MUMBAI, MAY 26: At a time when the cricket world is seeking to extricate itself free from the tentacles of match-fixing allegations, the Maharashtra Chess Association (MCA) has raised eyebrows with an appeal to `fix' chess matches.No, the MCA has not given legal sanctity to what is becoming the bane of modern sports. What the MCA has done is to cash on the hot topic of the day to attract the attention of potential sponsors with an eye-catching ad gimmick.The MCA made its `match-fixing' appeal to the sponsors on a hoarding placed under the vantage position of the footbridge at Chowpatty. It reads, Millennium Chess Bonanza. Wanted!! Corporates and Multinationals ``to fix our matches''.The name of the tournaments are mentioned below: National Men's Championship, National Women's Championship, National Sub-Jr Championship, Asian Championship and Internet Chess Championship.The hoarding directs those interested for details to visit their website mahachess.com.However, the novel idea may have backfired on the MCA with a recent report that a few games in the Tal Chess Academy's Fide-rated championship at Thiruvananthapuram was fixed to help seven-year-old CM Gowrishankar clinch the rating.Deepak Tamhane, MCA Sponsorship Secretary, contests the claim stating, ``there is no betting in chess and hence the advantage of match-fixing would be almost nill.''Explaining the reasons behind their novel idea to attract sponsors, he said the MCA had approached an advertising agency to help them with some sponsors. Instead they were offered the hoarding for a month to be used for any client who could pay MCA in return.``That was difficult. And how much money we could've got. We therefore thought of using the site to appeal to the sponsors ourselves.''Tamhane, who himself came up with the ``catchy'' caption said it was approved by MCA Vice-President Abhay Thipsay and other committee members. The MCA finds nothing negative in the appeal. ``We feel it is a caption that is relevant to the present sports scene. There had to be something appealing and moreover we want to send the message across that cricket is not the only game. There are millions of dollars being pumped into cricket even when the game is not clean. We would now like to stake our claim,''said Tamhane.He said that while sponsorships for the sub-junior and junior tournaments were easy to come by, there were very few who were willing to back the major championships like the men's and women's National A.``For the Bournvita Schools Chess we had 1100 children participating. That is what the sponsors look for,'' Tamhane asserts.The MCA is still looking for someone to bill the women's National A tournament that begins June 6.The recent charges of match-fixing in chess are being referred to as coincidence by the MCA. ``It's sheer coincidence. In fact our hoarding was to be put up two weeks back. Then the rains came. Finally we could get it painted on Sunday last,'' said Tamhane.He still hopes that the publicity campaign will help MCA in the long run. Tamhane, however, agreed that matches can be arranged in chess.``Match-fixing in chess is not totally impossible but for sure there is no betting involved. But then even if a player is helped to get a rating it can't help because the player will be exposed when he player at the higher levels,'' Tamhane felt.
