Summary:

•  Highly decorated military career

•  USCF Life Candidate Master

•   3-Time Armed Forces Champion (1996, 2004, 2013)

•  2018 Georgia Armed Forces Champion

•  USCF National TD, FIDE International Arbiter

•  TD at several World Championship tournaments

•  TD at 5 Georgia Championships plus many others in Georgia and the U.S.

•  Developed Workshops and Videos for aspiring TD's in Georgia

David A. Hater was born in 1966 and attended Ohio State University where he earned a BS degree in Business Administration (1988) and a Master of Philosophy degree (1990).  David would later earn three more Master’s Degrees: Master of Public Administration (Auburn University, 1990), Master of Military Art and Science (Air University, Maxwell AFB, 2003), and Master of Strategic Studies (Air University, Maxwell AFB, 2013).

After a brief stint as a police officer, David entered the US Army.  He served for 25 years and retired in 2015 with the rank of Colonel.  His field of expertise was personnel, and when he retired, he was the military equivalent of a Vice-President for Human Resources.  David had multiple deployments around the world including three times to the Republic of Korea and twice to the Iraq War zone.  Military awards David received are many, some of which are: Legion of Merit (two times), Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (six times), Army Commendation Medal (four times), National Defense Service Medal (two times), and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (for work relating to chess).

As a chess player David became a Life Expert and Candidate Master and is a three-time winner of the Armed Forces Chess Championship (1996, 2004, 2013).  In 2018 David was the Georgia Armed Forces Champion. He was a US Armed Forces Team member at 17 NATO Championships, and has served as Captain, USA NATO Military Chess Team.

David Hater started directing chess tournaments at an early age, and when he became a National TD in 1988, he was the youngest NTD in the country.  After retiring from the US Army, David became a full-time employee of Bill Goichberg’s Continental Chess Association. A typical year for David will see him direct 300 sections with 15,000 players, and the tournaments that he works will award $1,000,000 in prizes.  In 2019 David Hater was named US Chess Tournament Director of the Year.  David was certified by FIDE as an International Arbiter in 2017, and in 2024 David directed three events classed as World Championships: the World Corporate Team Championship (NY), the World Amateur (u2300 FIDE) Championships (Greece), and World Cadet (under age 12) Championships (Italy).

David is a past member of the US Chess Rules, Ethics, and Military Chess Committees. He has been a member of the US Chess Executive Board since 2020, and a member of the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Committee since 2021.  In Georgia, David served as GCA First Vice-President during my last stint as President (2019-2021) and was also Open Events Director during that span.

David has been Chief TD of many tournaments here in Georgia including five Georgia State Championships (2017, 2019-21, 2024), two Class Championships (2017, 2019), two K-8 State Championships (2014, 2019), and eight Castle Chess Grand Prix’s (2008-9, 2012-16, 2019).

L. Thad Rogers reports that David Hater was USCF Alternate Delegate in 2017, as well as USCF Delegate in 2018 and 2019 for Georgia.

David has run TD workshops here in metro Atlanta for aspiring TD’s and has produced YouTube videos here in GA for the purpose of training local TD’s.

David A. Hater has significant achievements and contributions to chess at the state, national, and international levels in the areas of competition (over-the-board), teaching, organization, service, and leadership. He has bettered chess in the State of Georgia, as well as the Nation.

Sources:

  Interviews with David Hater;

  David Hater’s 2020 US Chess Executive Board campaign mailing;

  US Chess website; FIDE website;

  L. Thad Rogers, interview.