Fiji Chess Federation
Encyclopedia
The Fiji Chess Federation coordinates chess tournaments in Fiji
and is affiliated to FIDE (World Chess Federation).
and Boris Spasky, that provided the impetus for chess competitions in the country with the formation of the Suva Chess Club. Other chess clubs soon sprang up, like the Fiji School of Medicine Chess Club and the University of the South Pacific
Chess Club. In 1979 it was decided to from the Fiji Chess Federation, to enable participation in international tournaments and to get international support and recognition. The founding members of the Fiji Chess Federation were Dr. Champak Rathod, Dr. Virgilio De Asa, Dr. Som Prakash, Nazim Khan, Surjeet Singh, Len Raj and Damodara Naidu.
The Fiji Chess Federation obtained sponsorship for regular tournaments and players were given chess rating. In 1986 the Federation sent its first team to the 27th Chess Olympiad in Dubai
with help from the organising committee of the olympiad. The team was made up of Surjeet Singh, Damodara Naidu, Jaiwant Singh, Dr. Virgilio De Asa and Dr. Jasvinder Singh, with Surjeet Singh as the Captain. Despite it being the first international tournament for all the players, the team performed credibly with one of its members, Jasvinder Singh, obtaining international rating.
The military coup of 1987, put restrictions on chess games on Sundays and by the end of the year the president and treasurer had resigned due to work commitments. The leadership of the Federation passed onto Surjeet Singh, who was elected president. Despite the hard times that Fiji was going through at this time, Singh went on to reorganise the Fiji Chess Federation with the establishment of a number of new chess clubs. Some of these were the Lautoka
Chess Club, Nausori
Chess Club and a number of school chess clubs. Chess lessons were provided free of charge and efforts were made to promote chess through the media.
The Federation organised fund raising activities to send a team to the 28th Chess Olympiad. In 1988, the Federation using its own funds and with some member contributions, sent a team to the 28th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki
, Greece
. The team was made up of Surjeet Singh as Captain, Jaiwant Singh, Bal Krishna, Rakesh Kumar
and Satendra Deo.
Fiji Chess Federation's history took another turn when at the end of 1989, Surjeet Singh resigned as President to reside overseas. Other members, like Dr. Sanmogam Goundar stepped in and the Federation has continued to function smoothly with teams being sent to most of the Chess Olympiads.
Dr. Virgilio De Asa was elected President from 1990 - 1993. In 1994, Prof David Jenkins of the University of the South Pacific
was elected President in a very closely contested election. Dr De Asa was re-elected in 1995 and has maintained his presidentship unopposed ever since.
in Turin
, Italy
. There were some outstanding performances by the Fiji players. Round 1 saw Asheesh Gautam win his game against International Master (I.M.) Danner Georg, in a wonderful display of tactical chess. Calvin Prasad
, a former national champion, obtained international rating
and earned a Candidate Masters title. Fiji Chess Federation General Secretary Jashint Maharaj was awarded his FIDE Arbiter's title in April 2006. Keiran Lyons, who played on board two for the Fiji Women's team at the 36th Chess Olympiad
in Spain
, was awarded the Women's FIDE Master title in January 2005.
2006 - 2008 have seen a series of high profile awards being issued to players of the Fiji Chess Federation.
Committee Members - Dr. Neel Arora, Asheel Singh, Gaurav Raicar, Goru Arvind
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and is affiliated to FIDE (World Chess Federation).
History
Chess has been played in Fiji for a long time, but it was the 1972 World Championship, between Bobby FischerBobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
and Boris Spasky, that provided the impetus for chess competitions in the country with the formation of the Suva Chess Club. Other chess clubs soon sprang up, like the Fiji School of Medicine Chess Club and the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
Chess Club. In 1979 it was decided to from the Fiji Chess Federation, to enable participation in international tournaments and to get international support and recognition. The founding members of the Fiji Chess Federation were Dr. Champak Rathod, Dr. Virgilio De Asa, Dr. Som Prakash, Nazim Khan, Surjeet Singh, Len Raj and Damodara Naidu.
