating | no later than 3 days before the start; 30 days if a player rated above 2700 or a woman rated above 2500 takes part |
| During the tournament | keep round protocols, record disputes and decisions | every round |
| Straight after | check results, FIDE IDs and dates of birth, build the TRF | on the final day |
| After the tournament | send the TRF to the federation's rating officer | so the tournament makes one of the next three rating lists, otherwise it is not rated |
What is rated: games in which both players made at least one move. Forfeits and other unplayed games are not rated (Article 5.1). Requirements for the tournament itself - in FIDE requirements for tournaments, the submission procedure step by step - a FIDE-rated tournament.
Besides the TRF, federations and organisers of official events ask for the chief arbiter's report - a short document that shows how the tournament went. It usually has four blocks:
Decisions on disputes are best written down on the day they are made: a week later the details are gone. How an appeal is handled - an appeal at a chess tournament.
If the tournament ran in the Vibe Chess app, almost everything for the report is already collected - there is nothing to copy from scoresheets:
How the format itself works - the TRF format, which papers you need before and during the tournament - tournament forms and protocols.
For FIDE rating - a TRF file to the national federation's rating officer. For national rating, sports ranks and official events - the final standings, round protocols and the chief arbiter's report in the format of the federation or organiser.
The chief arbiter passes the TRF to their national federation's rating officer, who uploads the file to the FIDE rating server.
The report must make one of the three rating lists after the end of the tournament, otherwise the tournament is not rated. The tournament must be registered no later than 3 days before the start, or 30 days if a player rated above 2700 or a woman rated above 2500 takes part.
No. Only games in which both players made at least one move go into FIDE rating.
Yes. The TRF file is exported with a button on the tournament card and arrives as a document in Telegram. FIDE IDs and dates of birth come from the players' profiles, and each group gets a separate file.
It cannot be FIDE-rated retroactively. The standings can be published, but players will not get a FIDE rating.
There are no club or arbiter roles in the app: the create button is available to everyone. You can announce a tournament today and run it this weekend.
The bot is constantly improved based on real tournaments. If you need a feature that isn't there yet, message the developers right inside the bot with the /support command. Many features appeared exactly because organizers asked for them, and useful ideas get added quickly.
More for arbiters: the TRF format, a FIDE-rated tournament, the arbiter's kit and how many arbiters a tournament needs.
At the board since childhood: hazy about his rating, precise about every rook he has blundered. Counts an evening as a good one if the opponent stayed to talk afterwards instead of rushing off to check with an engine. Message →
