Chess: Only four queens to woe the kings

Lack of female players worries chess event organisers.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Chess Players’ Association (PCPA) is looking for more women players to participate in the Zahiruddin Farooqi Trophy that starts tomorrow at the Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi.

The tournament will see Briton Nigel Short, an international Grand Master, and offers a Rs200,000 prize-money, the highest among all chess events held in the country. The event features over 60 players of which only four are female, a matter of great concern for the organisers.

According to the PCPA Secretary Shehzad Mirza, women’s chess is still in its infancy in the country and the PCPA will shortlisti four or five of the best female performers from the International School Olympiad and invite those players to take part in the competition.

“We still don’t have many professional women chess players so we’re giving a chance to the students,” Mirza told The Express Tribune.

One of the women chess players, who will be taking part in the Zahiruddin Farooqi Trophy, said that females are discouraged from participating in local events because of the discriminatory behaviour of their male counterparts. Added to this is the attitude of the national federation, which refrains from investing money in women players.

Chess federation refuses to recognise event

Meanwhile, the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) President Altaf Ahmed Chaudhry has said that the Zahiruddin Farooqi Trophy is not an event recognised by the body.

“The organisers didn’t consult us before organising the event, so we’re not supporting them,” said Ahmed. “We can’t bar anyone from holding chess events because we need to promote the sport but the PCPA is not a part of the CFP.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2012.