Peter Long on Chess

DYTM Raja Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters & International Open 2012

2012-01-03T02:10:00.001+08:00

The DYTM Raja Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters & International Open will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 25 May-3 June 2012.

For the details, please go to: http://www.klchess.com/2011_11_01_archive.html#4204129308084480829

The Future Is With Our Tried And Tested Young!

2011-11-11T11:51:00.001+08:00

Been back to the realities of work for over a month now so I unfortunately could not make it to the World Youth U-16 Olympiad let alone put any time into this Blog!

Like most Malaysian chess enthusiasts I tried to follow the games late at night and at the end of it all I think all members of the team did as well as could be expected, the performance was good and the result perhaps fair all things considered.

Some observations (and proposals) that will no doubt annoy some who insist on reading my Blog!

1. For sure this was as good and as representative a team of young players that we could have out together for such an event and they should be allowed to form the nucleus of future national teams. Yes, of course there are other young talents and next year at least two others will be able to join Elgin, Roshan and Li Tian for another shot at glory. But my argument goes further in that as early as two Singapore-Malaysia matches ago, it was clear that the current 18+ years generation have largely exhausted their potential and the very real demands of college and a good career after that makes future investment in them a difficult proposition.

2. The five players who represented us with so much courage and effort are to be commended and they all have their own stories which I cannot pretend to know but my understanding is that Eng Chiam is very experienced but under trained, Elgin is where he is due to the massive private investment by his parents in international tournaments and grandmaster level training (and he is not alone in having this!), everything is still possible for Li Tian, of course Jianwen lacks international experience and also had the burden of top board, and that Roshan has only had serious help in the last nine months or so. But interestingly enough, none of the five have actually taken advantage(?) of the services being offered by our many self proclaimed expert local coaches.

3. So I call upon the Malaysian Chess Federation to include this event as an important part of its official international tournament calendar including a clear and early selection process and proper training for the team (nice also if sponsorship can be found) - in other words to prepare and treat these young players to be an integral part of our national team at senior level representation e.g. Olympiad, Asian Teams, SEA Games, etc. While Mas may have a new lease of life as a newly declared professional, we cannot count on Mok and Jimmy forever being available. It is only by playing in the top events and having the best possible competition that will allow our best talent to flourish.

Grandmaster Tournament in Yangon - Finals Standings

2011-10-03T12:27:00.001+08:00

http://www.myachess.blogspot.com/

An Update from the Campomanes Memorial Yangon International GM Tournament!

2011-09-26T17:27:00.005+08:00

I happened to catch Maung Maung Lwin on Google Talk and he started to tell me about how Mok was doing but then agreed to send me the tournament cross table (apparently after 8 rounds of play).

IM Wynn Zaw Htun is probably Myanmar's No.1 and has suffered more than most from his country's long isolation and is grossly underrated perhaps in part due to FIDE deducting 100 rating points from all their players in one of their most unfair and unwarranted actions and it is no surprise to see him leading the tournament with 6/8.

Vietnam's FM Nguyen Van Hai is a bit more of a surprise and is in joint second place half a point behind with his countryman GM Bui Vinh.

Mok is of course playing his usual fighting chess and although perhaps disappointed to be on minus one with 3/7 (with 13 players there is a bye every round), I think this will be valuable practice to get him into shape for the coming SEA games as he thrives on playing frequently to sharpen up his game.

55,000 USD prize fund for the Indonesia Open Championship

2011-09-26T17:21:00.001+08:00

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information: 55,000 USD prize fund for the Indonesia Open Championship

Singapore's Latest IM?

2011-09-20T23:00:00.001+08:00

Given that several players achieved their final titles at the DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters & International Open (and with renewed interest amongst our local players in achieving the Grandmaster title), I looked with interest at http://ratings.fide.com/title_applications.phtml?details=1&id=5801770&title=IM&pb=31 to see if any if them were listed for confirmation at the 82nd FIDE Congress in Krakow, Poland from 15-22 October 2011.

Then I saw a surprising application - that of Singapore's Ravindran Shanmugam with a new high rating of 2329 after playing some 34 games and probably reflected in the three International Master norms he had managed to achieve in three successive events played from July to September 2011!

I always saw Ravindran as a 2100/2200+ player especially having played him in a IM event in Singapore a couple of years ago when the beginning of my falling out with Ignatius Leong begun when over coffee two hour before the start of play he mentioned that this fine young man had spent over SGD 20,000 on training at his (our?) academy and so I should not look to try too hard to beat him (?).

Well anyone who knows me would understand how I take such "advice" but it was not for me to ruin the prospects of a young player and so I decided to play hard but handicap myself a bit by playing 1.e4 (essaying the King's Gambit and Centre Game) and defending 1.e4 with 1... e5 and 2....d6 (with even ....Qe7 thrown in) and leave it to them to prove they could do the job!

It is good that since that setback Ravindran has continued trying (and probably still working with resident Georgian-Singaporean trainer Zurab Azmaiparashvili) and this effort is well reflected in the norms he achieved playing these tournaments in Georgia and I am sure he will soon get the 2400 rating he needs to convert the likely provisional award of International Master to become Singapore's latest title holder.

Mok to play GM Tournament!

2011-09-13T19:45:00.007+08:00

Before asking if any of the players at DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Masters and Open would be interested, I checked once again with my good friend Maung Maung Lwin about the status of entries in his GM tournament in Yangon and he confirmed that among the foreign entries was none other than Malaysia's own International Master Mok Tze Ming!

That is fantastic news - another veteran stepping forward to show our juniors what it will take.

Jimmy Liew's incredible activity in the last few years was always something I wondered about and then came the shocking news that our No. 1 Mas Hafizul had turned fully professional by walking away from his Petronas job!

Going back to Mok, I realised he had attended the FIDE Arbiter seminar recently held in KL when he called me and offered his services as an arbiter! I was a bit taken aback as he had played the SEA Games Selection but was not intending to play the Malaysian Open and it seemed he was satisfied with getting the International Master title after so many years of trying.

I have to be frank to say I declined his offer not only because I saw him still as very much as a player who should have been playing (although clearly a very much better businessman!) but also because Ignatius Leong conducted the seminar and when that little man is involved I know things would not have been done properly and as a result, Malaysian chess would have been short changed once again by FIDE.

Let's all welcome the return of Mok Tze Ming and wish him every success in getting a Grandmaster norm!

Earlier Lim Yee Weng had given it a shot too and so it really doesn't matter whether any of our players make it or not but that they actually tried and in doing so gave it their very best.

Emperor without Clothes?

2011-09-11T17:20:00.004+08:00

Dato' Tan Chin Nam did not show up to play at the DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah International Open like he promised and I like to believe he really wanted to. He did come on one of the days and while I was occupied dealing with an organisational challenge but I could not help but see how seriously ill he was.

Since the start of the Malaysian Chess Festival which began on 17 August until the end of the DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters & International Open on 10 September, I have heard - from so many parties bar a certain nobody and more surprisingly the current Malaysian Chess Federation Hon. Secretary Gregory Lau - about practically nothing else but how the old man is interested in once again running Malaysian chess!

Dato' Tan's hand (or at least that of the people that surround him - and there have been many over the years with a few constants) has guided Malaysian chess at least since 1974 and that is a very long time indeed.

History has shown that leaders that stay beyond a second term of office tend to fail, seemly not because of themselves but in spite of their better qualities as those around him would have enjoyed certain benefits of office by then and would have worked hard to convince the leader that he or she is indeed irreplaceable!

After numerous failures, the mid 80's was perhaps a golden period for Malaysian chess and it is a pity that Dato' Tan will no longer be remembered for what he did then.

Like all Malaysian chessplayers I was so happy that Hamid managed to pull off another DATMO after it was announced by Dato' Tan last year that it would be his last as he had now a put in place a "dream" replacement in Tan Sri Dato' Seri DiRaja Ramli Ngah Talib.

To me it was strange as his successor did not play chess and was a retired politician and Dato' Tan's judgement was then further called into question with the humiliation he faced backing Hamid for FIDE General Secretary at last year's FIDE Election (as I had predicted) but now it seems besides offering to sponsor next year's DATMO he is also offering to help out with other existing events and if that is so I will certainly also be asking him if he would also be interested in sponsoring next year's DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah's.

Well, it looks that now a family dynasty (or a Sendirian Berhad?) is on the cards but the new Emperor's court will be made up of pretty much the same people who have dragged Malaysia into the ground the last 15-20 years and as far as I understand it, Gregory Lau who probably has good intentions but does not seem to have either means or support will not be part of the the incoming administration of horribly familiar faces.

DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters & International Open 2011

2011-09-10T21:58:00.000+08:00

It's all at www.klchess.com!

Playing for Dragon One... at the Merdeka Rapid Teams

2011-08-28T22:23:00.007+08:00

My first games since last year's Olympiad and a milestone of sorts as I finally found time to play in a local event after a very very long time (even if only at this 25 minute time control which is really neither blitz or rapid and was rather hard for me to adapt).

The five rounds on day one left me exhausted on getting home and then the four more on day two proved to be really hard going. So I suppose I could not complain too much from scoring 5/9 on board one (probably after having being designated as the sacrificial goat on the assumption that match points would be used!).

I did find it interesting to play some of the players, some of whose names which were vaguely familiar from being mentioned to me by others from time to time and on my impressions, I can only say that young local players should only be encouraged and not criticised on public forums.

Generally (and to my surprise?) I did not have any special difficulties n the technical side of things - even the one opening which I had some problems I was able to successfully steer it into a playable position albeit without any advantage but then was able to gradually develop a winning endgame until a wild hallucination after all the hard work had been done allowed it to become a draw!

That was the sign of things to come on day two when obvious tiredness started to kick in!

On day one the loss to IM Yue Li was annoying but my own fault as after playing very sharply I then played a safe move after reaching the decisive moment after which my initiative disappeared and it was rapidly downhill from then on. (IM Jimmy Liew's advice after: "In this format, take risks").

Losing to IM Oliver Barbosa was just a matter of stronger player pressing until I made a mistake. But the loss to Jahongir Vakhidov following the draw I gave away was really stupid as I saw a win and got a little too clever and played another move that looked easier, saw it become refuted where in the process he found time to coordinate his pieces and then I foolishly decided to close up the attacking side of the board to block up the position and make a draw and in one careless (fatigued?) moment simply blundered away a rook.

By that time I knew I was in serious trouble physically but luckily the all important last round came after lunch when I had a bit of a catnap and despite having Black I did all the pressing and IM Gary Lane was I think slightly fortunate to find a drawing resource.

Dragon One still went down 2.5-1.5 when a big win was needed and given games points were used, we were of course left empty handed (GM Wang Rui put it very well: "I think we have no task to perform later at the closing ceremony").

On the Malaysian Chess Festival

2011-08-24T07:00:00.000+08:00

First congratulations are in order to Hamid and his team for managing to again do a Malaysian Chess Festival and I think that any activity is a good thing and that the response shown in increased participation is due reward.

While the various supporting events are going from strength to strength, the original Malaysian Open is clearly diminishing, be it in the quality of local representation (lack along competitiveness) and even the foreign entries are not what it used to be.

There are many reasons and some obvious solutions but I appreciate how hard and difficult it is to organise and it is easy to criticise when you have not done it and while I have, a public forum is not always the place to provide feedback no matter how well intended.

So, well done guys and I sincerely hope it continues on next year because what I can say here is that the money to do it was not anything like what we understood from previous years so I ask our local chess community to start stepping forward now to start to make a difference.

Asian First Saturday?

2011-08-07T20:44:00.001+08:00

Campomanes Memorial Yangon International Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2011 Yangon, Myanmar. { 21 Sep - 01 Oct, 2011 }

1. Organization

This event is organized by Myanmar Chess Federation in honor of late FIDE Honorary President Florencio Campomanes under the auspices of the Myanmar National Olympic Council.

2. Schedule

21 Sep After 1200 Arrival

2100 Technical Meeting

22 Sep 0900 Opening Ceremony

0930 Rd. 1

1600 Rd. 2

23 Sep 0900 Rd. 3

1600 Rd. 4

24 Sep 1600 Rd. 5

25 Sep 0900 Rd. 6

1600 Rd. 7

26 Sep 0900 Rd. 8

1600 Rd. 9

27 Sep 1600 Rd. 10

28 Sep 1600 Rd. 11

29 Sep 1600 Rd. 12

30 Sep 1600 Rd. 13

01 Oct 0900 Closing Ceremony

1200 Departure

3. Format & Time Control

Total 13 players (4 GMs + 9 Others); Single Round-Robin; FIDE-rated and titled; Rate of play will be 90 minutes for the whole game with 30 seconds increment for every move starting from the first move. Zero-Start shall be applied.

4. Venue & Official Hotel

Central Hotel, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Yangon.

All the players have to stay at the official hotel. The hotel is located in the center of Yangon. There are many places of interest such as the landmark of Myanmar Shwedagon Pagoda, Sule Pagoda, Bogyoke Aung San Market, Yangon Port, National Museum within the walking distance. More information can be found at www.myanmar.com.

5. Prize

No prize money. 1^st. - Trophy, 2^nd. - Trophy, 3^rd. - Trophy.

All the winners will get the special prizes (Quantum Shields, Quantum Pendants, Quantum Flasks and Quantum Bracelets awarded by Fusionexcel International). Information on these health products is available at www.fusionexcel.com.

The diploma certificates are to be awarded for all players.

6. Entry Fees

For GM
Free Entry + Air Ticket + Pocket Money + Free Twin-Sharing Hotel Room (Breakfast)

For IM or >2400
US$ 500 Package (Entry Fees + Twin-Sharing Hotel Room with Breakfast)
US$ 700 Package (Entry Fees + Single Hotel Room with Breakfast)

For others >2300
US$ 700 Package (Entry Fees + Twin-Sharing Hotel Room with Breakfast)
US$ 900 Package (Entry Fees + Single Hotel Room with Breakfast)

For others >2200
US$ 900 Package (Entry Fees + Twin-Sharing Hotel Room with Breakfast)
US$ 1100 Package (Entry Fees + Single Hotel Room with Breakfast)

The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. There will be 10% discount for those who register and send the money to the organizer's bank accounts on or before 20^th. August, 2011.

