AICF President and Secretary call separate GBMs

All is not well between the top two functionaries in the All-India Chess Federation (AICF) with the president P R Venketrama Raja calling for a special meeting of the general body on December 22 to discuss various issues.

Raja's move to call a special GBM was after AICF secretary Bharath Singh Chauhan did the same to discuss various issues, including early elections of the federation.

Chauhan had wanted to hold the special GBM in Gurugram on December 22 while Raja has called the meeting on December 14 in Chennai.

Chauhan told PTI that he hoped the meeting called by him would go on as scheduled.

"Hope so," he said about the meeting called by him.

"If you ask me I will say chess will prevail," Chauhan said when asked about Raja cancelling the meeting called by him.

It is learnt that Raja had a couple of days ago cancelled the central council meeting called by Chauhan and had also issued a show-cause notice to his secretary.

He had also termed the meeting called by Chauhan on December 22 as unauthorised.

The AICF president and secretary have been at loggerheads over various issues, including on the matters relating to the functioning of Bengal Chess Association.