In a distressing turn of events, twenty-year-old chess International Master (IM) Dushyant Sharma, along with several other Indian players, faced a setback during the Sunway Sitges Chess Tournament in Spain. The young lad from Jalandhar lost his laptop containing years of opening analysis in a recent burglary, leaving him unable to participate in further European chess tournaments until he obtains a new passport.
Dushyant recounted the unfortunate incident, stating, “Since I had lost my passport, I am not in a position to play in other chess tournaments in Europe. I have to get a passport and apply for a visa afresh.” Apart from the laptop, the burglars took his passport, 400 euros, costly jackets, laptop bag, and other valuables.
The financial loss for Dushyant includes a laptop worth approximately Rs 2 lakh, a laptop bag costing Rs 3,000, and jackets valued at Rs 10,000 each. However, the irreplaceable loss lies in the ten years of hard work dedicated to analyzing various chess openings, which cannot be bought or replaced.
The unfortunate incidents did not spare other Indian players, with laptops, money, and valuable items lost in three separate burglaries over successive days. The Sunway Sitges Chess Tournament, sponsored by the Sunway Hotel Group, is an annual fixture for many chess players, attracting about 70 Indian participants this year.
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The burglaries occurred in apartments officially approved for player accommodation, raising security concerns. Despite the rooms being locked securely, the burglars managed to gain entry without signs of forcible entry. The language barrier further complicated matters, with the initial First Information Report (FIR) being registered in Spanish, necessitating translations for duplicate travel papers from the Indian Embassy.
Adding to the distress, the hotel authorities and tournament organizers indirectly suggested the possibility of the Indian players being involved in the thefts, a claim refuted by Dushyant. The chess community has expressed concern about the security lapses and awaits an official statement from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) regarding the incidents.
While FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich issued an apology for errors in another tournament held in India, no official response has been provided concerning the burglaries during the Sunway Sitges Chess Tournament in Spain.
-IANS