A/C Name : Mr. Maung Maung Lwin

A/C No. : 127-0-672262

Branch : Soi Aree

Bank : Bangkok Bank

Address : 404/9 PHAHOLYOTHIN ROAD, SAMSEN-NAI, PHAYATHAI
BANGKOK, THAILAND 10400

SWIFT Code : BKKBTHBK

7. Payment

Myanmar Chess Federation members shall have to pay their dues upon registration.

Foreign players have to settle the full payment (Entry Fees + Hotel Room Charges) to the organizer before 10^th. September, 2011. Otherwise, they shall be expelled from the tournament.

8. Entry Visa

This is necessary to have the entry visa before entering Myanmar. The players from foreign countries have to apply and get the entry visa from the nearest Myanmar Embassy in their countries.

9. Official Airline

Myanmar Airways International (MAI).

10. Official Transport

PARAMI Taxi is the most reliable transport in Yangon.

11. Participation

Since the numbers of players to participate in this event are limited, players are advised to make early registration and payment to confirm their participation. Payment shall be made one day after the approval from the organizer and the scanned copy of payment at the bank shall be sent by email to the organizer.

12. The organizers have the right to reject any entry without giving reasons.

We are represented at the World Junior Championships!

2011-08-03T17:04:00.000+08:00

Chilling out in the lobby!

Getting ready for battle!

Let us all wish our National Champion all the best in competition against the world's very best young champions!

World Junior Championship in Chennai Gets Underway!

2011-08-02T11:23:00.000+08:00

The 50th World Junior and 29th World Girls Championship got underway in Chenna with spectacular opening ceremony on the evening of 1 August 2011.

Participants and guests were treated to an hour long cultural show showcasing Indian dance performed by students from a local chess school before the formalities were conducted by the other main attraction, the main VIP guest who was non other than former World Junior Champion and current World Champion, home town hero Vishy Anand!

Anand welcomed all and assured us that we would enjoy our stay in Chennai while acknowledging the role of the Tamil Nadu Chess Association who have from its inception ensured that Chennai is the chess capital of India. He noted it took his 4 times before winning the World Junior Championships but in the process the friends he made were among his greatest and longest standing friendships and than even to day he remembered the games and the wonderful moments!

Very much in evidence too was FIDE Vice President D.V. Sunder who recently handed the baton to lead Indian to Bharat Singh and that bodies well for Chennai!

Beautiful Yangon... and that goes for the Rest of Myanmar too

2011-07-14T19:37:00.001+08:00

Last year I was unable to attend the inaugural Campomanes Memorial (which was of course held in the Philippines) so this year I made the point of going to the second which was as a bonus, held in Yangon, Myanmar.

I was pleasantly surprised that a number of Malaysians were able to make it and that in the weeks before we were constantly on email sharing information and getting each others help.

Because I was on primarily a business trip (wasn't easy to change the dates to coincide with the chess and unfortunately I could not manage to fix it so I could play more than 5 of the 9 games which meant I got to take lots of photos, see plenty of places, and have long chats with lots of parents!).

Which meant I could also do a report as follows: http://reports.chessdom.com/news-2011/yangon-international-open

See also my tribute to Gilachess whom I had invited to join me as we are both in-between projects (he preferred to play with his iPad in Cameron Highlands and why not if you have one too?) in the photo below

Pretty good in my opinion but certainly not to everyone's taste and which helped me understand why the Myanmar workers in KL like their Nasi Kandar! (Note that as an affluent visitor we could afford to select a number of side dishes as opposed to the standard rice, soup and simple vegetable salad that most, given their USD 30 a month income, would eat and when done at a restaurant that is indeed a special occasion).

Opportunity for Our Best Young Talent

2011-07-01T07:03:00.000+08:00

The Kuala Lumpur Chess Association, with sponsorship from Polgar Chess Asia - the Polgar Chess University in Asia - has agreed to MCF's request to offer places to all National Age Group Championship winners to play in the Raja Nazrin Shah International Open Chess Championship 2011.

Our only conditions are that entries must be received by the 31 July deadline and that only the winners qualify, not the second or third place finishers!

Polgar Chess Asia is also offering a pre-event workshop for these young talents, to be coordinated by MCF during the school holidays in August to help with their preparation based on providing individual assessments made through an analysis of their games.

Messy Minds

2011-06-18T14:37:00.003+08:00

When organising the KL Open (and now the Raja Nazrin Shah Individual Masters & International Open 2011) each year, I am constantly amazed how so many chessplayers wishing to play just cannot do simple things like fill in the entry form.

I get players who can find me on Facebook and then messaging me that they will play. But not only do they not give me essential information to facilitate their entry such as their rating and title but they also have incredible difficulty getting out of Facebook and to the website I give them to get details of the event. (And of course they cannot understand why they need to send me an email let alone the entry form and let's not even pretend to get into making payment of the entry fee).

These chessplayers don't read very well either because they miss seeing the actual dates and the schedule and they even often ask about how to get to the website where they first saw the information about the event.

Of course there are also those who have done their homework but feel it is the organisers obligation to provide them with everything they want - be it an IM with a 2200+ rating or an FM with no standing, results or prospects. They demand or beg for conditions such as room, free entry, etc., and when they happen to be well funded professionals from India they even tell me I have to help as they will have no money because they would be coming by after campaigning in a number of events in Europe!

But there are those who take trouble to do all that is necessary. Emails are sent, forms are filled, and they are prompt and polite. And very often they are the top players and real professionals, basically the guys who win the event and if not, who always do well.

Contrast this to the messy minds of the nobodies (I am using this term in the best possible way) or even those "superstars" who get by somehow but somehow have not achieved all that they could and wonder why if you must.

I at least understand what the difference is!

It's always complicated with FIDE

2011-06-14T15:00:00.002+08:00

Of course FIDE constantly changes the rules so I may be mistaken but I have long understood that a rating and/or title tournament needs to be published on the FIDE calendar a month in advance and that has to be done by the National Chess Federation's rating administrator (who has been given access to the system).

With the Raja Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters and Raja Nazrin Shah International Open, as in the previous KL Opens and in the many events overseas where I was the Chief Arbiter, the information needed to facilitate this registration was provided early to the National Chess Federation which in this case is the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF).

In fact I was informed that this had already been done by both the MCF Secretary and the MCF Ratings Officer but when I checked the FIDE website on Sunday morning, I saw, much to my surprise, that the various Malaysian Chess Festival events were indeed posted but not the Raja Nazrin Shah tournaments even though we certainly announced our events much earlier.

After speaking to the MCF Secretary, the MCF Ratings Officer has now responded with the above screenshot saying that he has done his part but it is the job of the MCF Secretary to inform FIDE so that this information is also posted to the FIDE Calendar.

My response to the MCF Ratings Officer, an International Arbiter no less, was of course to stop passing the buck and instead to work with his colleagues to get this done failing which it would not be a bad idea at all if he stepped aside and let someone else do this work as it is about service and not holding on to titles and positions!

Raja Nazrin Shah Masters & International Open Chess Championship 2011

2011-06-05T13:00:00.008+08:00

Looking back at how successful the KL Open has been over the last three years, I was talking to KLCA President Dato' Sri Edmund Santhara whose Masterskill Education Group has long sponsored the event and after having made the decision to rename the event after our patron Raja Nazrin Shah who has supported us year in year out, I thought that we should take a hard look at our local chess scene and see if indeed the current format made any sense.

Frankly, I had delayed the KL Open this year as along as possible to see if indeed there would be a Malaysian Open and with three months to go simply had to make an announcement but now it seems it is on again and that can only be good news for the local chess community and so I do want to congratulate the man I correctly called "an embarrassment and a real disgrace" over his antics leading up and during the FIDE election for successfully getting the old man to fork out once again.

So we have decided to step back as we are no longer needed to help fill in a vacuum as we were asked to, and with freedom from this so called responsibility as an affiliate of the MCF that has the financial means, the Raja Nazrin Shah Masters & International Open Chess Championship can now take shape in the form as we have always wanted it.

We will therefore have a Masters, a 10 player, 9 round GM event and hope one of our IMs/FMs will step forward and ask for the place I will reserve for a Malaysian (as long as I can) together with a somewhat "downgraded" Open - see www.klchess.com - in the sense that while it is still an international titled and rated event with GMs and IMs playing, we will no longer restrict but encourage participation from lowly and even unrated players (except when they are juniors who come with trainers or parents who are known troublemakers!).

Some of the Usual Suspects

2011-05-20T08:00:00.004+08:00

It always seems to work like this. The sponsorship is confirmed and then a scramble to get venue, hotel, etc. followed by the formalities of registration, etc.

Then the initial announcements of the event. On KLchess and FaceBook, with our friends like Susan Polgar, and at Chessdom which then leads to the FIDE website. Next regional national chess federations are informed and of course with few exceptions there is no acknowledgement let alone replies and in some cases whispers are heard of jealousy and petty actions which hurt no one but the players they claim to represent.

Within a week, some of the usual suspects, regulars who have come to the KL Open before, are in contact and this is going to be pretty much it (other than dealing with an enquiry from time to time) until a month before when we will get a flood of entries (especially from India, Singapore and Indonesia).

But for now we have for sure from some dozen countries:

Grandmasters
1. Wong Meng Kong (SIN)
2. Nguyen Ahn Dung (VIE)
3. Thomas Luther (GER)
4. Niaz Murshed (BAN)
5. Mark Paragua (PHI)
6. Tahir Vadhidov (UZB)
7. Bui Vinh (VIE)

International Masters
1. Abu Sufian Shakil (BAN)
2. Chan Peng Kong (SIN)
3. Duong The Anh (VIE)
4. Alex Wohl (AUS)
5. Oliver Barbosa (PHI)
6. Goh Wei Ming (SIN)
7. Nguyen Van Huy (VIE)
8. Richard Bitoon (PHI)
9. Ashot Nadanian (ARM)
10. Kim Steven Yap (PHI)

Women International Masters
1. Wang Xiaohui (CHN)
2. Nafisa Munimova (UZB)
3. Beverly Mendoza (PHI)

Of course, the local chess community is conspicious in its silence but then again, that is the Malaysian way!

4th Kuala Lumpur International Open Chess Championship, 4-10 September 2011

2011-05-11T22:32:00.004+08:00

Finally we have decided to do it - will confirm hotel by the weekend to compete the prospectus and then will be able to get the official letter out to MCF to register the event with FIDE.

Below are some extracts to give the local chess community something more to talk about!

1. Organisers

The 4^th KL International Open Chess Championship for the Raja Nazrin Shah Challenge Trophy is sponsored by the Masterskill Education Group Berhad and organised by Polgar Chess Asia for the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA) under the auspices of the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) and is registered and recognised by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) as an international title and rated tournament.

3. Prize Fund

Open:

1^st - RM 10,000; 2^nd- RM 7,000; 3^rd - RM 4,000; 4^th - RM 2,500; 5^th - RM 1,500

6^th-10^th - RM 1,000 each; 11^th-20^th - RM 500 each

Girls:

1^st -1,500; 2^nd - 1,000; 3^rd - 500

Juniors:

U-16 - RM 1,000; U-12 – RM 500

Special Prizes:

3 x RM 500 Scholarships

Blitz:

1^st - RM 1,000; 2^nd - RM 700; 3^rd - RM 400; 4^th - RM 250; 5^th – RM 150

6^th-10^th - RM 100 each; 11^th-20^th - RM 50 each

4. System, Rules & Regulations

The 4^th KL International Open Chess Championship for the Raja Nazrin Shah Challenge Trophy will be played over 9 rounds using the FIDE Swiss System as paired using the Swiss Manager program. The time control used will be the FIDE time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an addition of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.

5. Entry Fees

GMs/ >2500 No Entry Fee; IMs/>2400/WGMs RM 150; FMs/>2300/WIMs RM 300; >2200 RM 450;

>2000 RM 600; >1800 RM 750; Others RM 900

Entries must be received in writing together with full payment of the applicable entry fee by 31^st July 2011, after which a 50% penalty may apply. Participation of unrated players is at the discretion of the organisers who also reserve the right to refuse any entry without explanation.

Got a Call from the MCF Secretary

2011-04-20T09:00:00.003+08:00

19th April

Dear Gregory,

I have spoken to Dato' Prof. Dr. Proom Promwichit, Secretary of the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA), and can confirm that we have not endorsed or are in anyway associated with the team that claims to be representing KLCA in the coming Asian Cities Chess Team Championship.

Dato' Prof. Dr Proom has asked me to also reiterate that is is KLCA's policy to work with the Malaysian Chess Federation in all our chess activities and that there is no possibility that we would could ever attempt to participate in an international team competition independently of the national body.

Thank you

Peter Long
KL Chess Tournament Director

Thailand Open 2011

2011-04-11T17:51:00.002+08:00

I made it! I actually managed to get to the Thailand Open that is being held from 11-17 April at the Dusit Thani in Pattaya.

Unfortunately I won't be able to stay to the end - although Pattaya has developed somewhat beyond being very much a long strip joint by the beach, it is still very much that kind of place - but the hotel is really excellent (the room I am staying in reminds me of the near apartment size accommodation I used to enjoy while in the USA) and I still can't get over a chess tournament hijacking an entire ballroom of a 5-6 star hotel for over a week.

The Thailand Open has some 140 participants from 32 countries, a statistic which very much what one should expect from a country that is embraces tourists, but 10 GMs, 14 IMs, and 16 FMs also makes for rather decent chess!

However there are very clear favourites. Besides adopted son Nigel Short and defending champion Sune Berg Hansen returning, the organisers have their first 2700+ player in Spain's Francisco Pons Vallejo and all three are joined by another 2600+ in German Jan Gustafsson. But do see http://chess-results.com/tnr47824.aspx?lan=1 for the full list of participants.

Visiting the 'New' DATCC

2011-03-20T17:03:00.002+08:00

Today I dropped by DATCC at the same old Wilayah Complex car park location to wish participants in the National Closed Championship before the final round every success.

I appreciated the handshakes from the likes of Jimmy Liew (in photo at right facing down Lim Zhou Ren) and Eddy Fong, even Najib... after all local chess is a very small community and sad to say that is reflected in the fact that the new DATCC was pretty much the same run down old DATCC.

Don't get me wrong. Better a place for local chessplayers to have their events on the cheap and I commend the efforts of those who are clearly trying to keep it going.

But the reality is that with such a venue for as important and event as a National Championship, Malaysian chess is clearly going backwards and for those would chose to differ, ask yourself if indeed you could bring a potential corporate sponsor (unless he or she is a crazy chess enthusiast) to DATCC.

