Proud mom of three brilliant, funny, and hard-working daughters, and wife to the smartest person I know, who's doing incredible work at the University of the Pacific.
I began my professional life as a chemist, earning a PhD in theoretical mass spectrometry and spending over a decade in analytical and clinical chemistry research.
But life took an unexpected and wonderful turn when I entered the world of chess. What started as curiosity and volunteering quickly became a passion, leading me to tournament organizing and arbitration.
Today, I hold the titles of National Tournament Director (NTD) and International Arbiter – Category C (IA-C), and have had the privilege of organizing and directing hundreds of chess events across the US and beyond.
At Chess.com, I’m thrilled to support and collaborate with a wide range of communities—from over-the-board (OTB) clubs and titled players to coaches, bloggers, and casual enthusiasts. No matter your level or interest, I’m here to help you find your place in the chess world.
Feel free to reach out—email is the best way to connect: judit.sztaray@chess.com.
Dear Chess Organizers, Arbiters and yes—Players too, After a recent Sunday’s event, I came to a conclusion: We should all move toward paperless tournaments. Let me tell you what happened. I was part of the chess team from the ...
I want to share a special story about my good friend, Abel, and how he chooses to spend his Thursday mornings—and sometimes Tuesday evenings—with a truly unique group of chess players. Some people volunteer once and walk away feeling g...
Esports World Cup 2025 The 2025 Edition of the Esports World Cup (EWC) Chess Finals promises to be a thrilling showdown of skill, stamina, and strategy, featuring an inventive structure that combines classic competition formats with new innova...
A personal reflection of the 2025 SPFGI Every event with GM Susan Polgar is special, but this year’s Susan Polgar Foundation Girls’ Invitational (SPFGI) was truly unforgettable. I had the joy of watching a fantastic player, FM Ruiyan...
Hey everyone, I'm back with a fun topic: The Touch-move Rule! A few days ago, Anish gave us "good content" when his opponent called him out and called the arbiter for a touch-move claim. Here is the clip: and the situation in slow motion:...
The Ruth Haring Memorial Tournament at the Mechanics' Institute This past weekend, the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club in San Francisco hosted the 3rd Ruth Haring Memorial Tournament, a FIDE-rated event honoring the life and legacy of Woman Inte...
Thinking of Playing in Your First OTB Tournament?Here's What You Should Know! One of the questions I hear most often as an arbiter is: “What’s the best way to start playing in tournaments?” Over time, I’ve shared bit...
** Note: yes the system doesn't let me publish it, Blog title should have 100 characters or less Original title: How to run an online tournament as if it was an OTB event - the 2024-25 Texas Scholastic Online Quick Championship on January 11...
I got home Sunday (Jan 5) late night from Charlotte, NC, where I was fortunate to be part of the arbiter team of the 2025 PanAms organized by the Charlotte Chess Center! Read my reflections here, here and here! Back at work on Monday and I got a...
As part of this new way to document all the fun stuff I'm doing as a chess arbitress, I would like to discuss some of the cases and rulings that happened at the event.This will be the last part of the series I posted about the 2025 PanAms that hap...
As I promised, here comes the second part of my tale of the 2025 Pan American Intercollegiate Team Championship. If you missed Part 1, read that first! I have so many thoughts regarding the event this year, and the event in general, hard to deci...
Arbiters always have one or two favorite events, for me PanAms is definitely one of them! It's the annual College Team Championship, with many familiar names from the titled players community, either there as players or as coaches. I simpl...
Hi Everyone, My name is Judit Sztaray, living in California. I'm a National Tournament Director (US Chess rank), and an International Arbiter (FIDE rank, just received my Category C). I have decided to document my journey as chess arbiter and ...
We are happy to see the Affiliate banners popping up around the US! Interested in becoming an official Chess.com affiliate?Click HERE to review the program and APPLY NOW! Idaho Chess Association Washington Chess Federation Ham...
