AICF proposals to FIDE
CHENNAI: The All India Chess Federation has proposed to the International Chess Federation (FIDE) that a separate zone status be accorded to India like it had done for Russia, United States, Canada and China.
A decision to this effect was taken at the AICF’s Central Council meeting held in Chennai on Thursday. The meeting also planned to take up with FIDE to have a new line of specialists introduced under the title ‘International Chess Computer Analysts’. Another proposal for the World body decided at the meeting was to seek approval to treat National ‘B’ championship as a norm event.
A press release said all these three proposals would be decided upon at the Dresden Congress of FIDE in November this year.
D.V. Sundar, AICF Secretary, announced that Jennitha Anto of Tiruchi will play in the Chess Olympiad at Dresden for the world combined disabled Team on the basis of her second-place finish at the World Disabled Championship in Poland last year. For her coaching expenses, the AICF would provide her a one-time grant of Rs.10,000. The Central Council congratulated Abhijeet Gupta and Dronavalli Harika for bringing laurels to the country by winning the World Junior titles at Turkey.
— Special Correspondent
OK, I can understand why Russia and China constitute a zone of their own (big countries with many excellent players). Whether USA should constitute it’s own zone is debatable (there just isn’t that many top quality players in USA), but Canada??? What the heck? Right now I can’t name even one Canadian chessplayer, either from the present or past. And I doubt that Canadian players are so numerous that they could justify the own zone with that. They should merge the Canadian and USA zone into North American zone.
About Indian zone: Indian chess is booming at the moment. There are many young talents that are developing fast (afterall both world junior men and ladies title’s are in Indian hands). I think India will soon become a superpower in chess, hence they deserve their own zone. Perhaps not imediately, but in few years without a doubt.
By the way: Ukraine is also in a zone of its own.
What benefits does a country gain by being designated as a Zone and what criteria does FIDE consider to accord this status?
The Zones are losing it’s importance. In the old days each zone held it’s own zonal tournament, from which a certain number (depending on each zone) of top finishers advanced to the interzonal tournament(s). Top finisher from interzonal(s) advanced to the Candidates stage, where the next world championship challenger was determined.
But since mid 1990’s the zonal tournaments ar obsolete, because the world championship cycle is completely different. Grand Prix and World cup participants are chosen based on average rating, or from the Continental championships. Very few participants are chosen from the zonal tournaments.