Chess @ Selangor Times

2011-02-12T00:38:00.001+08:00

It has been a while and I am glad that it would be with the Selangor Times, the kind of publication that serves the community. A page twice monthly (alternating with technology) gives me a chance to share my knowledge of the game from a player and trainer perspective i.e. less words and more diagrams, moves and games.

We should not forget that when in print it is not just chessplayers who will see (and read?) and so I will endeavor to do my best that the news being published shows our very best face (as much as we will allow it to!) and my editor has also kindly agreed that it will also be a place where organisers in the Klang Valley actually interested in promoting chess will be able to advertise their events without charge.

You know how it works - just drop me an email with plenty of time to spare (I too have a day job) with all relevant information.

Singapore is Different

2011-01-02T22:54:00.008+08:00

Taken by surprised by certain developments regarding a late request and then an actual agreement to provide financial incentives, I found myself flying to Singapore very late on New Year's Eve and even playing in the fourth and final round of the long running Singapore-Malaysia Chess Challenge on New Year's Day, officially the 2011 edition, played over 38 boards with two rounds of classical chess and two rounds of rapid chess.

History was made in that Malaysia won and kudos are well deserved to the team and especially the young kids that did so well.

I was not present the first day but was told that after round one Singapore has taken a 7 point lead and everyone was bracing for a hammering but then that strange fellow Ignatius Leong (I am being polite not to call him something else), the SCF President, also recently reelected FIDE General Secretary, expressed his sincere hope that Malaysia would win and that sentiment was well beyond that of a polite host!

Was it to do with the fact he has so little credibility in his own country that with the flurry of recent activity by FIDE on the on and off agenda of chess in schools, he has instead is depending on Malaysia to make it happen because Singapore cannot? (Why again has Dato' Tan Chin Nam's gotten involved? To dump DATCC? To save his face after the FIDE Election fiasco? To help Hamid again or to finally kick him out?)

Of course Leong's "highly successful" academy is up for sale again but then again since when has it not ever been?

Back to the match: Malaysia did hold Singapore 19-19 to stop the rot and then won the third round by a whooping 10 point margin and so took a daunting 3 point lead in to the final round which was drawn 19-18 and so history was made.

I like to believe the team rose to the occasion and it was not actually the incentives offered!

But actually what really took me by surprise while I was briefly in Singapore this time around, was in learning that the inaugural ASEAN Championship had just ended and our good friend Zurab Azmaiparashvili, now apparently playing for Singapore but still listed in the latest FIDE rating list as for Georgia, played and was even declared the champion on tie-break over Oliver Barbosa who is without doubt Filipino and from ASEAN through and through.

Then again a player, a former China No. 1 no less, and still based there, played top board for Singapore at the Olympiad while home grown GM Wong Meng Kong was left out and their No. 1 local IM Goh Wei Ming also did not make it, and we already all know how the Commonwealth Championship was last organised as part of this same Singapore International Chess Festival last year.

(Disclaimer: I do not fault all the players mentioned above as they just play chess and I also do personally know them all and generally with one obvious exception can fully vouch for them).

Tired... after all chess does not imitate life

2010-11-01T18:01:00.000+08:00

If I forgot why I left chess and moved on 16 years ago, the last four (4) years has been a constant reminder!

Looking back, I remember that in 1993 I felt that I had achieved all that was possible in chess for me and even though until 1995 I still did a few things like write a series of columns for The Sun (a brand new publication then!) and even played in the Asian Team Championship when it was held in KL, I had all but quit, having given away a massive library of books accumulated since I started playing at 13 years of age.

Well, to quit today is too harsh a word and not quite correct either given I still have obligations with the KLCA and also to Polgar Chess Asia which I will have to continue to fulfill and support as best I can.

But at the end of the day, not that it is wrong or something one can have issue with, I will remind myself that anyone in chess in a serious way, be it self appointed official, mediocre coach, famous/top player, parent of latest "GM talent" and of course the emerging new and uniquely Malaysian category of "chess blogger", for them chess has become everything - their life, even status to die for - and that I have to remember this when being asked "to help" as their starting point assumes you share their self serving values/perspectives and that you are also expected to agree to their rather obvious hidden agendas!

An Embarrassment and A Real Disgrace!

2010-10-03T21:56:00.004+08:00

So the FIDE Elections came to pass pretty much as any informed or intelligent observer would have understood from the beginning.

But what must poor old Dato Tan Chin Nam have been thinking when he chose to drag Malaysia into this fiasco as an advisor to the Karpov 2010 campaign at Garry Kasparov's behest (and then making it worst by proposing Abdul Hamid Majid for the seemingly key but largely symbolic position of General Secretary) and to choose participation in slander and much nastiness?

Even Hamid’s must ardent fans at DATCC must have been surprised to be shown a whole new history of his ideals, achievements, and capabilities as that was completely at odds with the obvious 20+ years of failure we are suffering from his running the Malaysian Chess Federation.

Yes, it was expected that other than making a few choice trips for personal pleasure and then sending out a letter to Asian Federations quite defamatory in its claims, all Hamid could really do to contribute was to make the final IGB Dato Arther Tan Malaysian Open into a platform for a political meeting where very few, people either without votes or people like him who had long lost standing with their federations for the very same things he accuses FIDE of are of course his honoured guests!

It cannot have been no surprise then when with Hamid as Malaysia's FIDE Congress Delegate, and especially when all knew how the likes of his friend Koya was allowed to condemn both FIDE and India in KL, it was all but certain that Malaysia would be shut out from all positions and bids.

At the end of the day it would seem that Dato Tan has thrown away his money again and damaged his reputation beyond repair and once again it is because he has chosen to believe the blood suckers under his employ and patronage that have surrounded him for years.

So much for political tragedy... in Khanty-Mansiysk what however has upset me personally is that the Malaysian team playing at the 39th World Chess Olympiad suffered the fact we only have 4 players and all because because Hamid was included in the team and yet not only have we not seen him once, but his room in unused, the flights booked for him not taken up, etc. and we really could have done better than to throw away money we could have used for a reserve.

But then again I forgot it is his patron's money and perhaps for him to waste as he pleases.

With four players we had no options in terms of strategy and no cover for tiredness or poor form and I can only say that it would have been a worst disaster for our team if the senior players (not me as my last Olympiad was 24 years ago) did not force Gregory Lau to stop becoming a non playing captain and into playing three of the last four rounds where as our super sub he helped us win two crucial matches.

Rest Day in Khanty-Mansiysk… A Welcome Break Indeed!

2010-09-27T10:00:00.003+08:00

After 5 rounds of play, we have our first day off and it is welcome indeed! From the way I played in my last game, I for one could have done with the day off a round earlier and the 11 games I will eventually have to looks even more challenging!

Khanty-Mansiysk is indeed a wonderful place and the organisers have pulled no stops to make this, if not the best, then certainly one of the best Olympiads ever!

Not only is the city beautiful and the facilities excellent, but the weather this time of the year is superb, and no expense was spared be it in a veritable feast daily at meal times or at the numerous official and social events, and all this was supported by an extensive and on time fleet of buses. But most of all was the hospitality that is without precedent and which can only be described as out of the world!

In the morning the team joined in Russia’s annual run that was held all over the country and in the evening we took a walking tour and the sights were varied indeed but the main thing was everyone had fun!

Stop Over in Moscow

2010-09-20T10:00:00.003+08:00

We left Kuala Lumpur mid morning on 18 September after a 5 am start and 24 hours later via Dubai found ourselves in Moscow!

Our chartered flight would only depart for Khanty-Mansiysk early on 20 September so what else but to head to Red Square for some serious sightseeing!

Thoughts on the Olympiad & FIDE Elections

2010-09-10T19:49:00.007+08:00

Let's start with the Malaysian team. I think with Nicholas and Yee Weng out, both with new jobs, we all hoped that Chern Ee and Ronnie would somehow be able to play and when that did not materialise either, I for one had hoped and proposed Evan (last year's national champion) and the currrent national champion to be selected but it was only Khai Boon got the nod and I think if it was certain that Li Tian could travel by himself and that funds permitted a separation of officials and players, then he too might have been included.

So I will have to play some 11 games at the coming Olympiad and even though I had to miss my last two games at the Pichay Cup, I think I did manage to play myself into some form as evidenced by three successive and rather well taken wins before my work commitments got in the way. Now, if only my openings and aging body can hold up....

Returning in time to watch the start of the Malaysian Open was a bonus when I concluded my business early and this was part of my strategy to try to be as engaged with chess as much as possible before going back to work (so I could try and keep a decent level in the three weeks before I would be playing again) and so I was taking every opportunity to analyse games with the participants.

Of course I was doing my best to not to be involved with anything FIDE elections as while I absolutely have big problems with the self serving Asian leadership as "dumped" on us year after year in the form of Ignatius Leong and the likes of Casto Abundo Jr, I certainly have reservations of what a Karpov-Kasparov alliance would bring to chess especially when so many formerly who were part of the problem in FIDE (but not currently which says something as to their motives) are now being reinvented as "change agents", "activists", "ethical", etc.

I believe that real change will come after 4 more years, either from a renewed Karpov team who would have learnt from their mistakes should they have won, or from a new grouping of absolutely principled individuals should the Kirsan team manage to hang on (as they could short of losing a legal fight or be betrayed by one or more of their own less than savory team members) but for now it would seem it is the better option to choose change for the sake of change!

Playing the Pichay Cup and not the Campomanes Memorial or Dato Arthur Tan Memorial

2010-08-21T11:56:00.005+08:00

When I was told some time back that Malaysia might struggle to put up a representative team for the Olympiad to be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia from 19 September to 4 October and if I would play if needed, I saw no reason to say no (provided I was given equal terms with all other representatives) as I never for a moment thought that so many players would not be available.

(I must also admit that playing would be one way easy to avoid being caught up in the coming FIDE Elections where I have friends from both sides should I decide to drop by as I did in Dresden last time around).

But in the weeks that followed, players kept dropping out and I found myself constantly suggesting alternatives and other solutions but in the end it seems I will indeed be playing in Siberia, and so here I am in Manila trying to get some games in at the Prospero A. Pichay Jr. Cup.

Of course, like all my so called chess trips, I am combining business meetings (and luckily I am not conducting a workshop too!) and I really did want to be part of the Campomanes Memorial except that this event overlaps with the Dato Arthur Tan Memorial which seems to be this year to be very much a part of the campaign for the rather sad Karpov camp, and as I have said so many times before, I am "Not impressed by FIDE election options" and so have chosen not participate in either in whatever capacity possible.

Real Young Talent Development!

2010-08-21T11:14:00.003+08:00

A new event, and committed for an initial 5 years!, the inaugural MSSM-Masterskill National Scholastics (U-9, U-11, U-13) Chess Championships will be held at the Masterskill University College Campus in Ipoh from 8-12 November 2010, and Polgar Chess Asia will be organising this event for the Ministry of Education and the Malaysian Chess Federation.

Winners will have the opportunity to play in the Asian Schools Chess Championship to be held from 16-23 December 2010 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

At the same time, Polgar Chess Asia will be looking to conduct a Seminar for Coaches designed together with Polgar Chess University to provide teachers and parents with the methodologies, skills and tools needed to effectively support their young talents.

Please direct your enquiries to louisa.yip@gmail.com.

Taking in the Sights of Bandar Seri Begawan

2010-08-01T10:50:00.013+08:00

Bandar Seri Begawan is not a very large city but well laid out and easy for the tourist with most of its major attractions based on culture and history laid out by its river waterfront.

After 9 rounds at the rate of two games a day, Friday morning saw the conclusion of the first tournament with Indonesian WGM Irene Sukandar and Indian FIDE Master Ramnath Bhuvanesh emerging winners and earning International norms, the first for Irene and the final for Ramnath! (do see one of the many reports at http://reports.chessdom.com/news-2010/1st-brunei-title-tournament)

While young chessplayers would be chessplayers and moved on to blitz, Facebook, and shopping, I decided to take an afternoon tour of the city.

I call it the Sultan’s Father’s Mosque!

Highlights for me were the stories of 29 Sultans of Brunei, whose rules and lifetimes had simply everything you could imagine, the wonderful extravagance of a Royalty with wealth second to none, and seeing how the people of Brunei live, work, and play with their own identity intact and evolving notwithstanding the obvious influences of its neighbouring countries, the western world, and parallels that can be drawn with some of the Gulf states.

Water Village
This is at the centre of the waterfront area and although now modernised with water and electricity and internal furnishings that would rival a luxury condominium, it represents a major link to Brunei’s past as is therefore well preserved with the full support of the government.

Brunei’s First IM Tournaments!

2010-07-26T10:19:00.005+08:00

The Brunei Chess Federation (BCF) is currently holding its first ever IM title events – the Brunei Invitational IM Tournaments being held from 25 July to 4 August in Bandar Seri Begawan and I am honoured to serve as the Chief Arbiter.

Both are 10 player round robins, with a strong ASEAN presence, and a touch of glamour with WGM Irene Kharisma Sukandar also participating. (All participants in group photo above).

Details of the just started Brunei Invitational IM Tournament 1 is at http://www.chess-results.com/tnr35656.aspx?lan=1 and Brunei Invitational IM Tournament 2 at http://www.chess-results.com/tnr36348.aspx?lan=1

In Search of Everest

The BCF is very ably led by their long serving President Hj Zainal Abidin Ali who is well supported by a dedicated team of professionals, and in doing so has always chosen its own path in chess – which is whatever that makes sense for Brunei (and for Brunei chess!) given its relative small size.

From a spate of big organising in the early 90’s, BCF has been an adopter of technology, and as a pioneer in Internet chess organised a very successful blitz held on ICC on 15 July 2008.

Today it is certain that pride of place is the BCF becoming the first Brunei team to reach the Mount Everest Base camp and playing the first ever and highest ever altitude chess tournament to be organised there (of course all in the name of charity where 50,000 Brunei Ringgit was raised!). See http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6085

Of course there has also more conventional moves too by the BCF like the setting up the Brunei Chess Centre and a develop-mental program including engaging Grandmaster Taxir Vakhidov from Uzbekistan to develop a young national team.

The Brunei Chess Federation’s website is at http://www.bruneichess.org.bn/

In Chess, it seems that Everyone is an Expert!

