Three senior FIDE rated chess players barred from TN district tournament for playing in private tourney

Chennai, April 9 (IANS) Even after the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had ruled against banning chess players for playing in private tournaments, the practice still continues in Tamil Nadu, three FIDE rated senior players complained on Sunday.

The three players - M.Karunakaran, 68, V.Palanikumar, 58, and Merryston David Scanny, 48, were not allowed to play in the Tirunelveli District Selection tournament at the last moment on Sunday.

They have lodged a police complaint against Tirunelveli District Chess Development Association (TDCDA) Secretary B.Paulkumar for not allowing them to play in the tournament.

"We entered the tournament hall at about 9.20 a.m. today (Sunday) and the Secretary of Tirunelveli District Chess Development Association Paulkumar did not allow us to play in the tournament saying that we had played in some tournament in Tenkasi district," Scanny told IANS.

"I was an office bearer of the TDCDA between 1995-2017. And today I was banned from playing in the district selection tournament with Paulkumar saying that I had played in a tournament in Tenkasi and hence I was ineligible," Karunakaran told IANS.

Karunakaran was a former Anna University player and has won the IIT Open in 1986.

The third player who was banned Palanikumar too narrated a similar scenario.

"Paulkumar had told us that only registered players were allowed to play in the tournament. But the tournament prospectus had clearly mentioned that there was no registration fee. The only registration fee to be paid was to the AICF (All India Chess Federation) and the tournament entry fee," Palanikumar told IANS.

Contacted TDCDA Secretary Paulkumar told IANS: "The three players have been playing in tournaments held in Tenkasi. So how can they be considered as Tirunelveli District players?"

Asked by IANS whether they had played in any Tenkasi District selection tournament or is there is any rule whereby chess players are not allowed to play in private tournaments, Paulkumar disconnected the call.

Contacted again by IANS, he did not take the call.

In 2019, Paulkumar had barred then 11-year-old Karthik Rahul from playing in a tournament midway on the grounds that he had played in a private tournament.

The act was in clear violation of the CCI orders and AICF rules.

Tamil Nadu State Chess Association (TNSCA) Secretary Stephen Balasamy P. had then told IANS: "There is no differentiation between recognised and unrecognised tournaments. Players are free to take part in any chess tournament."

However, the Tamil Nadu State Chess Association has not taken any action against him then.

Chess players told IANS that the AICF and the state chess associations have not conveyed the CCI orders to the various District Chess Associations.

"Perhaps the three senior FIDE rated players were barred from playing in the district selection tournament at the last moment to facilitate Paulkumar's son who is also playing to get selected from Tirunelveli District to play in the state tournament," Scanny alleged.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at [email protected])