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All India Chess Federation revokes ban on Gopal

Written by content team 03 July 2009

All India Chess Federation took an important decision to revoke a one
year ban on Grand Master G.N. Gopal. The decision was taken at the
Central Council and Annul General Meeting in Chennai. Grand Master
G.N. Gopal finally got the justice!
Another major decision was taken to change the National Championship’s
(National `A’) format. The new format comprises, a 13 round Swiss
league event.
In the last year, Indian Grandmaster G.N. Gopal’s decision to skip the
46th National `A’ chess championship proved costly. The All India
Chess Federation (AICF) took disciplinary action against the player.
Disciplinary action by AICF
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) decided not to recommend
Grandmaster G.N. Gopal who had skipped the last National `A’
championship despite being warned by the federation to represent India
in any official tournaments for a year with immediate effect. That, in
effect, put the Kochi-based player out of any official Indian team for
one year. He was, however, free to play in tournaments for which he is
personally invited.
The decision was taken in Chennai at the AICF Central Council meeting,
which found his reasons for staying away from the last National `A’
championship held in Mangalore last December,
and playing in a tournament overseas instead, not satisfactory.
CPAI helped Gopal
Chess Players Association Of India had launched a protest, stating,
"We would also like to bring to your notice that decisions pertaining
to players taken in AICF meetings are not communicated to the
players. Hence the players are not aware of all the rules and
regulations".
"There are many instances of players skipping the National A but the
AICF did not take any action. The punishment against Gopal is very
harsh," said Verghese Koshy, a senior player and reputed coach. CPAI
president GM Tejas Bakre said it would request the AICF to reconsider
its decision.
AICF agrees to change the National Championship format

Another major decision was to change the National ‘A’ to a 13 round
Swiss league by accepting the proposal of a committee comprising Grand
Masters Dibyendu Barua and Abhijit Kunte, R.M. Dongre, Bharat Singh
Chauhan and D.V.Sundar. Two players from National Women’s `A’,
National Junior boys’ and girls’ champions, 30 from National `B’, top
six from the previous National `A’, all GMs and two nominees of AICF
secretary will take part in one-round-a-day National `A’.
Similarly, women’s National `A’ will be a 11-round Swiss league. AICF
also decided to motivate states which produce medal winners in
age-group National championships. by allotting extra slots to them in
the events the following year. Three extra seeding for states
producing champions, two for second place and one for third place in
all age group National championships. Naturally, the strong states
will have a bigger presence in the age-group championship.
About GM G.N. Gopal :
>From G. N. Gopal to GM Gopal, it truly has been a sensational journey
for the 18-year-old. He made his three norms within a space of six
months – at the International Open in Kolkata, the Lake Sevan in
Armenia and the Asian Zonal in Dhaka. He became Kerala’s first Grand
Master.
He won his first National title in 2001, the Under-12 rapid. In 2004,
he won the bronze at the Asian under-14 championship in Tehran. The
same year, he won the National junior title too.