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The world of chess has lost one of its true giants. American IA Carol Jarecki, the first woman to become a world-class arbiter, has passed away recently. The fide.com website announced her death.
I read the sad news in The New York Times yesterday; page A25 of the international edition.
She served as Head Arbiter for the 1995 match between Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand in New York, for the Kasparov vs Deep Blue match in 1997, for the Women's World Championship in 2013, for at least six U.S. Championships, and for many other high-level events. An IA since 1984, she became in 1989 the first woman to referee an event in a world championship cycle, when she directed the Seattle match between GMs Anatoly Karpov and Johann Hjartarson.
I had the exceptional privilege of working with Carol at the 2005 Minneapolis HB Global Challenge, which attracted 1,500 players. She served as Head Arbiter, while I was an Associate Arbiter as #2 in the U2200 section, with about 200 players. The tournament was an enormous success from the chess standpoint, attracting nearly 100 GMs, while offering the record (at the time) $500,000 (U.S.) in guaranteed prizes, across seven sections. It was initiated by GM Maurice Ashley, and had a significant local charitable component, with partnerships involving chess and youth / scholastic funding, through sponsor HB, a Minnesota-based company.
I received conditions, with my return airfare from Ottawa paid, hotel and meal money paid, and an honorarium. I was met at the airport on arrival, and escorted downtown by light rail network to my hotel, then to a meeting of tournament staff, ending the day in a fancy restaurant, where Carol picked up the dinner and drinks tab for the assembled group of arbiters. We had nearly 500 on-site registrations to deal with the next day. Carol asked for an hour with me at breakfast the next day, from which she determined my skill level, and assignment. I was well received by the group; it was my first American event as an arbiter. We were short-staffed, with the vast increase in tournament size at the last moment; working together smoothly as arbiters was essential, and it happened!!
The event was a real treadmill of tasks, coordinated perfectly by Carol's leadership skills; it was nine rounds over five days. We were working 16 hours per day. Carol arranged for me to visit the United States Chess Federation meeting taking place on site, when I told her I was a CFC Governor; I was warmly welcomed there as a visiting guest, given a chance to speak, and offered hospitality.
In the last round, I reported to my immediate supervisor, IA Robert Singletary, about suspicious behavior from one contestant, who kept visiting the washroom after nearly every move; he had done so in previous rounds as well. The player was among the leaders chasing the $20,000 (U.S) first prize for the section. Robert informed Carol and Deputy Arbiter IA Robert Tanner; the decision was to form an investigative team with Carol, IA Singletary and IA Tanner, splitting off the two Roberts from any more sectional duties that round, leaving me on my own, in charge of the section. Carol had enough confidence in me to do this. It turned out that the player under investigation was communicating by cell phone from the washroom with a confederate in a nearby hotel, who used a chess program to find strong moves and relay the information; local police were called to assist. The player was disqualified. I would place the two Roberts at a level comparable to Canadian arbiters IA Jonathan Berry and IA Hal Bond, having worked with all of them. Carol was a level above that, in my view.
Carol made a special time to thank me in person the next day, and said she would work with me again anytime. Unfortunately I never had another chance for that. She was a warm person, but she expected top effort, and knew how to get people to do their best.
Carol was an exceptional pioneer, and one of the great leaders giants of world chess.
Rest In Peace, my friend.
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston
I read the sad news in The New York Times yesterday; page A25 of the international edition.
She served as Head Arbiter for the 1995 match between Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand in New York, for the Kasparov vs Deep Blue match in 1997, for the Women's World Championship in 2013, for at least six U.S. Championships, and for many other high-level events. An IA since 1984, she became in 1989 the first woman to referee an event in a world championship cycle, when she directed the Seattle match between GMs Anatoly Karpov and Johann Hjartarson.
I had the exceptional privilege of working with Carol at the 2005 Minneapolis HB Global Challenge, which attracted 1,500 players. She served as Head Arbiter, while I was an Associate Arbiter as #2 in the U2200 section, with about 200 players. The tournament was an enormous success from the chess standpoint, attracting nearly 100 GMs, while offering the record (at the time) $500,000 (U.S.) in guaranteed prizes, across seven sections. It was initiated by GM Maurice Ashley, and had a significant local charitable component, with partnerships involving chess and youth / scholastic funding, through sponsor HB, a Minnesota-based company.
I received conditions, with my return airfare from Ottawa paid, hotel and meal money paid, and an honorarium. I was met at the airport on arrival, and escorted downtown by light rail network to my hotel, then to a meeting of tournament staff, ending the day in a fancy restaurant, where Carol picked up the dinner and drinks tab for the assembled group of arbiters. We had nearly 500 on-site registrations to deal with the next day. Carol asked for an hour with me at breakfast the next day, from which she determined my skill level, and assignment. I was well received by the group; it was my first American event as an arbiter. We were short-staffed, with the vast increase in tournament size at the last moment; working together smoothly as arbiters was essential, and it happened!!
The event was a real treadmill of tasks, coordinated perfectly by Carol's leadership skills; it was nine rounds over five days. We were working 16 hours per day. Carol arranged for me to visit the United States Chess Federation meeting taking place on site, when I told her I was a CFC Governor; I was warmly welcomed there as a visiting guest, given a chance to speak, and offered hospitality.
In the last round, I reported to my immediate supervisor, IA Robert Singletary, about suspicious behavior from one contestant, who kept visiting the washroom after nearly every move; he had done so in previous rounds as well. The player was among the leaders chasing the $20,000 (U.S) first prize for the section. Robert informed Carol and Deputy Arbiter IA Robert Tanner; the decision was to form an investigative team with Carol, IA Singletary and IA Tanner, splitting off the two Roberts from any more sectional duties that round, leaving me on my own, in charge of the section. Carol had enough confidence in me to do this. It turned out that the player under investigation was communicating by cell phone from the washroom with a confederate in a nearby hotel, who used a chess program to find strong moves and relay the information; local police were called to assist. The player was disqualified. I would place the two Roberts at a level comparable to Canadian arbiters IA Jonathan Berry and IA Hal Bond, having worked with all of them. Carol was a level above that, in my view.
Carol made a special time to thank me in person the next day, and said she would work with me again anytime. Unfortunately I never had another chance for that. She was a warm person, but she expected top effort, and knew how to get people to do their best.
Carol was an exceptional pioneer, and one of the great leaders giants of world chess.
Rest In Peace, my friend.
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston
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