After the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai last year, the buzz about the game has gone up. And, the Tamil Nadu State Chess Association (TNSCA) has stepped in with a promotion drive.
“The Olympiad had spawned enormous interest for the game what with the State Government also publicising it. We felt it’s the right time to raise the bar,” said M. Manickam, the TNSCA President in a chat with The Hindu.
“The State Government wants to raise the number of Grandmasters (GM) to 100 from the present 39, and, so we surmised that GMs need to come from a base called the International Master (IM),”
“To become an IM, one has to get three norms and 2400-plus rating points. In order for our players to achieve it, we decided to have the ‘TN IM Norm Closed Circuit’ events across the State,” he added.
The TNSCA is conducing 50 such tournaments. “In these tournaments, only 10 are eligible to play of which five are foreign players and the rest Indians. The national federation has asked us to have three out of the five from Tamil Nadu,” said Manickam.
“We have so far completed six tournaments and produced four norms. One player has already crossed the 2400 rating points and is eligible to become the IM the moment he gets his norms,” he added.
The TNSCA’s idea is to ensure financial feasibility for the players. “For, in the absence of such tournaments, travelling abroad would cost our players, mostly the under-18 participants, up to five lakh rupees per trip. And yet, it does not guarantee a norm. But now, the cost is only around Rs. 15000. Even if they do not achieve the norm, the damage is less,” said the State President.
Is the TNSCA on a fast track mode? “We have always been active. We conducted a series of tournaments when Vishy Anand got his GM status. And now, we have made the process systematic,” said Manickam.
“From the sixties till date, we have had about 69 IMs, starting from Mr. Manuel Aaron. In 60-plus years we had just one IM a year. Now, we are targeting atleast 10 in the current year,” he added.
Having a tournament every week is a new thing. “I don’t think any other country does that. TNSCA will continue to show the way,” he concluded.