2010-07-22T16:24:00.001+08:00

Why not? If you believe you have (or do in fact) standing or enjoy domain… like would a parent, a teacher, a coach, an official, a patron, a sponsor, a player, etc.

No need for elaboration here. I think the only danger is when you assume and/or do not properly research, or worst, have an agenda to promote.

It’s a free world (I hope?) and in the end the “market” decides whether you or I (or whatever them is!) can agree or not… and really if you think about it, all choices are equally valid.

Malaysia at the Asian Junior Championships in Chennai, India

2010-06-24T21:29:00.001+08:00

Sisters Nur Nabila Azman Hisham, 13 years old, and Nur Najiha Azman Hisham. 11 years old, are two of our brightest young prospects, Nabila already a dangerous opponent for even our senior players at Rapid and Blitz events, and Najiha dominant in her age category and already demonstrating maturity in her play.

Of course neither sister has ever had proper coaching so while their strong points are obvious and impressive, their knowledge gaps are often surprising and there is no program (teaching, playing and analysis) in place to develop their talent.

In Chennai, participating were 8 countries and 53 players in the girls championship, including 2 who were Women International Masters and 12 who were Women FIDE Masters, and after being ranked 35th and 41st respectively, a finish of 20th and 27th respectively is rather good and they would have enjoyed nice rating gains as well.

The trainers of the other participants were surprised at their age relative to others, and even more surprised that they were able to largely hold their own.

Evan Capel, 16 years old, is also largely self taught and while he could be considered a late bloomer after going it alone in the last few years, he was still able to win the National Championship last year at 15 years of age and only lost out at the recent MSSM Championship on tie-break.

He started ranked 45th from a field of 74 players including 12 International Masters and 8 FIDE Masters and finished 47th so it seems really played very much to his level even though he too got a rating points gain.

But I also did manage to spend some time with Evan at this event and his score could so easily have been 5.5/9 as opposed to the 4/9 it got and I think he just lacks experience and of course exposure to strong competition, but like Nabila and Najiha he has also several glaring weaknesses, most of which fortunately can be remedied with a program of playing and analysing but that decision is his alone.

The Importance of the World Junior and Asian Junior Championships

2010-06-24T20:52:00.001+08:00

Before the explosion of “open” age group events, be it World Youth, Asian Schools, or even National Age group championships, the World Junior Championship and Asian Junior Championship were the only opportunity for a country’s best young talent to showcase their talent.

Each country could only send their best player for this under 20 event and the rewards were the International Master title for the winner of the Asian Junior Championship and the Grandmaster title for the winner of the World Junior Championship.

Today, these events are still incredibly important to top young players but not for the International Master or Grandmaster title but for the title of World or Asian Champion itself as many who play are already International Masters and Grandmasters!

See this year’s World Junior Championship entry list: http://www.wjcc2010.pl/en/news/29-22062010-lista-uczestnikow

I was very pleased therefore to help facilitate Malaysia’s participation in the just finished Asian Junior Championship held in Chennai, India, and especially so when we were arguably being represented by our very best prospects.

Our players impressed in Chennai, and while the girls shone, I think that we all saw this as really more of an opportunity to better appreciate what it takes to succeed in chess at this level of competition and to take lessons for the future because if Malaysia is to develop a new generation of young players capable of flying our flag at senior level we must continue to make these investments.

The Old Man’s Last Hurrah?

2010-05-28T23:40:00.001+08:00

Our Dato Tan has been, for good or bad, synonymous with Malaysian chess for half of his life, almost 40 years now, and is many things but in his last few years has clearly taken on the role of being a not always self appointed Messiah.

By facilitating sponsorship of DATMO he has continued his long involvement, then saved the Malaysian Chess Federation from deregistration (and his Hamid from perhaps much more serious problems), and finally with having DATCC (albeit still in a carpark), local chess players (as few as we sadly are) have somewhere to go to to play chess (maybe we should also thank Najib for successfully creating the “content” and keep it relevant).

Now Dato Tan has looked to make himself even more relevant again by jumping onboard the Karpov (American?) bandwagon.

I fully support change in FIDE as 15 years is much too long for any one leader let along the near 40 years as in our case but the jury is really out as to whether Karpov now backed by Kasparov together with a whole bunch of rich people largely associated with him is going to be any better (http://www.russiaprofile.org/page.php?pageid=Politics&articleid=a1274900801) than the Kirsan led largely incumbent team (not unsurprisingly Ignatius Leong has already jumped ship – either because he is not wanted or because he is as always looking out for a better deal for himself) so let’s hope that this time all of Malaysia benefits and not just one or a few select individuals.

Over to you Dato’!

Back to Chennai

2010-05-20T11:44:00.001+08:00

In the last couple of years it seems that I have been making an annual visit to Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India!

Last time around it was for a couple of hours due to a misunderstanding over a multiple entry tourist visa but this time around I have an entry visa as coach of the Malaysian players playing at the Asian Junior Championships from 14-24 June 2010.

For the boys that is 16 year old current National Champion Evan Capel and 11 year old Nur Najiha Azman Hisham will be accompanied by her higher ranked sibling, 13 year old Nur Nabila Azman Hisham.

Unfortunately due to a combination of school exams followed by the MSSM (National Schools) Championship Finals just before I have no time to prepare these young talents and they will also be up against much more experienced and significantly stronger players than the age group events they are used to.

The Azman Hisham girls will find it particularly tough as they will be significantly younger than most (if not all) the other participants.

I will do my best of course but my focus will be to get to know their play and to try and show them the way forward by using this event as an invaluable learning experience.

Karpov as FIDE President in 2010?

2010-04-23T01:10:00.001+08:00

www.karpov2010.org

“A Champion For Change”? We probably still remember very well Obama’s promise of “Change We Can Believe In” and the less than satisfactory outcomes to the American people.

But I do think in this case it is “Change That FIDE Needs!” and the fact that so few in Asia care is indicative how irrelevant FIDE has become to us outside of the rating system (a big burden in the increasing fees that have to be paid and the rating ceiling dropping ever further), the outrageous entry fees together with forced and inflated hotel charges imposed by organisers if participation in youth events are desired (what happened to getting sponsors?), awarding of various international titles, and of course for a smaller number, the chance to play at events such as the Olympiad every two years and the various World Championship cycle qualifiers.

Norms Galore!

2010-04-20T23:54:00.001+08:00

The 3rd KL Open held from 6-12 April 2010 saw Vakhidov Jahangir of Uzbekistan, Julius Joseph De Ramos of Philippines and Laksana Augusta of Indonesia earn International Master title norms while Bhakti Kulkarni and Mitali Patil, both from India earned Woman International Master title norms.

Desperately unlucky to miss out was our own Nicholas Chan and Indonesia’s Medina Warda Aulia who exceeded the point requirements for International Master and International Women Master title norms respectively but failed to satisfy other criteria through the variables of the pairings system.

(The traditional group photo of participants and officials of the UKM KL Masters)

Then immediately after, at the UKM KL Masters, a 10 person, 9 round robin event, Singapore’s Daniel Fernandez together with India’s Ankit R. Rajpara and Thakur Akash even went one better with their third and final International Master norms earning them the International Master title.

A finish really deserving of the superb effort put in by UKM into this event and Abdul Haq Mohamad is especially to be commended for a really excellent organisation!

Thailand Open

2010-04-15T14:17:00.001+08:00

The Thailand Open is being held at the Century Park Hotel in Bangkok from 14-20 April (during the Songkran holidays).

Some 108 players made it amongst which are 4 GMs, 1 WGM, 12 IMs and 1 WIM.

See Bangkok Chess Club website www.bangkokchess.com and http://www.chess-results.com/tnr32758.aspx?lan=1 for updates.

KL Open Ends, KL Masters Starts

2010-04-13T21:18:00.004+08:00

Yesterday saw the end of the KL Open and tomorrow will be the start of the KL Masters, thankfully organised for the KLCA by UKM.

But I will still not risk going to Bangkok for the Thailand Open - not because of any risk to life and limb - but because the UKM KL Masters is a part of the Masterskill KL Chess Festival and that is my responsibility.

So my recovery from a month of no more than 3 hours night sleep every night will instead have to be regular sleeping hours at home in the next few days!

Results, pairing, etc. can be found at http://www.chess-results.com/tnr32719.aspx?lan=1

Hou Yifan Wins KL Open

2010-04-12T17:00:00.000+08:00

Hou Yifan was a very popular and most convincing winner of the 3rd KL Open 2010, the 16 year old grandmaster from China having already been crowned champion one round before the end.

See video of closing and prize giving ceremony by clicking here.

All reports are at the tournament website ww.klchess.com/klopen/ and the final standing can be found at chess-results.

The organisers of the KL Open also would especially like to thank, amongst many others, our friends at www.europe-echecs, www.chess.co.uk/twic/, www.chessdom.com, and www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com for daily international coverage.

Chessbase has also published a nice little final report summing up the KL Open at http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6252.

Photos from the Nigel Short Simultaneous Exhibition

2010-04-11T00:37:00.011+08:00

Abdul Haq got the only draw and here he poses together with his wife.

Short is being consoled for only getting a 9.5-0.5 score.

The final game is always one on one.

Oops, I blundered a piece...

The Chief Arbiter also plays chess?

Just before the session gets underway... it takes a team to do this properly!

Father and son.

There are all sorts of physical handicaps and none actually matter in chess.

Snapshots Of Some Quiet Moments Enjoyed Before The KL Open Started.

2010-04-08T02:09:00.001+08:00

Hou Yifan with her mother enjoying Cherating… you may be surprised she is a durian fruit lover!

Thomas Luther making a young chess player happy… you will probably not be too surprised at how much he loves local food.

Sure looks like KLCC to me… you will have guessed right that is indeed the Petronas Twin Towers?

Another First - The 3rd KL Open 2010 will also be on Indian TV

2010-03-30T10:41:00.001+08:00

I recently got the following exciting email from my good friend Vijay Kumar and we will certainly be looking to promote Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia too:

Dear Peter

Indian TV Network will telecast of the 4 Highlights of 30 mts each of the 3rd K L OPEN 2010 on its DD Sports Channel . The telecast will be available in 48 countries of Europe, Middle East and South East Asia on FREE TO AIR thru PAS 10 satellite

I have also put this news on my website : www.liveteleshows.net

Vijay

Vijay Kumar IBS [Retd]
Fmr Chief Producer TV News & Sports
"DOORDARSHAN" Indian TV Network
Chief Editor: www.liveteleshows.net

International Coverage of the KL Open

2010-03-24T19:50:00.001+08:00

To date three of the five most popular international English language websites has carried the KLCA’s press release on the 3rd KL International Open Chess Championship and we are grateful for their recognition and support.

www.fide.com

www.chessdom.com

www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com

During the KL Open itself we hope these friends and a few others who are setup to do so will provide regular coverage – we are now putting in place all that is needed to supply articles, interviews, photos, games and even video - and we know that once the KL Open is over many will also publish reports.

The 3rd KL Open 2010 is Two Weeks Away!

2010-03-22T19:56:00.001+08:00

As of today, a week after the official closing date, the 3rd KL Open Championship for the Raja Nazrin Shah Challenge Trophy has attracted a record 121 entries from 21 countries including 64 internationally titled players!

The grandmasters include top seed Mikheil Mchedlishvili from Georgia who immediately after is slated for a match against anotehr participant, Indonesia’s No. 1 Susanto Megaranto, 16 year old vice women’s chess champion Hou Yifan from China, many times German chess champion Thomas Luther, “new local” Ziaur Rahman from Bangladesh, Hungarian-Vietnamese Cao Sang, and veteran Saidali Iludashev from Uzbekistan.

It is indeed a playing field with some depth, the 16 Grandmasters having 24 International Masters, and 20 FIDE Masters for company.

See www.klchess.com for the latest!

GM-IM and WGM-WIM Tournaments immediately after KL Open?

2010-03-15T16:52:00.001+08:00

With the staggering response to the KL Open, a number of participants have also been asking if there were other title events we were planning to organise in the very near future.

The KLCA is responding by proposing to hold the KL International Masters Challenge – both a GM-IM tournament and a WGM-WIM tournament - from 13-19 April 2010.

We have already gotten commitments from the required foreign titled players to make it possible and we know there will be no shortage of donor entries from amongst the foreign participants at the KL Open who would be only too keen to have the opportunity to play for international titles and norms.

I just hope that locals who meet the basic requirements will step forward too or we would be doing this to enable talent from other countries and not our own!

But those interested also need to understand that a rating of below 2200 is not really a rating for title purposes.

For the GM-IM tournament, the fee is RM 1,500 and for the WGM-WIM tournament, the fee is RM 1,000. This is of course to help cover the titled players fees, their expenses and perhaps even help towards organising expenses being subsidised by the KLCA.

Schedule

13 April

1400: Players Meeting & 1600: Round 1

14 April

0900: Round 2

15 April

0900: Round 3 & 1600: Round 4

16 April

1600: Round 5

17 April

0900: Round 6 & 1600: Round 7

18 April

1600: Round 8

19 April

0900: Round 9 & 1400: Closing Ceremony

If interested, please direct your enquiries to peterlong@aol.asia and we will do our best to fit you in.

Advanced Parachute WGM Tournament in Cox's Bazaar

2010-03-08T14:29:00.003+08:00

The Advanced Parachute WGM Tournament to be held from 7-14 March 2010 gets underway today at Uni-Resort in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh.

After a 10 hour bus ride from Dhaka in a luxury bus through beautiful and often spectacular countryside, the participants which include GM and IM hopefuls (L-R in photo above) Veronika Minina (RUS), Dhyani Dave, Kiran Monisha Mohanty (IND), Shamima Akter and Tanima Parveen (BAN), were still all bright and sparky and very much looking forward to the games starting the following day.

The full list of participants can be found at: http://www.chess-results.com/tnr31218.aspx?lan=1

Organised by Six Season Chess Tournaments, this is the first of tournaments planned monthly by Grandmaster Niaz Murshed to provide title and rating tournaments for Asian players and there will be a GM event following this WGM tournament from 14-22 March 2010.

Visiting Grandmaster Program

2010-03-02T23:17:00.001+08:00

So far the KL Open this year has been won by players who have gone on to make a name for themselves but I think more importantly have continued to be friends of our small event!

For example Previous winners Anton Filippov and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son are today 2600+ grandmasters and with every prospect to reach the 2700 level.

