BCF mulls small-scale GM tourneys

The Bangladesh Chess Federation (BCF) is contemplating small-scale GM tournaments after their efforts over the past four years to hold such tournaments on a large scale have gone in vain. Their last attempt, the staging of the Bangabandhu Grand Master Chess Tournament in late April to celebrate the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The BCF had also attempted to hold a GM tournament in 2017, but that did not see the light of day, prolonging the wait for a GM tournament. Such a tournament was last held in 2009, although the federation has held numerous international rating and age-group tournaments and the national championships over the past four years.

"We have seen that there is no benefit in holding international rating tournaments. Although some players benefit from prize money, no one can earn titles. So we want to hold GM tournaments on a small scale with a round-robin league system instead of the Swiss-League system," BCF general secretary Syed Shahabuddin Shamim said, adding that they had discussed it at the first executive meeting of the ad-hoc committee last week. "We want to focus on the local players who can earn norms from the tournament. We need Grand Masters from three countries to hold the tournament. We want to hold at least four GM tournaments a year and Max Group has already promised to provide Tk 15 lakh each for two tournaments."

The sub-continent's first GM, Niaz Murshed, took the initiative in 2009 and held GM and IM tournaments on a small scare in round-robin-based tournaments under the banner of Six Seasons, from which two Indian players earend GM norm and WIM norm. Niaz held eight tournaments -- two GM tournaments, one WGM tournament, two WIM tournaments and three rating tournaments -- from 2009 to 2013 while Chattogram Jilla Krira Sangsha held a GM tournament in 2015.

However, the BCF could not hold GM tournament for the past 11 years and Bangladesh has not seen a new GM since Enamul Hossain Razib became the country's fifth during the 2009 national championship. No player has even earned a GM norm since.

Shahabuddin said that Mohammad Fahad Raman and Shamima Akter Liza earned IM and WIM titles directly after winning Zonal Asian Chess Competitions held in Bangladesh and he believes holding GM tournaments on a small scale will help others earn IM and GM norms.

He also informed that BCF president and IGP Benazir Ahmed told them to start tournaments or leagues after ensuring sponsors so that no one could have a negative image of Bangladesh Chess Federation.

"We also decided to form different sub-committees, which will first place their draft budgets for the approval of the executive committee and then start work, subject to approval. We will also collect funds from our sources, especially from chess officials who are solvent. This will be used for different tournaments if we don't get sponsors and for sending national teams abroad for tournaments. We will also try to renew the contract with our long-serving sponsors -- Saif Powertech and Walton," said Shamim.