I need opinion on a TD decision

Good morning,

I need guidance. I am a aspiring TD, and I was at a team chess tournament last night. I am confused about a ruling, and am searching for answers.

The match was the championship of the team tournament, with team A leading B 2-1, with 2 boards coming to the end. A player asked the TD can she ask her coach a question. He said yes.

She asked "Does it benefit us to take a draw?"

The coached waited a few moments, then the TD spoke to her directly (the coach never spoke). "If the match finshes in a tie, the other team will win in tie-breaks." She proceeded to play.

The opposing coach was upset. He said to the TD "you gave unsolicated information! She was asking her coach a question. And this is not a question for the TD to answer without provocation. It is also a decision the coach makes, not the TD."

The TD was very stern. He said he said nothing wrong, and can at anytime find solutions to situations that occur. He told the coach that he was being unsportsmanlike, and was clearly wrong.

The coach protested again, but the TD stopped the conversation.

Who is correct? How is that to be handled? The information he gave was accurate, but it was not asked for. Even if it was asked for, does the TD give a player that information?

Please help

The Plano Chess Club offers this rule:

Team captains. In the final round of the tournament, you may ask your team captain/coach for advice regarding offering or accepting a draw offer only if he/she has not been in the tournament room and is not aware of the current or past position of your game. Do not stop the clocks, but summon a Tournament Director to accompany you outside the tournament room to talk to your team captain/coach. You may say nothing to the coach except “Should I offer/accept a draw?” Your coach can only reply “Yes,” “No,” or “It is your decision.” Team captains/coaches may not impose any result; they can only recommend, since each player is responsible for the result of his/her own game.

The TD shouldn't have allowed the question to a coach in the tournament room in the first place but since it was he and not the player or player's coach who made the mistake, and since the TD's advice was not related in any way to the appropriateness of a draw in the particular game situation, there should be no penalty.

I agree with no penalty, the player was not at fault.  Was the TD wrong in offering the information?

It is almost identical to a TD walking up to a board and saying u have check mate or ur low on time (which i have seen happen btw) TD is at fault, am not a TD so don't know what type of penalty to be give, but one shud definitely be given

I think that the TD should have said nothing and let the coach handle the situation since it was the coach who was asked the question

I agree.  The TD should not have said anything to the player.  That is not the job of a TD.

The TD should have said nothing.

My guess is that even if the coach had answered the question, the other coach would still have complained that the TC allowed the player to ask the coach a question.

The TD shouldn't have said anything, and he probably knew that, but since the answer was obvious he answered anyway. No harm done, really.

macer75, I would agree with you except the coach didn't answer the question, the TD did.

I am sure there are official USCF rules someplace. My guess is this would violate a USCF rule. Personally I never utter a word to anyone during a OTB game. At the very least it takes me out of my zone.

TD was at fault, but it also sounds like the other coach was overreacting. The girl’s coach probably would have said the same thing if the TD didn’t interrupt.