New AICF secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan felicitated

Chennai, Feb 22 (PTI): The newly elected secretary of the All India Chess Federation Bharat Singh Chauhan and Grandmasters from Tamil Nadu were felicitated at a function here recently.

''Tamil Nadu is like a second home to me. I have played in Palani tournament 11 times,'' said Chauhan said after being felicitated at a function organised by Rotary Club of Chennai- Velachery here.

Speaking on the occasion, he said Tamil Nadu had a great chess culture, adding ''It is important to respect the chess player.'' Managing director of Microsense, S Kailasanathan, a chess patron, congratulated Chauhan on his team winning the AICF elections and said it is ''new beginning for chess in India''.

Grandmasters from the state including B Adibhan, S P Sethuraman, Deepan Chakkaravarthy, M R Venkatesh, Vishnu Prasanna, Karthikeyan Murali, G Akash were among those honoured.

WGMs Srija Seshadri, V Varshini, R Vaishali and P V Nandhidhaa were also honoured.

Grandmaster and noted chess coach R B Ramesh and his wife Aarthie, a WGM, GM Sriram Jha and his wife S Vijayalakshmi, a WGM, were felicitated.

The players were honoured through Grassroots Chess Promotions and its patron Kailasanathan, who was the Tamil Nadu State champion 50 years ago.