This year we have upped the ante a little, from an event planned with veteran GMs playing and giving IMs every chance for a relatively easy norm, to a rather strong tournament.

Some of the grandmasters playing this year are not only very strong players and Saidali Iludashev is not only a frequent and familiar visitor to Malaysia but a legend in Uzbekistan.

Iludashev plays uncompromising chess, was a top player in his time, and today can be proud to be looked up to by the young talent in his country as their teacher and role model.

He has kind agreed to stay on for a week after the KL Open (13-19 April) as a guest of Polgar Chess Asia so as to be able to work with (and help) local chess players improve their play.

We are organising 2 and 3 hour sessions, possible mornings, afternoons, and evenings during his stay, and enquiries may be directed to me at peterlong@aol.asia.

Identifying & Developing KL’s Young Talent

2010-02-25T17:11:00.001+08:00

Last year the KLCA organised a KL Young Talent Championship targeting the U-19, U-11, and U-13 age-groups from which winners were invited to participate in a year round training program faciliated by Polgar Chess Asia.

Ultimately a few conclusions had to drawn as follows:

1. From the selection perspective, there is a big difference between the winner, a top three finisher and those making up the top ten so when many of the top finishers were not eligible, opted out (or more could not attend regularly), the program was reduced to trying to address knowledge gaps and a big differences in strength amongst participants.

2. In terms of trainer-student relationship (and of course we knew this but had to give it a go), the fact is that when a child is already 12 or 13 years old and an active participant in local (even international) competitions, there was little we could do to engage them effectively except perhaps unless on a one to one basis and that approach was outside the scope and objectives of the program.

3. And when looking at having a team which could work together as a cohesive unit - critical for participants to improve by taking a longer view and to push each other – this never happened for all the usual reasons, from being “kiasu” to having vested interests to even wanting to believe one’s own publicity!

So this year the KLCA will used the KL Rapid Grand Prix as a whole as a basis from which those who fall into U-9 and U-11 age categories can bring attention to their talent and if also committed KLCA members, can apply for training and sponsorship in the 2010/2011 program.

Of course I, as the Program Director, will facilitate the application process (via email to me at peterlong@aol.asia for eligibility and qualification) but their progress in the program (if accepted) will be overseen by a committee made up of various stakeholders from KLCA and MSSKL.

Nigel Short intends to be at the KL Open 2010!

2010-02-19T19:27:00.001+08:00

This year, subject to his expected participation in the Thailand Open (as advisor to the organising Bangkok Chess Club), Grandmaster Nigel Short, former World Championship Contender, many time Commonwealth Champion, and the current English Champion still ranked as the No. 1 British player, will visit Malaysia as a guest of the KL Open 2010!

Short who is tentatively scheduled to arrive on 10 April via Bangkok after an expected long flight from Europe, has still kindly agreed to conduct a simultaneous exhibition at 4 p.m. that very same day (as it is a Saturday) and we hope to persuade him to do another on Sunday.

This simultaneous exhibition is limited to a maximum of 20 places (we have increased the number to meet expected demand) and seats are priced at RM 500 each on a first come first serve basis.

For the best possible experience, we will limit spectators, participants will have their score sheets signed by (and their photo taken with) the most famous grandmaster ever to grace a local chess tournament, and they will also be invited to join the dinner function to be held immediately after (where their questions may be directed to this legend of the game).

Any enquiries and your registrations should be directed to KL Open 2010 Organising Secretary Peter Long at peterlong@aol.asia.

First Saturday Type Tournaments in Bangladesh?

2010-02-17T18:10:00.001+08:00

I got the following communications for a WGM tournament 6-15 March 2010) and a GM tournament (`13-22 March 2010) to be held in Cox’s Bazaar and described in a tourism brochure as “Miles of golden sands, towering cliffs, surfing waves, rare conch shells, colorful pagodas, Buddhist temples and tribes, delightful sea-food--this is Cox's Bazar, the tourist capital of Bangladesh. Having the world's longest (120 kilometers.) beach sloping gently down to the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, Cox's Bazar is one of the most attractive tourist sport in the country.”

Dear Chessplayer,

We have initiated a campaign to promote the game of chess in Bangladesh and the region at the highest level. The idea is to hold regular “Title Tournaments” in the country, enabling the aspirants to complete their norms for various international chess distinctions i.e. International Grandmaster (GM), International women’s Grandmaster (WGM), International Master (IM) etc. These events not only benefit the local players, but the players in the region and in fact in the whole Asian Continent.

There are already examples of round the year norm tournament, such as the First Saturday in Budapest which as the named suggests is held every First Saturday of the month. Many Asian players pay exorbitant entry fees, not to mention the high air fare and accommodation expenses to participate in these events. There are no cash awards in these tournaments. However title holders are paid appearance fees, while the aspirants pay and entry fee to participate in the tournaments.

We plan to choose exotic locations in Bangladesh as venues for such events as we would like players and accompanying persons visiting us to have an enjoying a good time side by side pursuing their respective aspirations in the game. This will serve the purpose of introducing our beautiful country to guests who come from various regions around the world.

GM Niaz Murshed

Director - Six Seasons International Chess Tournaments

There are two places left in the WGM tournament needing ratings averaging 2180 and two places left in the GM tournament needing ratings at least 2350.

So if you are interested, please contact the organisers at sixseasonschess@gmail.com.

Playing at the Malaysia-Singapore Match

2010-02-17T17:48:00.001+08:00

It has been a year since I last played and I suppose a draw and a win is an acceptable result in classical chess especially against a young player.

Unfortunately we lost by the narrows of possible margins – just one point - and despite optimism in some quarters because we took a lead after day one into the rapid games (because the majority of our local events are played with the same time control) - I had my reservations as our older players would not find it so easy.

But in line with my resolution of not commenting about things MCF unless it directly impacts KLCA or concerns me personally, I will offer no post mortem or insights (or share opinions offered by many informed parties) but instead would like to congratulate several officials who worked their socks off, amongst them a new MCF VP I met for the first time and who generously offered incentives to players for each win, veteran Ismail Ahmad who was an excellent choice of captain who led by example, and of course Gregory Lau who seemed to care more than anyone else of the results and so worked feverishly to find the best players available during this festive holiday period.

A Weekend Organising the KL Rapid Grand Prix

2010-02-08T10:37:00.001+08:00

It’s been a while but I spent a weekend helping get the KL Rapid Grand Prix up.

Sponsored by the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation and the Royal Selangor Club (RSC), the 1st leg, one of 4 planned every month to be followed by a final, was held from 6-7 February at the RSC premises at Dataran Merdeka.

My “old-new” vehicle, Polgar Chess Asia (www.polgarchessasia.com) which is operated by Effective Commerce, has a special focus on helping develop potential in children, and we plan to have organising of suitable activities and the right type of competitions not only with the KLCA but other places around the country as an equal complement to more formal learning in a classroom environment.

And I do think that thanks to the wonderful support by the RSC, an original home of Malaysian chess, and especially the efforts put in by co-organisers Dr Ajeet Singh and later by Wahid Karim, the KL Rapid proved to be an enjoyable experience for all!

(Dr Ajeet with young winner of the U-12 Section Subramanian Sivanesan)

Full results can be found at http://www.chess-results.com/tnr30085.aspx?lan= (Open Section), and at http://www.chess-results.com/tnr30086.aspx?art=1&rd=6&lan=1&m=-1&wi=1000. (U-12 Section).

See www.klchess.com for more and do note that the next leg will be 6-7 March, that places are limited to just 80, and this would also be a fantastic warm up for the Malaysian Chess Federation’s planned National Age Group Championship in Penang a week later.

My Third & Final Resolution Fulfilled: No "Ifs" and "Buts" - I am Now a Trainer!

2010-01-30T08:00:00.007+08:00

Polgar Chess Asia

www.polgarchessasia.com

22-1, Jalan 27/70 A, Desa Sri Hartamas,

50480 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia

T: +60 3 2300 1680 F: +60 3 2300 1689

30th January 2010

Dear Parent/Student,

CHESS EDUCATION & TRAINING PROGRAMS - THE POLGAR CHESS ASIA WAY!

It has taken some time - perhaps a bit longer than we would have liked since we announced Polgar Chess Asia - but it was the right decision to start with and then build on the lessons from our successful holiday programs - and we have now put together a complete chess education and training program that we are both happy with and also know will actually work!

So from 1 February 2010, Polgar Chess Asia through Effective Commerce Sdn. Bhd. in our first centre in Kuala Lumpur will no longer be the service provider to the now dormant Intchess (M) Sdn. Bhd, but the actual operator.

We are offering three separate but synergistic tracks to meet every need - chess as child enrichment, chess for development, and chess through high performance - and all our courses will be conducted as yearly programs, where in over as little as five years, a young talent who as early as 8 to 10 years of age can be helped to grow into a young chess champion!

Peter Long
Director for Polgar Chess University in Asia

Trying to Play Chess!

2010-01-28T10:08:00.004+08:00

One of the things I feel trainers should do is to play from time to time (and of course while no longer playing with ambition it is still necessary that the level of tournament would be challenging).

After all the objective is to "keep your hand" as I have said before in an earlier post http://thefidetrainer.blogspot.com/2009/02/keeping-your-hand.html and to understand better what the current competitive environment is like so as to be able to do a better job with your students.

Well, as much I would like to play the KL Open (most convenient), I am the organiser so that is fairly unrealistic if I wanted it to be a useful exercise!

One idea I had was to play in the Thailand Open and perhaps one or two others every year (Unfortunately not the Malaysian Open as I find that the participants pretty much the same each year) but now that the KL Open has started a partnership with the Bangkok Chess Club to do our events back to back I was not sure I would be able to get away so soon after my event ended.

So when the opportunity to play Chennai came along I jumped despite our latest professional chess player and newly minted International Master Lim Yee Weng (who was playing both New Delhi and Chennai) telling me after he finished New Delhi that the players he had met were talented and under rated (and he did play 11 of them round after round!).

Yes, Yee Weng is a young man and still ambitious while I am now the opposite, so book a ticket I did and luckily (I thought) I already had a multiple entry visa from my earlier visit to Kolkata helping out at the Asian Team Championship.

But it was not to be. I arrived in Chennai and was refused entry. Apparently the Indian government had in the last two or three weeks changed their regulations regarding multiple entry visas and if I were to return to India within two months I had to apply for a re-entry permit (which I was allowed to do so at the Chennai airport immigration but which was then rejected!) and so, very politely but firmly, I was deported back home on the nearest available flight to horror of Indian Chess Federation officials, the embarrassment of Malaysia Airline staff and ultimately the amazement and amusement of a very sympathetic Malaysian immigration!

After 12 hours total of flying to and fro overnight I don't see myself doing this again in a hurry so looks like I will just be playing a game or two at the coming Malaysia-Singapore Match in February for now and then will have to revisit the possibility of the Thailand Open!

KLCA is looking to organise big locally in the first half of 2010!

2010-01-16T01:00:00.003+08:00

Well, it is time to put up over my New Year resolutions and I am pleased to say that the current report card would indicate that my first resolution is being maintained, the second successfully being done and the third is finally well on the way!

Here, let's just talk about that which is being done and that now means that KLCA (Kuala Lumpur Chess Association) will not only hold the KL Rapid Grand Prix which will run with a 45 minute time control played over weekends monthly at the Royal Selangor Club at Dataran Merdeka from February to June 2010 over 4 legs and a final (see http://www.klchess.com/2010/01/kl-rapid-grand-prix-2010.html), but also that we are also now ready with the details of the 3rd KL Open Chess Championship to be held from 6-12 April 2010 (see http://www.klchess.com/2010/01/3rd-kl-open-chess-championship-6-12.html).

WITHER KL YOUNG TALENT DEVELOPMENT?

The KL Rapid series has an open section and an under 12 section, and the reason for the latter is to provide more opportunities for the younger players, and at the same time we have also decided to do away with the KL Young Talent Championship and instead identify this years prospects from the best under 11 and under 9 performers from the four legs and finals.

The major change is that the top 10 finishers have the right to apply for scholarships and the KLCA will form an expert panel to consider the merits of each young talent.

New Year Resolution

2010-01-01T01:00:00.007+08:00

The last three years since I returned to chess has been a wild adventure - for sure one that I wished I never started - and I suppose New Year's Eve is as good as any a time to take stock even though to be absolutely honest with myself I do know what I need to do for some 6 months now!

1. FIDE, ACC, MCF? Well, I won't presume to tar everyone involved with the same brush but fundamentally it is the "Koya" culture and I am no great man like India's D.V. Sundar at national level to bring things around like he has with sheer force of will together with incredible energy and talent, and of course while I am still hopefully of change regionally as the leadership is absolutely without credibility, I can say from experience (now!) that it is an even more thankless task at the biggest stage of all without loads of money. So as I understood so well 20 years ago, good luck to the stakeholders. It is your fight! And I salute you....

2. KLCA! Well I intend that to be my sole focus in 2010, from organising a KL Open that will get better with every year, starting new and holistic activities for our membership (and the local chess community as a whole) that when put together would showcase what would I hope to be then leading chess club locally (and even regionally) and in doing so I would most certainly offer an alternative vision for the organisation and promotion of chess. It can be done. Educate by making a success!

3. FA? FT! Well, in the last few months my dabbling in teaching chess has escalated somewhat from taking the occasional class to doing it more regularly and even accepting assignments locally so maybe it is also time that I did this very seriously with a long term view in my own country. I will now be a trainer too! But I believe that the student has to do the work to progress.

So dear reader, a very Happy New Year to you (and do enjoy making your own resolutions too!). Whatever we think of 2009, if we want it to happen and am prepared to do what is needed, then 2010 will be a great year for you as I know it will be for me!

Kolkata Was Great

2009-12-30T16:00:00.008+08:00

Kolkata was great, Indian hospitality as wonderful as always... but it is good to be home!

Everything can be found at www.kolkata2009.blogspot.com!

Now I am in Kolkata - Making a City of Joy Diary at the Asian Teams

2009-12-21T13:28:00.004+08:00

Well I have decided to go to Kolkata and will most certainly be looking to document my stay through an online diary http://kolkata2009.blogspot.com/.

Is Malaysia Missing Again? Well, I don’t see China and the Philippines playing either!

2009-12-16T23:19:00.004+08:00

ASIAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
20-29 DECEMBER 2009
KOLKATA, INDIA

From 20-29 December 2009, Kolkota, India, will once again be the host of the Asian Team Chess Championship, men and women.

