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Chris Bird
@ChrisBirdIA
Chess arbiter/fan/player (in order of competence!). This is a personal account, all tweets are mine.
Tucson, AZ
chesstournamentservices.com
Joined January 2014
310
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2,820
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Posts
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Oct 12, 2023
    FIDE Laws "11.3.2 During a game, a player is forbidden to have any electronic device not specifically approved by the arbiter in the playing venue." The FIDE Anti-Cheating Regs also list "wallets, smart glasses, pens, watches" as 'forbidden gadgets'.
    user avatar
    Magnus Carlsen
    @MagnusCarlsen
    Oct 12, 2023
    I did ask an arbiter during the game whether watches were allowed, and he clarified that smartwatches were banned, but not analog watches. This seems to be against FIDE rules for events of this stature
    169K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Dec 28, 2024
    If you don't want a regulation enforcing, don't add it in the first place. But if something is in the regulations, and you sign up for the event anyway regardless of how stupid you think they are, you can't be all "WTF?" when those regulations are unilaterally enforced.
    55K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Oct 4, 2024
    This is coffeehouse chess, not serious chess that should be allowed in such a prestigious event as the Global Chess League. Players moving pieces again after pressing the clock, pieces flying everywhere, random clock bashing, no arbiter in sight... not for me, thanks.
    user avatar
    ChessBase India
    @ChessbaseIndia
    Oct 4, 2024
    GM @viditchess Gujrathi fights back from a close-to-lost position and creates a completely winning position against Abdusattorov - but he falls short on time! Checkmating with a Rook also takes some time, and the game ends in draw - timeout vs Insufficient material. #TechMGCL
    00:00
    115K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Oct 14, 2022
    Hey @CristianChirila, next time you need help with the castling rules, you know where we are! 😉 #USChessChamps
    00:00
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Jan 1, 2025
    Given everything that happened this week, I can't think of a more fitting ending than @advorkovich and @MagnusCarlsen rewriting the regulations on the fly to bring this year's Rapid & Blitz Championships to an end. Happy New Year everyone! 🥳
    26K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Dec 27, 2024
    This was one of the craziest things in day 1 at the FIDE World Rapid Championships. I've never had a 50 move claim save someone from a mate in 1 before. Very Lucky or very unlucky depending on which side you're on 🤯 #RapidBlitz
    user avatar
    chess24
    @chess24com
    Dec 26, 2024
    Nakamura is about to deliver checkmate, but Donchenko can claim a 50-move draw! #RapidBlitz
    32K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Oct 31, 2024
    Please don't try this in your own chess games folks! Of course in this instance, both high-level players knew what was going on, but sometimes such an action could be misconstrued as a draw offer and lead to a lot of confusion.
    user avatar
    Saint Louis Chess Club
    @STLChessClub
    Oct 31, 2024
    When Kasparov says, you gotta resign, you resign🤷🏻‍♀️😂 #Chess9LX #STLChesClub #chess
    00:00
    31K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Dec 20, 2023
    While I may agree with the sentiment, this looks like a legitimate FIDE rated event, which just happens to include a very high rated player. If this happened a few months ago, nobody would have batted an eyelid. You would have to go back and undo rating any similar events.
    user avatar
    US Chess
    @USChess
    Dec 20, 2023
    new.uschess.org/news/letter-fi… @FIDE_chess
    221K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Oct 6, 2022
    Replying to @chess24com
    When I decided I was going to be a professional arbiter, this is exactly how I saw my life working out! If this is what it takes ensure the highest levels of integrity for today's OTB top events, then I'm more than happy to do it 🤓 #arbiterlife
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Sep 23, 2024
    The #ChessOlympiad arbiter team! Although the players are rightfully the center of most attention, it took a huge team of officials to make the Olympiad run, and I was very privileged and honored to be part of the team this year, my very first one! 😍
    5.8K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Dec 5, 2021
    My wife knows very little about chess but she is totally engrossed in watching @chesscom game 8 #CarlsenNepo review with @FabianoCaruana @DanielRensch and @GM_Hess
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Oct 11, 2022
    Replying to @chess24com
    Players were informed of the security procedures & that it may take time to go through the process. It's been this way for 6 rds, most have adapted & make it on time, others lose time. We are onsite at noon, rds start at 1pm & we will not rush this process for any player.
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Dec 31, 2022
    Yay, a feel-good story from the North American Open! I noticed a player had stopped recording his moves (30s increment time control), so I informed him he needed to catch up his scoresheet before making his next move. He had 45 seconds to write approximately 15 moves. 1/4
    52K
  • user avatar
    Chris Bird
    @ChrisBirdIA
    Oct 10, 2025
    Great to meet you Sagar! @sagarchess1 Thanks for the pic 😍
    14K