Mohammedan SC are all set to return to top-flight chess after 15 years as the Black and Whites face giants Biman Bangladesh on the opening day of the inaugural Premier Division Chess League at the NSC Tower today.
The league was supposed to start yesterday but it was deferred due to the unavailability of sponsors at the time, but Onirban Holdings Limited and Artisan Group came forward to sponsor the league together.
It will be Mohammedan's fifth appearance in the chess league at club level; they pulled out of subsequent editions after winning the 1996 First Division League and are returning to the premier division after a long pause.
Interestingly, Mohammedan emerged champions in all their four appearances, in 1977, 1981, 1995 and 1996. The man behind Mohammedan's success was Grandmaster (GM) Niaz Murshed, and he will be a key member of the squad this time too.
The Bangladesh Chess Federation (BCF) decided to start the premier league with top ten first division teams. To take part in the league, the Black and Whites bought one of the existing teams, Dhaka Metropolitan, and later renamed it.
Mohammedan yesterday introduced its players -- GM Niaz, GM Ziaur Rahman, Indian GM Avijit Gupta, Indian IM Sehaj Grover, FM Abdul Malek and Samsuddoula Shakil through a press conference at the club premises.
Mohammedan are not the only club spending handsome money; Titas Club, Destiny 2000, Air Destiny and Biman Bangladesh have also gone all out to challenge Mohammedan, who are considered favourites.
The introduction of the Premier Chess League and the appearance of the popular Mohammedan has helped the country's top chess players earn some money as Zia has reportedly pocketed the highest contract of Tk 3.5 lakh followed by Niaz's Tk 2.5 lakh.
Niaz yesterday revealed that he earned Tk 1000 for playing for Mohammedan in 1977 but he did not disclose his payment this time.
Destiny 2000's GM Reefat Bin Sattar has reportedly been paid Tk 2.5 lakh along with some facilities while Biman's IM Abu Sufian Shakil has been given Tk 1.5 lakh, Air Destiny's FM Aminul Islam and Destiny 2000's FM Minhazuddin Ahmed Sagar are getting Tk 1.2 lakh and Tk 1.44 lakh respectively.
Of the six registered players in each side, four will play each day and the player of the fourth board will reportedly be paid between Tk 1 lakh and Tk 1.5 lakh. However, the range of this payment is only confined to those clubs who are contesting the title.