There are to date ten countries registered, with the Indian sub-content heavily represented and hosts India of course favourite, but a strong and serious challenge is expected from Vietnam, the top performing Asian team at the Dresden Olympiad 2008, while Iran, Indonesia and Mongolia are expected to also fight for medals.

The event is organized by the Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy and ALLSPORT Management for the All India Chess Federation (AICF) under the auspices of the Asian Chess Federation and the World Chess Federation (FIDE) in Kolkata – best known internationally to be the City of Joy – and even better known to chess lovers all over the world as where the long standing Kolkata International Open held in September each year takes place.

Now in its 16th edition, the Asian Team Chess Championship was started in 1974 with the celebration of the golden jubilee of FIDE on the initiative of the Malaysian Chess Federation with assistance from the government, and a specially designed USD 10,000 Silver trophy named after the late Tun Abdul Razak, then Prime Minister, was offered as a challenge trophy.

The first Asian powerhouse Philippines of course won the inaugural event in Penang, Malaysia, with 8 teams, and in fact remained winners of the bi-annual event till 1983 when bridesmaid China finally took their first honours, after which the title was largely exchanged between these two nations till the emergence of post-Soviet Asian nations.

Kazakhstan was therefore the winner in 1993, the Philippines in 1995 (where the women championship was first introduced and won by China whose total of four of five titles and near absolute dominance was only briefly interrupted just once by Vietnam in 2005), and while following a four year cycle, it was Uzbekistan for the very first time in 1999 before reverting again to China in 2003.

But since then India has won back to back events in 2005 and 2008 and so a historic hat trick awaits them on home ground this year!

Additional information is at the official website: http://www.asianteamchess09.com/

Posted by Susan Polgar at 12/15/2009 09:34:00 AM
Labels: Asia, Chess team

Commonwealth Championship 2009 is Back to Singapore

2009-12-09T22:15:00.007+08:00

In the last few years the month of December has seen a Singapore Open – the Singapore International Chess Festival with a Masters and a Challengers plus various seminars – always a certainty because it was also apparently one individual’s main claim to successful international organisation in his own country.

With the collapse of the attempt by the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA) to save the Singapore Chess Federation the cost of the Commonwealth Championship, this same individual had essentially no choice but to announce it as part of the Singapore International Chess Convention, but also surprisingly announced as under the auspicious of the Asian Chess Federation.

I was a little confused as I did not understand that the Commonwealth Chess Association needed its Championship to be endorsed by anyone other than the World Chess Federation (FIDE) aa in fact it is, like the ASEAN Chess Confederation, also a part of FIDE.

But how would I know? This very individual who asked for help from KLCA earlier also proudly claims to lead chess in the Commonwealth, ASEAN and Singapore (and his position in FIDE is apparently sold on that too).

Well, Singapore via this individual apparently had the money to bid for the World Championship Match Anand-Topalov so why has the Masters disappeared and all these events have a prize fund totalling just USD 14,500?

A moment ago I had a quick look up of the Commonwealth Championship at http://www.chess-results.com/tnr27873.aspx?art=0&lan=1&m=-1&wi=1000 and guess what? I saw a grand total of 5 countries participating. India, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore (this is the huge total of 24 entries in the Open!).

Well, I do know that India has kept the Commonwealth Championship going for years now, Australia and South Africa have just token representation, and of course we in Malaysia are next to Singapore.

But no Grandmasters, no one at all from Great Britain (are they not the very reason for the Commonwealth?) and not even an African nation or the usual suspects from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan?

My reaction? First relief, and then followed by a big thank you to the Malaysian Chess Federation (as claimed by the individual I keep mentioning) for objecting to KLCA doing the Commonwealth Championship.

And a hope that our Mas Hafizulhelmi, the fourth seed (in a very weak event) can win it for Malaysia and himself.

Results of the FIDE Trainer Awards 2008

2009-10-22T15:21:00.001+08:00

The FIDE Trainers' Commmission (TRG) is pleased to announce the results of the FIDE Trainer 2008 Awards as approved by the Kallithea Halkidiki FIDE Congress 2009.

Botvinnik Medal (Men): Arshak Petrosian (Armenia)

Furman Medal (Women): Ye Jiangchuan (China)

Euwe Medal (Juniors): Adrian Mikhalchisin (Slovenia)

Boleslavsky Medal (Book - Build Up Your Chess Series): Artur Jussupow

Petrosian Medal (Special Achievement): Smbat Lputian (Armenia)

Hall of Fame: Mikhail Botvinnik (USSR)

The full story is of course at http://trainers.fide.com/.

I was part of the nomination commitee and am really pleased that I was able to ensure that Asia was represented in the process through Ye Jiangchuan being recognised for his work with Hou Yifan and previously with their first ever World Champion Xie Jun!

But his winning against tough competition from Yuri Razuvav who of course is the trainer of current World Champion Alexandria Kosteniuk was a very big bonus indeed!

Also, with Uwe Boensch, Director of the FIDE Trainer Academy in Berlin, we were able to share and recommend our positive experience with the excellent work of Artur Yusupov (listed above as Artur Jussupow) and that of Quality Chess books in general.

Of the others, Mikhail Botvinnik was always going to be our first Hall of Fame inductee and two back to back Olympic Gold Medals is impossible to beat for Arshak Petrosian!

Asian Team Championship 2009 to be in Kolkata

2009-10-21T10:13:00.004+08:00

Some of us might not know this but the Asian Team Championship was started by Malaysia, and first held in Penang in 1974 with the challenge trophy named for and provided by Tun Abdul Razak, our second Prime Minister and father of the current leader of Malaysia, Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak!

I remember that a few years back, before the previous event (it is held every two years), I had called then MCF (Malaysian Chess Federation) Secretary Abdul Hamid Majid and asked him if Malaysia would be sending a team and when he finally had to answer, the reply was no money!

That was so typical of Hamid in his time, no information and when caught out he would say: “I like senang (easy life)”. To be fair, there is consistency in that it was exactly the same response for Asian Junior Championship in Mumbai that year where if I remember correctly our big young talent then, Anas Bakri, was keen to play.

Well, as you can see from the title of his blow and the introduction and link below, this event has come along again and while it seems we don’t know now if our trophy still exists, I do think we have no reason not to send a team because as I said before to Hamid, we started the event and it even bears the name of our Prime Minister’s father!

This time around I have called current MCF Secretary Gregory Lau (greglau64@gmail.com) and told him I would be happy to play if others are not available and would even be prepared to help organise (and manage?) a team of young talents if that turned out to be the case as this would be a one time opportunity for them as well as fantastic exposure.

So do read on for details…

The All India Chess Federation on behalf of FIDE and Asian Chess Federation cordially invites Asian Federations to participate in the Asian Team Chess Championsip-2009 Men & Women to be conducted 20-29 December 2009 in Kolkata, India. Download invitation.

Full article at: http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/4146-asian-team-championship-in-kolkatta

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son wins the KL Open 2009 and Indonesia the Young Talent Teams Challenge

2009-09-10T20:48:00.003+08:00

Grandmaster Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son from Vietnam lived up to his top billing by winning the KL Open 2009 with an impressive 7.5 points from 9 games and take the first prize of RM 10,000 while half a point behind, boasting seven wins, was Indonesian Grandmaster Susanto Megaranto whose victory over Grandmaster Dao Tien Hai of Vietnam earned second place and RM 5,000.

Veteran Uzbekistan Grandmaster Saidali Iuldachev, now primarily a trainer, had a strong finish to score 6.5 points for sole third place and RM 3,000 while sharing 4th to 8th places and RM 1,000 each were Grandmaster Dao Tien Hai from Vietnam, Grandmaster Marat Dzhumaev and International Master Tahir Vakhidov of Uzbekistan, Candidate Master Nguyen Hoang Nam from Vietnam, and International Master Richard Bitoon from the Philippines.

The KL Open participant mix was optimised for International Master norm and rating opportunities so it was gratifying when Nguyen Hoang Nam and Candidate Master Farid Firman Shah from Indonesia were able to earn their first International Master title norms and a new star for the future may have been found in Indonesia’s Masruri Rahman whose calm and mature play impressed all present.

In the KL Young Talent Team Challenge, Indonesia as expected proved a convincing winner of the Young KL Talent Team Challenge with 38.5 points from a possible 54 with Singapore, represented by Serangoon Chess Club, edging PCU Asia for second place while the KL team which focused on giving its players exposure was the bridesmaid.

Individual standouts were Luftu Ali (Indonesia), Joel Chan (Singapore), and Aziz Farhan (KLCA) in the under 14 section and Mohammad Firmansyah and Novendra Priasmoro (Indonesia) and Ryan Ow (PCU Asia) in the under 10 section.

The KL Open & Young Talent Team Championship 2009 attracted representation from 11 countries and was organised by the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association in partnership with Polgar Chess Asia with sponsorship from the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation and Masterskill University College of Health Sciences.

Official website is at www.klchess.com

KL Open & Young Talent Teams Begins

2009-09-05T01:07:00.003+08:00

The Kuala Lumpur Open & Young Talent Team Chess Challenge has officially started today with a technical meeting at 8 p.m. where a total of 82 entries have been confirmed, amongst which are 6 GMs, 7 IMs, 2 WIMs, and 5 FMs and 7 other titled players.

Of the 58 entries in the Open from 11 countries, 27 are titled and 49 have FIDE ratings, a turnout that has successfully built on last year's inaugural KL Open Chess Championship.

In the KL Young Talent Team Chess Challenge, 4 teams of 6 players each, 3 under 14 years of age and 3 under 10 years of age, are playing using the Scheveningen System and they are Indonesia, the Serangoon Chess Club (Singapore), KLCA (Kuala Lumpur Chess Association) and Polgar Chess University Asia.

Held from 3-9 September at Shah's Village Hotel in Petaling Jaya, the 9 round swiss system tournament which is the flagship event of the KLCA boasts a total prize fund of 35,000 Ringgit (US$ 10,000).

As with all KLCA events, the Kuala Lumpur Open & Young Talent Team Chess Challenge, is to support the development of chess in KL and Malaysia, and so is positioned as an event to provide International Master title opportunities for players from the ASEAN region.

In the Open, once again there is a large and comprehensive turnout from our Indonesian neighbours and this year they have shown that they are good friends indeed of the KL Open with 17 entries represented by players from all over Indonesia and at all levels, amongst them Grandmaster Susanto Megaranto, International Masters Sadikin Irwanto, Dede Liu, and Tirto, FIDE Masters Wahono Awam and Mahmud Sharif, Candidate Master Farid Firman Shah, and so on.

Singapore has 10 players, led by FIDE Masters Timothy Chan Wei Xuan and Daniel Chan Yi-Ren (unrelated), both who are amongst their countries best young talent and genuine International prospects today.

Uzbekistan Grandmasters Saidali Iuldashev and Marat Dzhumaev are no strangers to Malaysia but the KL Open is new to them and they are for sure in the absence of their defending champion countryman Anton Filippov, and joining them is their National Champion, International Woman Master Nafisa Muminova.

Of the six Grandmasters playing, Vietnam is contributing three - half the total! They have five players, three of which are members of the Vietnam National Team that was the big surprise of the Dresden Olympiad late last year where they were the top Asia team!
Grandmaster Nguyen Anh Dung was always coming together with Nguyen Van Nuy but it was a big surprise when one of their rising stars, young Grandmaster Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son also asked to play and then Grandmaster Dao Tien Hai informed us he was just back to Vietnam and that he would be coming together with Nguyen Hoang Nam!

So, from a planned event for International master title norms for the 2300 level players and opportunities to increase their ratings for others we had in one stroke become a Grandmaster event!

Last year the KL Open was a disaster for the strong Philippine delegation but it is a clash with a national elimination event that has seen a much smaller group this year, just four players (or officially five if including locally based Ian Udani who is a constant top prize winner at all Malaysian events), International Master Richard Bitoon, 2362 rated Rustum Tolentino, International Woman Master Beverly Mendoza, and National Master Edmundo Legaspi.

Notables from the other countries participating are Yevgeniy Pak, the young 17 year old Kazakhstan National Champion with many International Master norms already, and our good friend from Sri Lanka, Luxman Wijesuriya who recently agreed to a developmental partnership with KLCA and has started the ball rolling by entering two prospects, that of R.S. Kalugampitiya and R.D.A.C. Dissanayake.

Glenda Chen I-Chen is the sole entry from from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and we also welcome this brave young lady who is about to start a Masters program in University as the KL Open will indeed be a baptism of fire for someone who has not touched a chess piece in anger since the Dresden Olympiad in November 2008!

Malaysia of course is represented by both veterans and some youngsters for the future.

Ismail Ahmad is a seasoned campaigner as is Haslindah Ruslan and even Najib Abdul-Wahab who is usually an arbiter has joined in. Edward Lee, 16, and Tan Li Ting, 11, are National Champions and Wong Jianwen is perhaps the most promising young player to emerge recently.

Official Website is http://www.klchess.com/, The Official Media Partner is Chessdom at http://www.chessdom.com/ and KL Open Press Releases, Results, and the Games, with Photos, and Videos can be found on http://www.chessasia.net/.

One Week to the KL Open 2009 - So what does KLCA Hope to Achieve?

2009-08-29T00:01:00.002+08:00

With one week to go, the KLCA has confirmed the majority of international participants for the 2nd Kuala Lumpur Open Chess Championship 2009 (see http://www.chess-results.com/tnr24792.aspx?lan=1) – and there are more than we expected given the switch of dates to dovetail the Malaysian Chess Festival and so join in our national day celebrations but also a bit stronger than I wanted - and so I must apologise to the many grandmasters and international masters who wished to take part but simply could not without help with hotel and meals.

Very simply, the KL Open is not meant to be a big event like what leading chess nations in the region (who have many grandmasters and numerous professional players) successfully host annually (and sometimes as in the case of the Philippines, even multiple times in a year!).

Yes, indeed some smaller (but aspiring) chess nations also try to do this too but KLCA is a small association in a country with just a handful of professional players and we have always to balance our member needs together with our long term vision of what chess can offer to national building.

There is after all, already a Malaysian Open, and our prize fund was deliberately made attractive only to the biggest winners – I really do not see any point in having an event that does not further KLCA's stated agendas and making a strategic contribution to the development of the game in KL (and Malaysia) and frankly do want to get it right as everything costs us both valuable time and money and that is a luxury today.

