ZIMBABWE’S International Arbiter (IA) Simbarashe Murimi has earned another major global assignment after being appointed a Sector Arbiter for the FIDE World Under 7 to Under 17 Chess Championships in Spain.
IA Murimi will be part of the international team of officials entrusted with overseeing the global junior showpiece scheduled for Roquetas de Mar in Almería from October 13 to 21.
The appointment represents another significant endorsement of the Zimbabwean official’s standing in international chess and puts the country on the world stage not through pieces on the board, but through one of the men entrusted with ensuring the laws of the game are upheld.
FIDE officially approved IA Murimi’s appointment following an agreement with its Arbiters’ Commission, according to correspondence from the organisers.
He will serve as a Sector Arbiter for one of the age groups at a championship expected to bring together hundreds of the world’s leading junior players.
More than 700 competitors have registered for the championships, according to the Spanish Chess Federation, turning Roquetas de Mar into a major gathering of emerging chess talent.
The championships will feature Under 7, Under 9, Under 11, Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 categories, with players representing national federations from around the world.
Competition will be played over 11 rounds under the Swiss system, with players allocated 45 minutes plus a 30 second increment for every move.
Murimi will work under a high profile technical team that includes FIDE Technical Delegate Özgür Solakoğlu, Chief Arbiter Panagiotis Nikolopoulos and Deputy Chief Arbiters Jesus Mena Sarasola and Aleksandra Dimitrijevic.
The Spain assignment continues an impressive run of major international appointments for Murimi.
In 2023, he officiated at the World Youth Chess Championships in Montesilvano, Italy, before earning another prestigious call up as a Match Arbiter at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.
His latest appointment in Spain therefore marks a third successive year in which the Zimbabwean arbiter has been entrusted with duties at a major global chess competition.
IA Murimi was awarded the International Arbiter title following approval at the 2017 FIDE Congress in Antalya, Turkey, establishing him among Zimbabwe’s highest qualified chess officials.
He has since handled assignments at some of the sport’s major international competitions.
Among them was the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India, where he was a match arbiter.
His influence has also stretched beyond tournament halls into the development of other officials. Murimi has previously served as an assistant lecturer at FIDE arbiters’ seminars, including programmes involving officials from across the continent.
FIDE currently lists Murimi as a Category C International Arbiter in its 2026 to 2027 arbiter panel structure, further underlining his continued involvement at international level.
The Spain appointment carries added significance because a Sector Arbiter shoulders responsibility for supervising a designated section of a major tournament, working with other officials to ensure games are conducted according to FIDE regulations and resolving issues arising during play.
Murimi’s selection provides another form of representation at a world championship and reflects the growing footprint of the Zimbabwe’s chess officials beyond domestic and continental tournaments.
