Chess Olympiad trophy goes missing in India, FIR filed
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The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has found itself in an embarrassing situation after the Chess Olympiad trophy, awarded to India during the last edition of the tournament, went missing from its office.
The AICF has since filed a police complaint regarding the loss and issued an apology, while also arranging for a replica of the prestigious trophy.
The Gaprindashvili Trophy, which is a rolling award given to the team with the best overall performance in both the open and women's divisions, has been unaccounted for over a month. The incident occurred just as the Indian men's chess team is making a strong push for the gold medal at the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
India had won the Gaprindashvili Trophy during the 2022 Olympiad.
AICF vice-president Anil Kumar Raizada confirmed that the trophy has been missing for over 30 days.
The issue came to light after the International Chess Federation (FIDE) requested the trophy to be brought to Budapest for the current Olympiad. Despite extensive efforts to locate the prize, the federation has been unable to trace it.
"As soon as FIDE requested the trophy, we began searching but have had no luck locating it. We have since filed an official police complaint, and an investigation is underway," Raizada said.
A senior AICF official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that a contingency plan was in place. A replacement trophy has been ordered, though it will not be as unique as the original. The official acknowledged the mishap and apologized for the situation, saying, "This is indeed an embarrassing situation, and we regret the inconvenience caused."
The 45th Chess Olympiad, which began on September 10 and concludes on September 23, features 197 teams from 195 national federations.
India’s men's team comprises players Arjun Erigaisi, Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, and Harikrishna Pentala, while the women’s team includes Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali Rameshbabu, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and Tania Sachdev.