Certification Extensions: Chess Coach and Tournament Directors

The US Chess Executive Board has passed two motions that impact Chess Coach and Tournament Director certification. Both are extensions of current certifications due to the pandemic:

Extend Chess Coach Certification Expiration Dates to June 30, 2022 (Passed 8-0)

MOTION: In view of the continuing impacts of the pandemic on certified chess coaches, I move that the Executive Board authorize the office to extend expiration dates for all Chess Coach Certifications scheduled to expire in 2021 to June 30, 2022. In effect, this motion adds 6 months to the Dec 31, 2021 expiration date specified in EB Motion 21-049. The EB shall revisit this motion before the end of April 2022.

Rationale: In EB21-049 the Executive Board approved (7-0) to authorize the office to extend until December 31, 2021, the expiration dates for all Chess Coach Certifications scheduled to expire in 2021. The motion further stated, "The EB shall revisit this motion before the end of 2021 to determine if further extension is warranted." Given the reports from Chess Coaches about how the pandemic continues to negatively impact their coaching activities, as well as the impending formation of a "Chess Coach Certification Working Group" by the Executive Board, I recommend we extend the expiration date another 6 months to June 30, 2022.

Proposes extending the current deadline from Dec 31, 2021 to June 30, 2022 (Passed 8-0)

MOTION: I move that the Executive Board authorize the Tournament Director Certification Committee (TDCC) to extend the end of December 2021 deadline specified in Motion EB20-84 to the end of June 2022 for all affected Tournament Directors. All other conditions and requirements specified in EB20-84 are extended as part of this motion.

Rationale: In Motion EB20-084, which passed 7-0, the Executive Board authorized the TDCC to extend expiring Tournament Director (TD) certifications by one year from the current month of expiration for all members holding active Local, Senior or Associate National TD whose certifications expire before the end of December 2021. The Chair of the TDCC, in consultation with the US Chess Office, recommends extending this deadline by 6 months until June 30, 2022. EB20-084 further states, and this new motion directs to continue, that "Club Directors who reach the end of their three-year term without applying for and achieving Local TD status in accordance with the Official Rules of Chess will not have their Club TD certifications extended for one year. For example, a Senior TD whose certification expires in November 2020 would see his/her certification extended one year through November 2021. In a similar way, a Local TD whose certification expires in August 2021 would receive a one-year extension through August 2022. However, a Club TD who has not passed the exam required to become a Local TD before his/her Club TD certification expires will not receive the one-year extension."