UCU Tournaments: A Critical Moment for Volunteer and Arbiter Support

This report, prepared by Tournament Director Karina Campbell and presented to the Ulster Chess Union Executive Board, outlines the Union’s ongoing challenges in sustaining its tournament programme and aims to spark the vital support needed to move forward.

The Importance of UCU Tournaments

For those members not fully aware, not all events listed on the UCU website or social media are UCU-run tournaments. In fact, the majority are organized by individual clubs. The core UCU-run tournaments include the Ulster Championships, Ulster Masters, Ulster Blitz, the Williamson Shield, the Ulster Rapidplay, and the City of Belfast. These events are vital not only for competitive players but also for fostering a sense of community and bringing chess enthusiasts together.

In addition to these long-standing events, two new tournaments were recently approved for the 2025/2026 season: the UK Blitz Open (Qualifier) and the Ulster Fischer Random. All of these now face uncertainty due to mounting operational challenges.

The Volunteer Crisis

So, why is this a concern? The simple answer is that the UCU is struggling to find enough volunteers and arbiters to sustain these events. Over the years, a small group of dedicated individuals—primarily Mark Newman, Brendan Jamison, and Adrian Dornford-Smith—have put in significant time and effort to make these tournaments run smoothly. They’ve handled everything from venue selection and event setup to managing registrations and FIDE administration. This level of commitment has been the backbone of our tournaments, but it cannot continue indefinitely without additional support.

There is also a common misconception that only licensed arbiters can assist at tournaments. In reality, you do not need to be an arbiter to help out at events, support with room setup, or help run UCU-rated events. An arbiter qualification is only required to run a FIDE-rated competition. The majority of essential tasks simply require willing volunteers.

Karina Campbell, who took on the role of Tournament Director in June, expressed her surprise at how long the organization has managed to continue without a formal strategy or more volunteers in place. As she notes, it is now clear that the UCU needs a broader base of volunteers to continue operating tournaments at the current scale. Without more people stepping up, the UCU may have to dramatically reduce its tournament offerings—or, in the worst-case scenario, cease to run them altogether.

The Challenges of Finding Volunteers and Securing Venues

The challenges are two-fold: a lack of volunteers and the rising costs of securing suitable venues.

On the volunteer front, there is an increasing difficulty in finding people to take on key roles such as arbiters. Over the past several months, Karina has faced the daunting prospect of having to cancel or scale back tournaments simply because she couldn’t find anyone to fill these essential roles. Personal preferences and club loyalties have only made the task more difficult.

In addition, the cost of venue hire has become a significant barrier. As a not-for-profit organisation, the UCU has limited financial resources. For example, hiring a major venue at Queen’s University Belfast for a one-day event can cost around £300 per day for the room hire, plus additional porter costs. When you add the expenses for prize money and arbiters, and other operational costs, it’s clear that relying on a small number of venues year after year is not a viable long-term strategy.

A Call for Action

This is a critical moment for the UCU. The successful tournaments we’ve enjoyed over the years have been made possible by the hard work and dedication of a small group of volunteers. But without more people getting involved, we risk seeing our tournament options shrink or, worse, disappear altogether.

If you value these events and want to see them continue, it’s time to step up. Whether or not you are a qualified arbiter, there are many ways you can help. You can volunteer as an arbiter, help with event logistics like setup and registration, or assist in securing venues. Your contribution could make a real difference.

How You Can Volunteer

There are many ways to get involved, no matter your experience level:

• Event Support

Help with room setup, equipment, clock checks, registrations, or tidy-up.

• Control Team Assistance

Support pairings, results reporting, and player queries at UCU-rated events.

• Arbiter Pathway

If you’re interested in becoming a qualified arbiter, please get in touch for training details.

If you can spare even a few hours at a single event, it would make a real difference to our ability to continue offering tournaments.

The future of UCU tournaments depends on our ability to come together as a community. If we want these events to continue, we all have a role to play.

For further information on how you can be of assistance or arbiter training details, please contact Karina Campbell.