FIDE decides to restore ratings of banned chess players
Chennai: In a sudden and surprising development for the chess players and a setback for the All India Chess Federation (AICF), the global chess body FIDE on Monday announced the restoration of Elo ratings of dozens of Indian players in their records.
"Nearly a decade ago, FIDE, at the behest of AICF, removed the Elo ratings of dozens of players and expunged their names from the records. Today we are delighted to welcome back all those players with immediate effect," FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement.
"This is big news not only for the affected players, but for all the Indian chess players. It is a big slap on the face of AICF and its officials who had destroyed the chess careers of many players," Gurpreet Pal Singh, one of the players banned by the AICF years ago, said. "The AICF officials, who were instrumental in banning us and removing our Elo ratings and who still continue in AICF, should immediately resign owing moral responsibility for spoiling the sporting future of dozens of players," Karun Duggal, another banned player, added.
British Grandmaster (GM) and FIDE Vice-President Nigel Short tweeted: "A hugely positive statement by #FIDE President @advorkovich. #Chess must be for the players & lovers of the game — not for the administrators."
"It not sudden. The issue has been going on for years. It has been an extraordinary waste of time and resources. It is time to move on. The new FIDE administration's first priority is to promote and encourage chess, not to control chess," Short said. Several Indian chess players erupted in joy hearing the news from FIDE and congratulated Duggal and Singh.
However, the FIDE statement is silent on the procedure to be followed for the reinduction of the dozens of players who were banned by the AICF.
Meanwhile, the AICF faced a setback recently at the Competition Commission of India (CCI). According to Singh and Duggal, the CCI in its order dated May 9, 2019 told the AICF that it has not complied entirely with its order dated July 12, 2018 by keeping in abeyance the rule that prohibits players from playing in unauthorised tournaments and not rescinding it totally.
