VAR in chess: How it works

In chess, the presumption of innocence applies in situations where an arbiter misses a moment of violation. If a player breaks a rule, and it’s noticed only by their opponent, an arbiter can verbally warn them. However, these punishments do not benefit a player facing a violation. In order to make a fair decision, it is necessary for arbiters to have a record of the moment of violation and the behavior of players. This is what idChess VAR technology is for.

Video referee assistant in chess is used according to three stages.

The first stage is the emergence of a controversial situation. For example, a chess player can appeal to an arbiter to record a violation of the "touch-move" rule. A player who touches a piece must move it if at least one move is possible. If a chess player touches one piece and moves another piece, they break the rule. It is also possible to check the application of the fifty-move rule with a video referee assistant—count fifty moves without any capture or pawn moves. idChess helps to precisely set, by notation, how many moves, according to this rule, are made. The arbiter can also rewatch the moment of the game on recording to make sure there are no captures or pawn moves. If a game has a triple occurrence of position, it is easy to check by rewinding the moves on the dynamic diagram. With VAR, it is possible to see a repetition of the pieces positions on the board. Aside from the rules, the video referee assistant helps to identify an incorrect move of a figure. To do this, it is necessary to compare the position of the figure on the diagram before and after the move and decide whether it is acceptable to make such a move. A record made with the VAR helps to identify who is right.

The second stage is watching the recording of real events using VAR. Since the idChess app digitizes the game and records the board at the same time, the arbiter can rewatch the controversial moment. How to do it? It is necessary to suspend the broadcast of the game and to rewind the video using navigation on the moves or on the timeline in the app.

The third and final stage is the decision of the arbiter. After rewatching the episode using VAR technology, the arbiter decides on an appropriate form of punishment in accordance with the rules of the competition and resumes the broadcast and video recording of the game.

To use VAR, you need a smartphone with the installed idChess app and an active subscription. To attach the smartphone above the chessboard, a tripod is also needed.

In addition to the VAR function, idChess can be used to broadcast individual games and tournaments. idChess tournaments are held all over the world: in Russia, the USA, India, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, and African countries. idChess is used in international tournaments in Serbia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and other countries. Digitized idChess games can be sent to the coach, analyzed via the built-in Stockfish 15+ engine, and shared as a link to live-streaming.

Arbiters from different countries are positive about the introduction of VAR at tournaments.