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© Copyright 1999, Jim Loy
I was once a certified tournament director. I don't know if that job expires over time or not. Back then, the requirements for becoming a tournament director were that you had to serve as an assistant tournament director, and you had to pass a test. I played in an 8-round tournament in Great Falls. There were only 7 players, and the early round pairings were made as a Swiss system. I expressed my concerns that in later rounds, the pairings were likely to become impossible. You get a situation where, in the next to the last round, player A has not played B or C, while B has not played C. This is impossible to pair in just two rounds, A must sit out the round in which B plays C, and you must add an extra round, so that A plays both B and C.
I volunteered to find a way to fit the pairings already made into the USCF round robin chart (for 7 players). It was not difficult, as only two or three rounds had been played, and the round robin chart is logical and highly predictable. After about ten minutes of experimentation, I was able to change the pairing numbers of only a few of the players, so that the pairings fit the chart. And our Swiss system tournament was now a round robin. I was pleasantly surprised to be listed as an assistant tournament director of the tournament.
I took the tournament director test. It is a fairly easy, open book test. It determines that you, as a tournament director can find the correct ruling in the rulebook, essentially. I guarantee that this is a valuable skill for a tournament director.
I directed a few local tournaments. And then I directed a Montana Open, here in Bozeman. In this tournament, I learned that it is very difficult to win chess games when you direct the tournament. I was constantly distracted. Should I close the door, as those people out there are talking loudly? Is anybody in time trouble? Are there enough boards and clocks? Have I forgotten to make any announcements? The tournament was a success; my play was a disaster. [Being tournament director is a valuable excuse for bad play, just as drinking is an excuse for bad bowling]
I was directing another tournament. In the last round, I was playing Jim Chester. I needed a draw to take first place. After a while, I had him beat. But, the game went on and on and on and on. The other players needed to get on the road, to get home. So, we assumed that I would beat Jim, and I distributed the prizes. And everybody left, except Jim and me. What could go wrong? I lost a queen, left it hanging as I recall. Still I had some compensation, but my game eventually fell apart. I was about to resign, when Jim offered me a draw. He is too nice. Anyway, I didn't have to recall the trophies and redistribute them.