Jamshedpur/Mangaluru: Renowned chess administrator and former Managing Director of Tata Refractories Limited, Cholpadi Devdas Kamath, popularly known as CD Kamath, passed away on Sunday in Mangaluru. He served as President of the East Singhbhum District Chess Association from 1987 to 2009 and later as President of the Jharkhand State Chess Association from 2000 to 2009.
During his long tenure, Jamshedpur witnessed remarkable growth in chess activities. Under his leadership, the district became a major hub for national and international chess events. His strong and dedicated team included Varghese Koshy, Neeraj Mishra, Dibyendu Barua and R.S. Prasad, a pioneer of Staunton chess piece manufacturing in India.
Several top players emerged during this period, including Radha Krishna Kamath, bronze medallist at the Under-12 World Championship in 1989, and noted players like Dolan Champa Bose, Vishal Sareen and Pritam Singh.
Expressing grief, General Secretary N.K. Tiwary said the chess fraternity feels deeply saddened by the loss of a guiding force.
