Chess cheat handed 10-year ban, AICF probe against suspect IM

New Delhi, Dec 27 (UNI) Cracking the whip on Umakant Sharma, who was caught using blue tooth device in a FIDE rating tournament earlier this month, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) has slapped a 10-year ban on the player, besides announcing a probe against IM DP Singh, who has been accused of receiving external help.

Talking to UNI over phone, AICF secretary DV Sundar said, ''He has been banned for 10 years. We did not want to take it casually and hope this punishment would act as deterrent for those who try to resort to such means.'' Umakant Sharma was caught using his blue tooth device hidden in his cap during random checking at the Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee Memorial All India Open FIDE Rating Chess Tournament here earlier this month.

No wonder, Umakant was making long strides in the previous year before arbiters caught him red handed in the match against IM Rahul Shetty.

It was the same modus operandi everywhere and the player used to communicate the moves and get a computer-generated reply move from his accomplices outside the hall.

It was the first instance of such kind of cheating and the organisers and arbiters were clueless about what to do with the player.

The AICF had its Central Council meeting in Chennai yesterday where they decided to slap the ban on the Southern Railway player.

Bharat Singh Chauhan, the AICF Treasurer, exhibited the cap and device at the meeting.

In another decision, AICF has decided to probe the charges against IM DP Singh.

''We had received a complaint from Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, who heads the Chess Players Association of India, against the player and AICF has decided to form a committee under the chairmanship of Federation vice-president R M Dongre to look into the matter,'' Mr Sundar added.

In yesterday's meeting, AICF also decided to limit the number of donor entries of Indians in World and Asian age group championships to a merit based system.

Regarding over-aged players, AICF decided that all complaints and protests in National Championships should be lodged latest at the end of the Third round.

UNI AY PDS VC1808