AICF confirms new dates for chess nationals after GM Abhijeet flags 2026 snub
The All India Chess Federation has rescheduled the senior National Chess Championship to late 2026 following public pressure from Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta. The initial plan to move the event to 2027 was criticized for conflicting with academic schedules and effectively skipping a year.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the influence of athlete advocacy in sports governance and the ongoing challenge of balancing professional sports calendars with educational commitments.
NEW DELHI: The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has officially announced new dates for the senior National Chess Championship, ensuring the event is held in 2026 rather than being pushed into 2027. The tournament will now take place from November 29 to December 9, 2026, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.The decision follows a social media post by Arjuna Awardee and five-time Commonwealth champion Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta, who raised serious concerns after the federation initially deferred the 2026 edition to March 2027.As reported by TimesofIndia.com on Monday, the top management at AICF acted quickly as soon as they realised the concerns were genuine.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in