Calcutta: The Chess Players’ Association of India (CPAI) is set to hold its own set of tournaments in October.

It has been decided that five one-day meets will be held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Calcutta and they are expected to finish within October 15. These meets will be followed by a grand finale which is scheduled to take place in Pune at the end of October. In Pune, all Grandmasters associated with CPAI will participate.

Announcing this after the players’ body’s executive committee meeting at the Tollygunge Club on Friday, CPAI president Dibyendu Barua said that the CPAI’s AGM will also be Pune hosted after the tournament.

It has also been decided that the CPAI will tie up with different chess academies in the country. “We’ll provide material and technical support to these academies in return for a small amount of money,” Grandmaster Barua said.

“If they (the academies) want to hold any camp, CPAI will send GMs to attend it. However, to be associated with us, they need to conduct at least one coaching camp by an IM and another by a GM in a single year,” the former Arjuna Award-winner maintained.

Just the other day, Koneru Humpy, the youngest-ever woman to have achieved the men’s GM, was ruing lack of sponsors in the game. The CPAI has now come up with a move, aimed at roping in sponsors.

“We are planning to sell professional packages to corporate houses for sponsors. Initially, we are focussing on GM and WGM tournaments as well as internet meets, which have become a happening thing nowadays. These tournaments will be packaged attractively to woo the sponsors,” Barua said.

“We are offering a number of suggestions to the national federation (AICF). We’re glad that acting on our proposals, the Nationals format has been changed. We’re not in confrontation with the AICF, but by joining hands, we can take the game to a more professional level.”