Personally I see the KL Open, now in its second year, aspiring more to be a long standing regional event like the Bangkok (now Thailand) Open, and which offers something to the enthusiast who tries to combine his hobby (passion?) for chess with demands of career and family as well as the young player looking to improve his game in serious competition and perhaps even to valid his talent by achieving an international title norm.

KL (and Malaysian) chess players are basically those who have largely missed the boat (or whose best time has gone) but still enjoy the game or young talent who need opportunities and a benchmark to understand where they are and perhaps even what else might be required to excel.

After all, our guests (the chess players from overseas participating) do seem to think that Malaysia is a most attractive destination with a great deal to offer and so we will continue to capitalise on this when organising the Kuala Lumpur Open Chess Championship in 2010 and beyond!

Walikota Bima All Indonesia Open

2009-08-16T19:40:00.001+08:00

The Taipei International Airport is a marvelous place to be at even when having to wait a couple of hours to catch an flight back home to KL. For a mere USD 150 or return so I was flying AirAsia X on an ultra modern Airbus (as you can see below, plenty of leg room too).

I then got a call from Sebastian Simanjuntak inviting me to come to Bima for a new event that would start the next day! To be fair he had mentioned this possibility a month or so ago because some new organiser in a remote province was asking for PERCASI (All Indonesia Chess Federation) endorsement for a national open that boasted the largest local prize fund ever!

That was an amazing USD 23,000 and it was really on. I was of course suitably intrigued. A quick search on one of the many Internet stations in the airport and soon I had discovered that Bima was in West Nusa Tenggara and best known for horses and as the jumping off point for those on the way to Komodo Island (of the Komoda Dragon fame).

A few clicks later and confirmation via SMS, I would be on a plane to Bali the next day (again AirAsia) and then on to Bima on Merpati Air.

The opening ceremony! Grandmaster Utut Adianto, Member of Parliment and Deputy President of PERCASI, is all smiles as you can see. Below you can see why and that was just a portion of the 7,000 who participated in a hour long parade!

Yes, this is the Major of Bima who is gracefully accepting the accolades for making it all happen!

Grandmaster Megaranto was top seed, the big favourite, and the only unbeaten player. He fought every game to the end (as all Indonesian players did) but this draw with stable mate and Dresden Olympiad teammate International Master Tirta Chandra Purnama cost him the championship on tie-break even though some USD 3,250 in prize money (after sharing first and second places) probably made it up a little.

What’s all the excitement about? Of course young Dewi Citra like her friends and national team mates Chelsie Monica and Medina Warda Aulia were a special attraction for the locals but mainly because of the excellent chess they played throughout.

And to be honest, this was the crowd at practically every table where a top player played!

The people of Bima were very hospitable and gave all they could to each and every guest and I have never ever thought I would enjoy the carnival atmosphere where the player having the White pieces had to provide the chess set and clock, everyone (including spectators) talked loudly during the games, and the chess championship was the centre piece of a sports carnival where soccer games and activities like rock climbing were held concurrently.

None of this affected the great chess on display – all the chessplayers appreciated being treated so respectfully - and so accepted this unusual playing environment in the best spirit possible!

Well done Bima and next year I will for sure not be the only non local there, wild horse milk notwithstanding! Too bad I had to leave before the end…

The 3rd Asian Dragons Invitational Chess Tournament 2009

2009-07-22T14:30:00.001+08:00

From 1 to 9 August 2009, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) will again play host to the 3rd Asian Dragons Invitational Chess Tournament.

The sponsors and organisers are again the Sports Affairs Council, Executive Yuan, and Chinese Taipei Chess Association, with the main difference is that it is now held in the vibrant capital city of Taipei instead of beautiful Kaohsiung as in the previous two years.

From its start, the Asian Dragons has been an international regional developmental event and so has involved players from Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, and Singapore.

So this year it is no different, two 11 round robins, for players rated 2100 and below, and for players under 16 years of age, and both will be played at the Engineering Faculty of the prestigious National University of Taiwan.

The participants registered via invitations to their respective National Chess Federations are:

FED	CATEGORY	SURNAME	NAME	GEN.	BIRTH	RATING

JPN	OPEN	KENICHI	HAMANE	M	1951.08.07	1923
JPN	OPEN	OSAMU	YUKI	M	1956.03.04
KOR	OPEN	SONG	JIN WOO	M	1973.12.01	1990
KOR	OPEN	LEE	KI YUL	M	1993.12.09	1963
KOR	U16	GU	IN JUNG	M	1995.02.15	1667
KOR	U16	PARK	HYUCKMIN	M	1997.01.06
MAC	OPEN	WONG	KAI MENG	M	1990.08.18
MAC	OPEN	MAK	TONG KUAN	M	1991.02.02
MAC	U16	CELIS	JOEL CHANG	M	1994.07.19	1652
SIN	CAPTAIN	HENG	GUEK KWEE, ANNIE	F	1972.12.11
SIN	ACCOMP	KOH	PUAY HWA	F	1959.01.02
SIN	OPEN	NED	XIUWEN , CHRISTABEL	F	1994.11.24	1732
SIN	OPEN	ISKANDAR	BIN ABDULLAH	M	1996.09.16	1815
SIN	U16	OW	JUN WAI , RYAN	M	2000.03.23	1743
SIN	U16	CHENG	JIE LING , ZERLENE	F	1995.07.18	1826
TPE	COACH	YUEH	WEI PO , JOE	M	1976.12.15
TPE	OPEN	LIU	YI YOUNG	M
TPE	OPEN	LIN	CHIEH SHENG,JASON	M	1994.05.22	1686
TPE	OPEN	LIU	YUNG HUNG , HENRY	M		1833
TPE	OPEN	LIN	YU TONG , ELAINE	F	1994.08.30
TPE	U16	CHEN	PIN HUNG	M	1997.10.19	1733
TPE	U16	SHIAU	SUEN WEN	M	1997.03.08	1772
TPE	U16	TSENG	WOEI HAWY	M	1995.10.30	1479
TPE	U16	CHEN	YAN FANG,TOMMY	M	1998.08.28	1782
TPE	U16	HO	MENG WEI , ALBERT	M	2000.12.02	1534
TPE	U16	LIAO	JO KAI	M	2000.01.23
TPE	U16	YOUNG	AUSTIN	M

To be a part of the Asian Dragons, please contact Ms. Dina Chen by calling 886 921474 802 or email her at dinasa1992@yahoo.com and you can follow the event at the following links: Open, U-16.

KL Open 2009

2009-07-21T13:45:00.003+08:00

The Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA) is pleased to be able to announce the 2nd KL Open Chess Championship 2009 for the Raja Nazrin Shah Challenge Trophy.

With sponsorship from the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation (MIDF) and the Masterskill University College of Health Sciences, the KLCA will be organising this year’s KL Open Championship at Shah’s Village Hotel in Petaling Jaya from 3-9 September 2009.

The KL Open is KLCA’s flagship event, and this year’s championship seeks to build on the extraordinary success of last year’s inaugural event (see post at: http://thefidetrainer.blogspot.com/2008/12/kl-open-begining-of-new-chapter-for.html).

Photos of the playing venue and official hotel which show clearly the resort village within the city theme.

Once again it is expected that the KL Open will somehow attract a disproportionate number of Grandmasters together with other internationally titled and highly rated players relative to the modest RM 40,000 prize fund, and big delegations are also expected from our enthusiastic neighbours Indonesia and Singapore as well as from Asia chess powerhouse India.

The KL Open 2009 has been approved by the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) and will be officially registered with FIDE as an international rated and title event.

For more details and to register, please go to http://www.klchess.com/ or email the Tournament Director: peterlong@aol.asia.com

Wither ASEAN Chess?

2009-07-16T12:14:00.001+08:00

The ASEAN Chess Confederation (ACC) has reached its 10th birthday and I think that while in the past there are achievements, today there is little to celebrate and so it is perhaps time to take stock, especially with a board meeting planned during the Zone 3.3 Championship in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Traditionally the board meeting meeting is held at the ACC’s flagship event – the ASEAN Age-Group Championships – but this year, at Hue, Vietnam, perhaps for the very first time, it had to be cancelled.

I was appointed Executive Director of ACC in mid 2007 and it is fitting that two years later, in mid 2009, I have stepped down but in my time I have been a party to as well as observed a lot of what was attempted and had also gone wrong and so I will offer just observations and perhaps pertinent questions for the leaders of ACC member countries to consider should they in fact attend the rescheduled board meeting:

Q1. History has shown that few leaders are able to reinvent themselves and offer a fresh vision that can renew a country or an organisation after 10 years at the helm especially with rot beginning to set in so is it time for a change?

Q2. The three stated objectives of the ACC (1. organising developmental events, 2. chess in SEA games, and 3. broaden membership) may have once have been achieved but no longer is today and because it is essentially failure, I will break them down as follows for possible action:

With the “natural death of the ASEAN Grand Prix”, as the President himself says, the ASEAN Age-Group Championship is the final remaining event (with titles to winners approved by FIDE) but without sponsorship and using the same model of making money from official hotels.
These revenues are not available to ACC for development although banked in under Intchess Asia or its sister company the ASEAN Chess Academy (two vehicles, one private owner, and the latter endorsed by ACC) and certainly the event is no longer organised by member federations and perhaps sharing (not with levies) is the way to better unity and cooperation?
The ASEAN Chess Academy has also failed to convince ACC members to be allowed into their countries via joint ventures let alone proving that the franchise model works. The sole branch in KL is marginally profitable only because it focuses on child enrichment.
No national chess federation will outsource their talent development or training of top players to a foreign entity whose purpose is purely commercial and in many cases this is not only political suicide but also impacts government funding.
Do we have a plan to address this pillar of ACC especially when Asia is doing well at Asian Games level recognition and there is also an Asian Indoor Games? Creating a better standing for chess together with political clout in every country might be the only way. After all, when was chess last in the SEA games? More importantly, will it be in the next SEA games?
What is the real membership of ACC today? Of the three giants, Philippines is doing a great deal alone yet struggling with that cost and is also close to Indonesia which like Vietnam focuses its resources on participation on the international stage.
Singapore aspires to lead but is expensive and small and as the home of ACC and Intchess Asia, Vietnam offers it a cheaper organising alternative while poor Myanmar tags along. Unprofessional chess wise, but economically rich, Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei continues as they always have.
So, ACC is just 8 federations, two tiered at best (maybe even three in terms of their playing levels), and so how should this membership be best accommodated, supported and then grown? I would say a real and properly funded secretariat and brand development around grassroots development and aggressive fund raising or in short professional management!

Official “Pay-to-Play” Opens?

2009-07-15T15:53:00.001+08:00

Zone 3.3 Championship

I just had a visitor to KL – a senior member of a neighbouring National Chess Federation who will remain unnamed - and while talking about various things chess, he mentioned that the most immediate problem that he was facing was funding his players to the coming zone 3.3 championships (men and women) to be held in Ho Chi Minh City from 22-30 July 2009.

Apparently the time honoured tradition of giving each member country an official entry with all expenses paid for (other than travel there) effectively no longer applied. Yes, the organisers said that men above 2550 and women above 2350 would be free but that meant just their two two local GMs, top seeded Wesley So of the Philippines, and also the top ranked Mongolian WGM.

It also seemed that anyone could play as well if they paid the entry fee and stayed in the official hotel (USD 75 for a single room and USD 50 on a twin sharing basis).

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Subic Open

This comes on the back of the organisers of the recent Subic Open apparently demanding that all the players had to stay in the official hotel at USD 40 a night inclusive of three meals which turned out to really mean 6 players to a house with very minimal facilities, poor food, and much commuting as at some distance to the playing venue!

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Chess Sponsorship versus Official Hotels

Yes, sponsorship for chess is hard to come by but I think it has reached the point where some organisers have realised that they need not worry too much about getting sponsors other than perhaps for a prize fund as they can hold international events by essentially marking up hotel rates, announcing that all had to stay at that designated hotel if they wished to participate and perhaps even then running the event for profit!

The concept of having official hotels (as I understood it) was to get a good rate for participants as well as to ensure easy access for officials and that if there were savings no one had a problem if some went towards administrative/organising expenses.

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FIDE & World Championships?

Organising opens in this way I think is wrong but what more when it is an official FIDE event which is part of a World Championship qualifying cycle - there must be strict obligations that have to be enforced when awarding such official FIDE events to federations.

Also what is the point when just about anyone can play in such official qualifying events if they have the money?

It seems to me that under this model, anyone can bid to organise as there will certainly be players paying to play and if it is an official event like a zonal, I do think that FIDE’s prestige and the World Championship has effectively been put up for sale!

Young Talent Development Program

2009-07-07T14:11:00.001+08:00

Kuala Lumpur Young Talent Chess Championship 2009 (Incorporating the KL Young Talent Development Program 2009/10)

This championship is the main basis for selection to the program and is being organized by the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA) from 25-26 July 2009 at the 2^nd Floor, Pearl Point Shopping Mall, Kuala Lumpur.

This championship is co-sponsored by Pearl Point and also supported by the Malaysian Chess Federation and there will be 3 categories, under 13, under 11, and under 9, played over 7 Rounds using the Swiss System with each player given 45 minutes per round to complete their games.

What then is the Kuala Lumpur Young Talent Development Program?

1. Selection. The first 3 winners together with the top 3 girls in each category will be invited to join the Kuala Lumpur Young Talent Development Program 2009/10. Other participants may also apply to be members and the KLCA Council will give due consideration on a case by case basis.

2. Enablers. The Kuala Lumpur Young Talent Development Program will be facilitated by Polgar Chess Asia (www.polgarchessasia.com) and Polgar Chess University and run from August 2009 till July 2010 as follows:

Twelve (12) weekend training sessions throughout the year and supported online.
Free entry to the KL Open and representation of the KLCA in local and also international team competitions where both possible and advisable.
Special four (4) day boot camp during the long school term break.
Financial support in consultation with MCF if selected to represent Malaysia in designated ASEAN/Asian/World Youth competitions.

3. Objective. The KLCA sees this program as a key and necessary initiative to identify our best young talent early so as to be able to assist their development by complementing the role of their parents with critical resources such as quality training, expert guidance, right exposure, and financial help.

Our Very Best Wishes to KF Tang… May Your New Life Be The Success You Richly Deserve!

