PIO ( Person of Indian origin ) / OCI ( Overseas Citizen of India ) card holders
As per Government of India guidelines / rules, players with PIO / OCI documents cannot play for India. As a result, AICF had taken a decision that these players cannot participate in any selection tournaments like district selection / State selection and National Championship which ultimately lead to the selection of the Indian National team. However these players can play in all FIDE rated events and other tournaments in India and abroad.
If they wish to participate in all FIDE official events like the World Youth Championship or Continental Youth Championship it is necessary that they have to register as member of the Country of which they are citizens. In case they decide to register with the Country of their citizenship, the AICF will issue a No Objection Certificate on their request.
However, to enable these players to participate in other tournaments in India, they can register with AICF, with conditions as stated above. A Separate registration form for PIO / OCI is enclosed for your ready reference. The same can be downloaded from AICF website.
It is therefore requested that all state chess associations to inform all tournament organizers under their jurisdiction to collect the appropriate players registration form for PIO / OCI players before submitting to AICF.

Commonwealth Chess Championship – 2026 – 27 in Kaluthara, Sri Lanka from 16th to 26th May, 2026.
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