After a year and a half that saw unprecedented infighting leading to an acrimonious election process, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) is showing signs of putting the game back on track.
In its Annual General body meeting here on Sunday, it was decided to return to over-the-board competitions in a phased manner, reduce the financial burden on the registered players, hold at least one elite tournament annually, and bid for the Chess Olympiad, among others.
Reflecting on the roadmap ahead, the newly-elected president Sanjay Kapoor told The Hindu, “Our players-first approach will remain paramount in everything that we do. For a start, we have decided to do away with multiple registration fees paid by the players at the district, state and National level.
“From now on, the players who get registered at the district level pay an unchanged, one-time annual fee of ₹250. Out of this, ₹125 will go to the affiliates, who will give a share to the districts.”
Meanwhile, Chauhan was named to replace D.V. Sundar as India’s FIDE Delegate. Ajay Patel will be the new president of Asian Zone 3.7, in place of Ravindra Dongre.
Biggest takeaway
“For me, the biggest takeaway from the meeting was the way the house resolved the conflicts,” said Chauhan.
In Rajasthan and Maharashtra, the two rival bodies have come together, thereby putting an end to years of conflict. As a result, Rajasthan Chess Association and Maharashtra Chess Association will be back as the governing bodies in these states.
Fresh elections
In Bengal, a five-member committee was formed, including two members each from the warring factions of Dibyendu Barua and Atanu Lahiri, to hold fresh elections within six months as per the amended constitution, in line with the Sports Code.
Sanjay Kapoor also announced AICF’s decision to bid for the 2026 Chess Olympiad, 2022 women’s Grand Prix and plans to hold the Chess League by the year-end.
“The AICF has also earmarked ₹10 lakh to each of our 33 affiliates towards upgrading their offices and communication channels so that it helps them to serve the game more efficiently,” concluded Kapoor.
