BHAKTAPUR: The Fide Arbiter seminar in Dhulikhel earned 17 national and international chess players and officials with the Fide Arbiter norms on Saturday.

Yagya Raj Panta, Niranjan Prajapati, Bikash Bajracharya, Srijan Duwal, Umesh KC, Manoj Ghimire, Bhawani Limbu, Dharma Ratna Bajracharya and Om Prakash Upadhayay earned the norms from the six-day seminar, which concluded here today. Prem Krishna Maharjan, Madhav Prasad Pradhan, Balram Pun, Mohan Singh Pradhan, Monalisa Khambu, Herakaji Maharjan are the others to earn the norms along with Ashish Duwedi, a participant from India.

The first ever Fide Arbiter seminar in Nepal was conducted by Asian Chess Federation vice-president Casto Abundo and International Arbiter (IA) from India Dharmendra Kumar. The participants of the seminar received the norms after they scored 80 per cent in the exams. The seminar was recognised by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). The norm holders can get the title of the Fide Arbiter after receiving three more norms.