The Fiji Chess Federation obtained sponsorship for regular tournaments and players were given chess rating. In 1986 the Federation sent its first team to the 27th Chess Olympiad in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
with help from the organising committee of the olympiad. The team was made up of Surjeet Singh, Damodara Naidu, Jaiwant Singh, Dr. Virgilio De Asa and Dr. Jasvinder Singh, with Surjeet Singh as the Captain. Despite it being the first international tournament for all the players, the team performed credibly with one of its members, Jasvinder Singh, obtaining international rating.
The military coup of 1987, put restrictions on chess games on Sundays and by the end of the year the president and treasurer had resigned due to work commitments. The leadership of the Federation passed onto Surjeet Singh, who was elected president. Despite the hard times that Fiji was going through at this time, Singh went on to reorganise the Fiji Chess Federation with the establishment of a number of new chess clubs. Some of these were the Lautoka
Lautoka
Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and the second largest in the South Pacific. It is in the west of the island of Viti Levu, 24 kilometres north of Nadi, and is the second port of entry in Fiji, after Suva. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane growing region, it is known as the Sugar...
Chess Club, Nausori
Nausori
Nausori is a town in Fiji. It had a population of 47,604 at the 2007 census, the most recent to date. This makes it the fourth most populous municipality in the country. Situated 19 kilometers out of Suva, it forms one pole of the burgeoning Suva-Nausori corridor.Nausori grew up around Fiji's...
Chess Club and a number of school chess clubs. Chess lessons were provided free of charge and efforts were made to promote chess through the media.
The Federation organised fund raising activities to send a team to the 28th Chess Olympiad. In 1988, the Federation using its own funds and with some member contributions, sent a team to the 28th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The team was made up of Surjeet Singh as Captain, Jaiwant Singh, Bal Krishna, Rakesh Kumar
Rakesh Kumar
Rakesh Kumar is an India Hindi film director, writer and actor. He is best known for directing the films Yaarana, Mr. Natwarlal and Khoon Pasina. He has also produced one film.- Filmography :As actor*Desh Videsh, 1978*Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar, 2000...
and Satendra Deo.
Fiji Chess Federation's history took another turn when at the end of 1989, Surjeet Singh resigned as President to reside overseas. Other members, like Dr. Sanmogam Goundar stepped in and the Federation has continued to function smoothly with teams being sent to most of the Chess Olympiads.
Dr. Virgilio De Asa was elected President from 1990 - 1993. In 1994, Prof David Jenkins of the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
was elected President in a very closely contested election. Dr De Asa was re-elected in 1995 and has maintained his presidentship unopposed ever since.
Recent events
In 2006, the Fiji Chess Team took part in its 7th Olympiad, the 37th Chess Olympiad37th Chess Olympiad
The 37th Chess Olympiad, comprising an open and women's tournament and the general assembly of the Fédération Internationale des Échecs , took place between 20 May and 6 June 2006, in Turin, Italy.-Open tournament:...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. There were some outstanding performances by the Fiji players. Round 1 saw Asheesh Gautam win his game against International Master (I.M.) Danner Georg, in a wonderful display of tactical chess. Calvin Prasad
Calvin Prasad
Calvin Prasad is an Indo-Fijian chess player. He is the first male chess player to earn a Candidate Master title for the small chess community of Fiji....
, a former national champion, obtained international rating
and earned a Candidate Masters title. Fiji Chess Federation General Secretary Jashint Maharaj was awarded his FIDE Arbiter's title in April 2006. Keiran Lyons, who played on board two for the Fiji Women's team at the 36th Chess Olympiad
36th Chess Olympiad
The 36th Chess Olympiad, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between October 14 and October 31, 2004, in Calvià on the Spanish island of Majorca.-Chess...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, was awarded the Women's FIDE Master title in January 2005.
2006 - 2008 have seen a series of high profile awards being issued to players of the Fiji Chess Federation.
Office Bearers
- President - IO. Dr. Virgilio De Asa
- Vice President - Mrs. Gloria Sukhu & CM. Calvin Prasad
- General Secretary - FA. Krishneel Nair
- Assistant Secretary - Ms. Aditi Yoshita
- Treasurer - CM. Manoj Kumar
- Webmaster - CM. Calvin PrasadCalvin PrasadCalvin Prasad is an Indo-Fijian chess player. He is the first male chess player to earn a Candidate Master title for the small chess community of Fiji....
- Women's Development Officer - Mrs. Gloria Sukhu
Committee Members - Dr. Neel Arora, Asheel Singh, Gaurav Raicar, Goru Arvind