Candidates chess: Can visa problems scuttle Pragg & Co’s travel plans to Canada?

“Regrettably, players from various countries worldwide, who submitted their visa applications few months ago, have not yet received any updates on their status. With only a month remaining till the FIDE Candidates Tournament, there are grave concerns about the timely arrival of the players to Toronto,’’ FIDE wrote in their appeal to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Ensuring the safe and timely arrival of players is crucial for the success and integrity of the FIDE Candidates Tournament and for promoting Canada as a host of the most important chess tournament of the year, which will be followed by millions of spectators worldwide.

“This is the first time in the history of chess that the most prestigious tournament is due to be hosted in Canada, recognizing the country’s growing role in the chess world,’’ Fide wrote. Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world champion and FIDE deputy president, retweeted the letter tagging the Canadian PM and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

While the FIDE appeal has not named any country, the question mark over the delay stems from the fact that the diplomatic relations between India and Canada (the latter having nearly 1.4 million people of Indian ethnic or cultural origin, as per a 2021 census) had deteriorated last year after the June killing of a Canadian Sikh activist on Canadian soil.