CAI makes its move

In a silent revolution, six domestic chess competitions, offering a minimum prize-fund of Rs. 5 lakh have been successfully hosted in the past 10 months.

And the All India Chess Federation has nothing to do with it.

The Chess Association of India (CAI), floated by some of the former office bearers of the AICF, is resourceful enough to have a whopping a prize-fund of nearly a crore for the year 2010.

The CAI has been quietly holding events and attracting sizeable entries in spite of these tournaments being declared “unauthorised” by the AICF.

With the country's leading Grandmasters, International Masters, Woman Grandmasters and Woman International Masters staying away, more out of compulsion than choice, some little known players are busy taking home prize-money like never before.

Striking it rich

Gwalior's Rupesh Kant collected the winner's cheque of Rs. 3 lakh from the inaugural event offering Rs. 15 lakh as prize-money in the capital in December. Since then, five events offering Rs. 5 lakh including Rs. 1 lakh to the champion, have seen new winners each time.

It is indeed uncommon for players with modest ratings to win six-figure cash prize. On the flip side, these players could not enhance their international ratings because these events do not have the sanction from the AICF.

The AICF's registration form clearly states that no player would participate in any “unauthorised” events hosted in the country. But many rated players, without any great future in sight, have chosen to have a go at lucrative prize-money without thinking about raising their ratings.

With these “rebel” players not allowed to play in AICF-sanctioned tournaments, the CAI has taken the initiative to send some of its “champions” abroad for participation.

The first step in this direction was taken when five players were sent for two concurrently played events in Malaysia this week. Harish Sharma, Ravi Kumar and Rupesh Kant were the top three seeds in the Am Bank Challenge championship (for those with rating of 2200 or less).

Less than flattering

However, their performances were less than flattering. Rupesh tied for title and was eventually placed second with 7.5 points from nine rounds, Ravi Kumar was fourth with 6.4 points and favourite Harish settled for the seventh spot with six points.

In the open category, where GM Abhijeet Gupta led a large Indian contingent, Gaurav Bakliwal (five points) and Joydeep Dutta (4.5) were the two CAI representatives.

In addition, two ousted AICF office-bearers P.T. Ummer Koya and S.L. Harsh, both engaged in a legal battle with the AICF, took part in the senior section with modest results.

On Friday, the CAI president Surendra Kumar Tewari fired a salvo at the AICF by announcing the hosting of the all-India Open National ‘B' championship at Saharanpur (UP) from October 24 to 31.

Big prize fund

This event offers a prize fund of Rs. 11 lakh as compared to a Rs. 2 lakh offered by the AICF for its National challengers' tournament at Bhiwani from October 16 to 26.

The CAI will have Rs. 5 lakh prize-money events at Madurai and Patna and a Rs. 25-lakh event at Lucknow this year. Also planned are the CAI Open National boys' under-10 and under-14 (at Raipur), National boys under 12, under-16 (at Pune) and National junior under-19 (at Udaipur) in addition to an open event for girls' under-10, under-12, under-14 and under-16 at Palakkad, Kerala.

The lucrative prize-money events are good for players with modest playing strengths without any serious aspirations. But how long will the CAI be able to sustain itself, only time will tell.