Fight against AICF to be a long one: BCA Secretary

Chennai, Aug 30: The fight between All India Chess Federation (AICF) and Bengal Chess Association (BCA) is going to be a long drawn one and the office bearers of the latter are not going to put down their papers because of AICFs media statement, said BCA Secretary and International Master Atanu Lahiri.

He also said the AICF is playing a blitz game against him without thinking.
 
"The media statement by All India Chess Federation (AICF) condemning me shows a deeper conspiracy against me. The AICF has condemned me based on misinformation fed by one side and without asking clarification from me," Lahiri told IANS from China.
 
"I am not going to put down my papers in a hurry. I will fight it out. It is going to be a long drawn battle. I will clear my name first before quitting," Lahiri added.
 
The AICF in a statement condemning the attitude of BCA and Lahiri on Friday said that it will initiate a probe into the affairs of the state association.
 
"The AICF will initiate a thorough enquiry into the affairs of Bengal Chess Association and its secretary Atanu Lahiri on the charges levelled by Dibyendu Barua. We will set up a committee soon to look into the matter," the statement added.
 
According to AICF, the press release has been issued to condemn what has transpired in Bengal chess which was brought to notice through a press conference by Arjuna Awardee and India's second Grand Master (GM) Dibyendu Barua.
 
"I am on a national duty in China as the coach of the Indian team participating in the World Cadet meet. During my absence Barua held a press meet and levelled various charges against me. Three days later, and without hearing my side, the AICF issued a media statement condemning me which in turn shows a conspiracy," Lahiri added.
 
According to Lahiri, the AICF's statement is also not clear in its charges against him.
 
"The AICF is silent on the name of the nine-year-old girl who was not allowed to play in chess tournaments by the BCA and myself. Similarly, the AICF is silent on the tournament that was not allowed to be held by the BCA in Kolkata," Lahiri added.
 
Stressing that the AICF statement has left many things vague, proving that there was a larger conspiracy, Lahiri said that it was disappointing that the AICF was doing a media trial against him.
 
He said, if the AICF was referring to Sneha Halder — the defending state and national U-9 champion — then he could show that she had participated in several tournaments conducted by the BCA.
 
"Incidentally, she is a student of Barua," he added.
 
When asked if he was being targeted as Secretary of BCA or Joint Secretary of AICF, Lahiri said thay may be it was the former as someone may be wanting to occupy his position.
 
On the charge of AICF that the BCA had passed a resolution not to invite GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly and GM Deep Sengupta for any chess function/activity, Lahiri said the exact wording of the resolution needed to be seen.
 
"It was passed several months ago. Now I am in China and have no access to BCA records. The AICF could have waited for couple of days to issue the statement," Lahiri said.