AICF Misplaces Nona Gaprindashvili Cup, National Embarrassment for India

The All India Chess Federation (AICF) is facing a major embarrassment as the prestigious ‘Nona Gaprindashvili Cup’, awarded to the best performing contingent at the Chess Olympiad, has been misplaced. The Indian team had won the trophy at the last Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022, but it is now missing.

According to three AICF office-bearers who confirmed the news to The Indian Express, the global governing body of chess, FIDE, sent an email requesting India to return the trophy so it could be handed to the winners of the ongoing Chess Olympiad in Budapest. The current AICF administration, which took charge on March 10 this year, only realized then that the trophy was supposed to be in India.

A search was launched at the AICF offices in New Delhi and Chennai, as well as the Chennai hotel where it was last seen. The previous office-bearers were contacted, and even the players were asked if they had taken the trophy. AICF secretary Dev A Patel stated, “Currently, we don’t know the whereabouts of the Gaprindashvili Cup. We’re trying very hard to locate it as it is a matter of national pride.”

Anil Kumar Raizada, a vice-president with the AICF, expressed the seriousness of the situation, saying, “It is a grave issue, and is very embarrassing for all of us. The previous administration is giving replies that are not helpful at all to trace the trophy.” The AICF has even involved the police in the search for the missing trophy.

In addition to the missing trophy, the AICF is also investigating financial irregularities within the organization. A senior AICF official mentioned appointing a retired High Court Judge to conduct a full investigation into various issues, including the missing trophy, missing documents, digital records, and inventory.

The winning team in the open section of the Chess Olympiad receives the ‘Hamilton-Russell Cup’, while the winning team in the women’s section receives the ‘Vera Menchik Cup’. The ‘Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy’, named after the legendary Georgian chess player, is awarded to the winning team in the combined classification. The trophies are given on a rolling basis, with the winners holding it for two years until the next Olympiad.