FIDE recognises change of guard at All India Chess Federation (AICF)

Chennai: The dramatic change of guard at the All India Chess Federation (AICF) has been recognised by the global chess body FIDE.

The FIDE has updated the AICF page on its website by uploading the names and the pictures of the newly elected office bearers of the Indian chess federation.

The new office bearers of AICF are Ajay H. Patel, President, Bharat Singh Chauhan, Secretary, Naresh Sharma, Treasurer, M. Arun Singh, Joint Secretary and Vipnesh Bharadwaj, Vice President.

Like a player who overlooked a back rank mate and went ahead with his attack in a chess game, the nomination papers filed by the group led by former President P.R.Venketrama Raja were rejected by the AICF election Returning Officer Returning Officer (former Supreme Court judge, Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla) as they had not filed it in person.

As per para 6.4 of the National Sports Development Code those contesting in elections have to file their nominations in person with the Returning Officer.

Curiously it was Raja group that had insisted that the election should be held as per National Sports Development Code 2011. Kalifulla had rejected the nominations filed by 23 persons on that ground and declared the above five as elected unopposed.

The Raja camp suffering the ‘back rank mate’ has appealed to the Madras High Court against Kalifulla’s decision. IANS

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