Chennai:
Looking at India's domination in chess, especially in the age group category, the country would be granted a separate zonal status in the forthcoming FIDE Congress, World Chess Federation President Kirsan Ilyuzhiminov said on Thursday.
"India will be granted a separate zonal status in the forthcoming FIDE Congress which will also consider a three-fold plan for the development of the game," Kirsan, on a visit to India to seek support for his re-election in FIDE, said here.
World champion Anatoly Karpov, backed by Garry Kasparov, is running for the Presidential election against Kirsan., which is slated for first week of October.
On the three-pronged plan, he said the first step was to make chess a curriculum in schools, the second was to train the local coaches and the next to organise several events to give opportunities for the players to perform.
He recalled that his first step after taking over as the head of the State of Kalmaykia in 1995 was to make chess as a curriculum in schools.
Asked to compare India and Russia in chess, Kirsan said "India is the motherland of chess. Presently, India is doing very well and is better than Russia in the development of the game."
He reasoned out that age group competitions organised by the FIDE was the main reason why India was doing very well.
He lauded the way the game was being administered in India and offered his unstinted support for the development of chess in the cricket-frenzy country.
He said he has received positive signs from International Olympic Committee to include chess into the Olympic fold.
After his meeting with the officials of the All India Chess Federation, Kirsan interacted with top players, including Grandmasters Krishnan Sasikiran, G N Gopal, Arun Prasad, RR Laxman, GM-elect Baskaran Adhiban and Women Grandmasters Vijayalakshmi and Meenakshi.