The wife and daughter of a Bangladesh Chess Federation vice-president has been named a part of the team selected for a competition in US gambling capital Las Vegas in late December, officials said. Tahsin Anjum – an unrated female player – will join Fide Master Sheikh Nasir Ahmed, FM Khandoker Aminul Islam and Arifuzzaman Shikder for the $120,000 23rd Annual North American Open Tournament, scheduled for December 26-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Her mother Khodeza Begum, sports journalist Sohel Sarwar Chanchal and BCF general secretary Gazi Saiful Tarique will also be a part of the official seven-person delegation.
Tahsin, the daughter of Federation vice-president KM Shahidullah, started playing chess just one year ago.
Shahidullah, who recently got a five-year multiple-entry US visa, will travel with the delegation at his own expense.
The decision to pick the daughter of an official raised quite a few eyebrows in the chess community.
Tarique, however, defended the selection.
‘Even though Tahsin Anjum is a small girl, you never know what talent might be hidden inside her. She might become a Grand Master one day,’ said Tarique.
The BCF decision to pick Nasir, Aminul and Shikder is also questionable as the country has better players, including five Grand Masters and over 60 FMs, to choose from.
The 45-year-old Shikder was once a regular player but has not played regularly over the last four or five years to spend more time running his business.
Tarique also said that Chanchal was nominated for the trip after the BCF received a request from an official and the journalist provided a written guarantee that he would not stay in the USA illegally.
‘The others also could have gone to America. We helped those who approached us. We thought they would return,’ he said.
-With New Age input
