Action plan for Arbiters and Ladies: an update from Gaston Boutchon

Dear chess community,

As the administrator responsible for Arbiters and Ladies, I believe it is important to be transparent about my intentions. Below you will find how I plan to get to work.

Theme 1: Arbiters

My starting point is simple: we must first identify the needs and wishes of the clubs and federations to create a foundation for a future-oriented operation. I want to build a direct and open line of communication. Based on that input, feedback will be submitted to the Board of Administrators.

The timeline is as follows:

• 3 months: Announcement of the plans so that everyone is informed.
• 6 months: Capturing input. We need sufficient input to really get started. If necessary, we will seek outside legal advice regarding what is and isn’t permitted.
• 12 months: Developing proposals and presenting them to the Administration for feedback.

When is this successful? The first measurement point is seeing whether feedback actually comes in from the Federations, Leagues, and Clubs. We should know this by Q2 2026. If there is little feedback or few wishes, I will actively go out and look for them myself.

Theme 2: The Ladies

My starting point is simple: we must first identify the needs and wishes from the Lady’s for a future-oriented operation. I want to build a direct and open line of communication. Based on that input, feedback will be submitted to the Board of Administrators.

The timeline is as follows:

• 3 months: Mapping out the needs.
• 6 months: Turning the needs into a plan.
• 12 months: Reporting on the current state of affairs. Adjust where necessary
• When is this successful? The first measurement point is seeing whether feedback actually comes in from the Federations, Leagues, and Clubs. We should know this by Q2 2026. If there is little feedback or few wishes, I will actively go out and look for them myself.

Theme 3: Helping other administrators

The decision to abolish the national ELO will undoubtedly bring about a shift in workload. I am interested in offering support and help in this area.

I will be honest: I currently find that there is—certainly in my case—too little knowledge regarding this matter. However, by diving into it myself, that knowledge will undoubtedly grow quickly. I can then use that experience to further develop our cadre formation. For me, cadre formation is also about good knowledge sharing for everyone.+2

Do you have questions or input to share?

Feel free to let me know. We are getting to work together.

Gaston Boutchon