SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, April 2: Ranchi’s Dipak Kumar has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first chess arbiter from Jharkhand to officiate at an international tournament. He has been invited to serve as an arbiter at the Western Asia Youth Chess Championship, scheduled to take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from April 20 to April 29.
A senior official from the Jharkhand Chess Association described this as a proud moment for the state, highlighting that Dipak Kumar’s selection reflects the growing recognition of Jharkhand’s chess arbiters at the international level.
Jharkhand’s Chess Arbiters Gaining Global Recognition
Jharkhand currently has five international chess arbiters: Jayant Bhuyan (Jamshedpur), International Master (IM) Neeraj Mishra (Dhanbad), Dipak Kumar (Ranchi), Vishal Shareen, and Chandan Kumar Prasad (both Jamshedpur). However, Dipak Kumar is the first among them to officiate at a tournament abroad.
In contrast, neighbouring West Bengal has only two international arbiters, Debashish Barua and Ashish Choudhary.
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Jayant Bhuyan, the first international arbiter from Jharkhand, Bihar, and Odisha, emphasized that Dipak’s selection for an Asian-level event in a foreign country is a remarkable achievement.
Dipak Kumar’s Journey in Chess Arbitration
Dipak Kumar, who also serves as the Joint Secretary of the Jharkhand State Chess Association, earned his FIDE Arbiter norm in 2017 during the FIDE Congress in Antalya, Turkey.
Recognizing his outstanding performance, FIDE—the world governing body of chess—officially designated him as an International Arbiter in 2022 during its 88th Congress.
Over the years, he has successfully officiated at prestigious national and international tournaments, including:
- National Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship (March 2025)
- 49th National Under-15 Chess Championship (November 2024)
- 36th National Under-9 Chess Championship (November 2023)
- Tata Steel Asian Junior Chess Championship (September 2023)
- 1st Bikaner Grand Master Tournament
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State Chess Fraternity Congratulates Dipak Kumar
Dipak Kumar’s selection for the Western Asia Youth Chess Championship has been widely applauded by the chess community in Jharkhand. Notable personalities who extended their congratulations include Jharkhand Chess Association Secretary Manish Kumar, Coordinator Prabhat Ranjan, International Arbiter Jayant Bhuyan, Saraikela Chess Association Secretary Ajay Kumar, West Singhbhum Chess Association Secretary Basant Khandelwal, Navjot Alan, Narendra Tiwari, and former Jharkhand Chess Association Treasurer Arvind Kumar Sinha.
His achievement not only brings pride to Jharkhand but also strengthens the state’s presence in global chess arbitration.
