All India Chess Federation recognises Sara Bangla Daba Sangstha as apex chess body in Bengal

Kolkata: The All India Chess Federation (AICF) on Monday recognised “Sara Bangla Daba Sangstha” as the apex body to run chess in Bengal. The newly-formed body will have to hold its elections within three months to form the executive committee. The development comes after the AICF had disaffiliated the already-suspended Bengal Chess Association, giving affiliation to SBDS earlier this month. The national federation also announced that three major tournaments would be conducted by SBDS within March 2022, the state body said in a statement. AICF president Sanjay Kapoor and secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan on Monday met the advisors of SBDS Grandmasters Dibyendu Barua and Surya Sekhar Ganguly and inaugurated its new website. BCA chief mentor Atanu Lahiri on the other hand termed it “illegal” and said “they will not sit quiet”. “We have got enough evidence and we will take appropriate action. Even a child can say SBDS is completely illegal,” Lahiri, who is also the joint-secretary of AICF, claimed. Lahiri-led panel had last year won the BCA elections. An International Master, Lahiri was not eligible to contest for any post and hence he fielded his brother — a chess player and teacher — for the post of BCA president.