With the aim of promoting the sport, the newly elected officials of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) announced plans, including an Indian chess league and school program.
The AICF’s “vision document” was published after the general assembly, which was attended by 33 government entities.
“We really wanted to found the Indian Chess League to make the game known. The first edition, which will be a franchise model, will be organized this year, ”said Dr. Sanjay Kapoor, the President of the AICF. At the Annual General Meeting, it was also decided to host the Women’s Grand Prix, Kapoor confirmed. The AICF will also bid for the next available Chess Olympiad.
The AICF also has plans to move the school program forward. Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan said it would focus on state schools and involve up to 700 teachers trained by experts to teach children the game.
“We plan to start the chess program in schools before April. We will be using a slightly modified version of the Fide curriculum, ”Chauhan added. The AICF had a Chess in Schools (CIS) project, but Chauhan said more emphasis would be placed on spreading outreach.
Other decisions that were made at the general assembly were a uniform registration system for players, which has to be renewed annually, a competence center opened and a super-tournament organized.
“The super tournament will see a lot of top players in action. This gives our grandmasters the opportunity to compete with the best in the business at home, ”said Kapoor. “Our plan is to make India a superpower in chess.”
