Maharashtra Chess Association back as a governing body after 4 years

The All India Chess Federation (AICF) in its Annual General meeting finally announced that Maharashtra Chess Association will be back as governing body along with Rajasthan Chess Association after both sorted out conflicts with their respective rival bodies.

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Earlier, a protracted legal dispute over the Pune-based Maharashtra Chess Association (MCA)'s disaffiliation by the All India Chess Federation (AICF) in 2016 finally came to a conclusion after a five-member panel in a Special General Body Meeting (SGM), decided to restore the affiliation of MCA along with Rajasthan Chess Association.

The dispute had originally stemmed from a factional tussle within the MCA, which was registered as a society in 1975 by way of amalgamation of the then five regional chess bodies in the state. The association was then granted affiliation by the AICF in 1978.

Much later, in 2012, the AICF had asked all its affiliates to amend their bye-laws and be in line with one nation, one federation norm. However, the tussle within MCA factions resulted in the delay in the completion of the entire process. At that time, the association had approved the amendments but they were pending approval from the office of the charity commissioner.

https://twitter.com/MahaChess/status/1252923265485398016

In December 2016, the AICF disaffiliated the MCA for not amending their bye-laws in time and granted affiliation to a parallel body in the state, thus setting off the legal dispute. Almost four years later, under the guidance of former president Ashok Jain, the MCA has been able to restore not only their affiliation but also their pride.

Meanwhile, AICF has decided to bid for the next edition of Olympiad along with announcing the start of a high-profile Indian Chess League later this year. "We want India to become the chess destination of the world. We have drawn out a detailed plan to achieve the goal," said newly-elected AICF President Sanjay Kapoor.

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