2009-07-01T10:58:00.001+08:00

I just found out that Tang Kum Foo (KF), the low profile co-founder of Intchess Asia Pte Ltd and the ASEAN Chess Academy and also a former Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) President who until yesterday (30 June 2009) served as the FIDE Singapore Branch Office manager and edited Intchess Magazine, has decided to move on.

When I briefly spoke to him, Tang – who is also now also diabetic and also needs dialysis - indicated he would still need to make a living and so will likely be going into some form of business (and sadly for Singapore chess it will be in a completely different field altogether).

Being very well educated, holding a Masters Degree in Business Administration, and in his vast work experience (amongst many other things an Editor of the Straits Times Newspaper), he has all the skills and qualities needed to be successful and I am sure all who know him wish him the very best.

Tang has been for very long also the trusted confidant-advisor of his Intchess Asia co-founder Ignatius Leong, FIDE General Secretary and also ASEAN, Commonwealth & SCF President, especially in matters of strategy and dealing with procedural and legal matters and I think will be greatly missed.

Full House For Chess Coaches Workshop

2009-06-27T17:00:00.000+08:00

By Arvind Aaron

The All India Chess Federation organised Orientation Workshop For Coaches attracted 56 players from 14 Indian states and was a big success. FIDE Trainer Peter Long who conducted the camp lectured before a virtual full house at the Nehru Stadium in Chennai on June 20. The opening day focus was on methods and approach to be used to train children, said AICF's Coaching Ordinator, K.Visweswaran of Chennai. Long was assisted by FIDE Instructor Praful Zaveri of Mumbai.

Notable among those who attended the workshop were Woman Grand Master and former World Under-18 girls champion Aarthie Ramaswamy, International Master Jayant Gokhale and M.R. Sangeetha. In the afternoon, a 90-minute test on tactics was conducted. After such Workshops, those who attend them can apply for Development Instructor (DI) , FIDE Instructor (FI) and National Instructor (NI). The focus this time will be on DI and NI titles said Visweswaran who is a FIDE Trainer himself. The workshop will be held on Sunday and Monday as well.

The AICF is actively pushing conduct of such workshops to ensure that the next generation of young Indian chess players will get the best training methods from the most qualified chess trainers.

Report of the Iraq FIDE Trainer/FIDE Instructor Seminar

2009-06-05T17:36:00.003+08:00

See http://getchesstraining.com/?p=646

What more can I say? A very beautiful place. Warm and generous people. Enthusiastic and passionate lovers of chess. Great conditions... some of the best food I have ever had.

Chess is clearly bringing something to the people of Iraq after twenty years of on and off war and great suffering and I am honoured to have made a small contribution.

I will be representing Susan Polgar in Asia

2009-05-27T02:28:00.001+08:00

With the Polgar Chess University (PCU) up and running via a partnership with ICC, an infrastructure for affordable and on demand general chess courses delivered on video via the Internet is now in place.

ICC is also providing PCU subscribers with the World Chess Live platform for practice and training games, and in the near future, organise special tournaments for kids as well.

In Asia, I hope to be able to set up Polgar Chess Centres throughout the region so that kids in every country (and perhaps every city!) will have a place to go to meet to have fun chess activity weekends and during school holidays.

We hope in this way to be able to better demonstrate the benefits of chess for young children to their parents and other stakeholders such as teachers.

At the same time perhaps also being in a position to facilitate the development of young talent that would certainly emerge and I invite those who wish to participate in this initiative in any way to contact me (peterlong64@gmail.com).

Hence Susan's post taken from her blog as below:

Friday, May 22, 2009

Polgar Chess Asia

Polgar Chess is now in Asia. Check out www.PolgarChessAsia.com for more information.

Posted by Susan Polgar at 5/22/2009 08:43:00 AM

Kalimantan - Indonesia Borneo

2009-05-19T16:30:00.001+08:00

A month ago the organisers of the Telkom Open to be held in Bandung from 10-16 May 2009 asked if I could play. It seems they were looking to upgrade an already highly successful local FIDE rated event to become an international title tournament next year and so I agreed to check it out.

But obviously they are not ready because they postponed it at very short notice to 21 May.

Well, I could no longer play at Telkom or even visit Bandung due to other commitments but I had a ticket already purchased to Jakarta for the earlier dates and on Facebook, Noraysa Verdiana, a young participant whom I met at the Intchess Mixed in Singapore last year and who was also a successful FIDE Instructor candidate at the FIDE Seminar for Coaches held in Bali after the Dresden Olympiad invited me to her home in Banjarmasin to take a look at her chess school.

Earlier this year I had been to the much smaller town of Sampit nearby and also in South Kalimantan where my friend Joni Naik was a wonderful host and so already having experienced the hospitality of the people there I had to accept!

Two busy days with numerous interviews followed (including holding a one day workshop for local coaches and of course participating in the activities of a very fine chess school) and then it was time for a non chess highlight and that was a 4 a.m. wake up for a trip down the river to the market on the water!

Back in Jakarta, and probably some 10 kilos heavier (they like to eat there and I tried very possible local food), I met up with my good friend Bunawan for a nice dinner (food again!) and was also able to take a look at the Gunadarma University Chess School in action.

For sure a very impressive setup and like SCUAR in Surabaya that I visited earlier and Sekolah Catur Norasya Verdiana in Banjarmasin, lessons were free of charge. The main difference was that all the students there were all girls (!) and amongst them I saw several of their top women players and some very promising talent.

In my opinion, Indonesia wants for nothing except to be taught how to teach and have programs for the same (together with better access to technology and perhaps more fluency in international languages). They have strong players willing to be trainers and these have some ability to make materials. In this respect, the fee charging Sekolah Catur Utut Adianto, the brain child of FIDE Senior Trainer and Grandmaster Utut Adianto, is the undisputed leader.

Some Blasts from the Past (Taken from the now defunct KLChess.com)

2009-05-09T09:53:00.001+08:00

KLCA applies for MCF membership – Why bother? (Wednesday 14 May 2008)

The Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA) recently enquired about Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) membership.

Simple enough? Well perhaps, but there have been some parallel developments.

The first is that a Wilayah Persekutuan Chess Association was recently registered with the Registrar of Societies and with indecent haste (despite no activities or membership) accepted as a member by MCF with the expectation that KLCA would be forced to become it's affiliate!

And that in essence guided the answer of the MCF Honorary Secretary.

Well there is a problem is the KLCA is the legitimate organisation registered with and duly recognised by the Sports Commission whereas MCF and all its affiliates are not!

There is also a second related problem in that the Malaysian Malays Chess Association (PCMM) has been found to have been illegal for many years and yet it seems that several PCMM representatives at MCF Annual General Meetings have been happily running for and been elected to hold office in MCF while being fully aware of this situation.

(I have always wondered if the MCF Constitution actually allows a racially based grouping to be a member - and certainly if there ever was, there is clearly no need today for a PCMM).

But to get MCF membership it seems that KLCA would have agree to a merger and to allow officials from the Wilayah Persekutuan Chess Association into key positions... which explains why there needed to be a Wilayah Persekutuan Chess Association even if the national membership of PCMM would have to be sacrificed!

Perhaps in the context of a bigger picture we should also appreciate that in MCF the Honorary Life President is now also the President (although he intends to step down the minute a new President can be found - but apparently not Edmund Santhara). And dare I say that there are at least three years of accounts that raise serious questions at a glance and would certainly have difficulty standing up to scrutiny.

I also wonder if officials who allowed their association to be declared illegal can still run for office?

Of course we have to give some benefit of the doubt and part of the problem might be simply that standard paperwork to help document such as letters, even issuance of receipts is not the strong point of the Honorary Secretary and certainly procedures are very poor indeed when entry fees are encouraged to be in cash or banked into a personal account (apparently for his convenience).

A New Day Has Come… Or Has it? (Thursday 24 July 2008)

Malaysians are all caught up in the coming Dato Arthur Tan Malaysian Open (DATMO) and why not? It is the only thing going for it - thanks to 83 year old Dato Tan Chin Nam who recently stepped down from being the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) President again.

And apparently MCF has a new President, perhaps the man that Dato Tan was referring to when he said that he had finally found the right person after waiting over 20 years to replace him.

But what are the facts? I am not involved much in the local scene but this I do know:

1. The new MCF President does not play chess

2. New Honorary Secretary Gregory Lau has avoided me since I proposed we organise an IM/rating event for just RM 10,000 to help Lim Yee Weng meet his title requirements and for talents like Nicholas Chan to get on the IM track. Why? He was enthusiastic and sought an immediate meeting with the new MCF President to facilitate this. I think we all can easily guess why!

3. Malaysia will not be in the 1st World Mind Sports Games being held in Beijing from 3-18 October 2008 because somehow we did not enter. But 77 National Chess Federations did knowing that even the airfare was paid for!

4. This is not new because I know that last year we did not enter anyone in the Asian Individual Chess Championship where the costs was an Air Asia flight (RM 450 return when I last looked), forgot to send our top young player to the Asian Junior Championship, and not enter a team in the Asian Team Championship where the trophy bears the name of our second Prime Minister but I did hope this would change.

5. Hopefully we do remember to register in time for the Olympiad - this is one event I am sure we cannot ignore.

6. Is our youth development going anywhere? At ASEAN Age Group level Malaysia failed miserably, our 40 odd delegation finishing well behind the 10 or so from Brunei. Maybe that explains the 3 Malaysians in the World Schools Championship in next door Singapore.

7. Finally, do we understand that Dato Tan can't live forever and I have been told that DATMO is coming to a close? But being what he is, he also cannot let go and while he lives will still insist knowing it all and on organising whatever he wants from time to time - whether a GM Tournament for Mas Hafizul (no problems with that but how about our No 1. IM Wong Zi Jing?) or an offer to sponsor a GM Trainer, etc. Is this good or bad? Go figure!

I am not optimistic for my country - the MCF Council looks like nothing more than a reshuffle and so the level of competency/commitment remains the same.

New President, new day? It does not seem so.

But if we are just looking to get a new Dato Tan, (although he is really nothing more than a patzer who does not understand that in chess his only value is that of a dumb patron when he spends) at least there will be some money for the game.

Then I fully agree that Dato Tan's 20 year quest would have not been in vain!

Is this the new MCF? Please prove me wrong! (Wednesday 5 November 2008)

It has been a long time since I commented on the local chess scene because it is almost always bad.

My good fortune was I was able to avoid this by travelling a great deal in the last few months but recently I was forced into some interaction with some would be and also current members of our national teams (more hearing from them about the behaviour of MCF officials) at both youth and senior level.

With the Singapore-Malaysia match now in limbo it is hard for MCF to sell the prestige of national representation and the new "hot deal" is the World Youth Championships. So we did send some players to Vung Tau - good kids all and with some talent and I hope they all develop their promise in spite of the environment they have to play and train in - but the real story is why so few?

No one dares to be named for fear of being victimised further but apparently if you are not part of "the gang" then you cannot be selected!

In the meantime we still ignore the obligations of participation in major events in Asia such as the Asian Junior Championships to be held in Chennai, India in December (there is also the Asian School in Kandy, Sri Lanka in the same time frame). I thought my readers would like to know about these events!

And there is the team that is going to the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden that was selected via at best an obscure process but what is worst is that it was clearly without any rationale for the future (of course assuming there was indeed a national development plan in place).

Does anyone think it makes a difference sending players past their sell by dates to try and fight for a bit better than 80th place as opposed to 90th or 100th place? That is why if I was actually asked to play (as feared necessary by some) I would have burst out laughing and be the first to admit that 9 year old Yeoh Li Tian would be a much better choice!

I also understand that our players had to come up with RM 1,000 each as MCF was short of funds! Sadly it would seem that the useless new and non chess playing (and still not paying) MCF President is proving me right!

The inaugural KL Open is a Big Success! (Monday 22 December 2008)

Top seeded Grandmaster Anton Filippov of Uzbekistan today emerged winner of the inaugural Raja Nazrin Shah Challenge Trophy at the Kuala Lumpur Open Chess Tournament.

Filippov received RM10,000 for the win in the Open category at the six-day tournament, which attracted 140 participants from 11 countries.

The field included eight International Grandmasters, nine International Masters or 2,400+ rated players, one Women Grandmaster and two Women International Masters.

China's Wang Rui who lost out on tie-break to finish second was still a happy winner as he completed the requirements for the International Master title with his fine performance.

Just half a point behind the winners, in third to sixth places respecively, were Grandmasters Nguyen Anh Dung (Vietnam), Susanto Megaranto (Indonesia), Magesh Chandra Panchanathan (India) and Intenational Master Sadikin Irwanto (Indonesia).

Vietnam National Champion Nguyen Van Nuy also achieved the International Master title with his excellent performance at the KL Open.

A total RM45,000 prize money in cash was awarded to winners by the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, himself a strong chessplayer in his university days, and his sister Raja Dato' Seri Azureen.

FIDE General Secretary and ASEAN Chess Confederation President Ignatius Leong and of course KLCA President Edmund Santhara spoke at the Closing and Prize Giving Ceremony.

While Mr Leong congratulated the KLCA President and Masterskill CEO on his excellent work both in Malaysia and at ASEAN level, Mr Santhara confirmed a long term sponsorship of the KL Open by Masterskill and reminded the audience that the KLCA, as a registered sports body under the Malaysian Sports Council, was committed to youth development and would be taking chess nationwoide in this context as a Nation Building CSR (corporate social responsibility) project.

International Master Manuel Aaron - an Asian and Indian chess legend - also graced the occasion as the tournament guest and gave a special simultaneous chess exhibition to a National Junior Selection.

The international level chess tournament was jointly organised by the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association and Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation with the support of the Junior Chamber International, a Worldwide Federation of Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs, manged by Intchess (M) Sdn. Bhd. and sponsored by Masterskill University College of Health Sciences.

I am not sure at all that KLCA decided... but Go Figure!

2009-05-09T07:45:00.001+08:00

Well we tried to help. The fact is that the Commonwealth Chess Association is essentially defunct and has been propped up for years by India with token support from some UK based players.

I really tried to help make this event relevant and prestigious again by offering an alternative venue and in doing so to also bring some recognition to Malaysia. When I spoke to Nigel Short in Thailand he agreed to come and we were pulling out all stops to get participation.

Lots have been said but the fact is I have two SMS confirming support to hold the event and there was even agreement to attend kick-off meetings but then excuses for no shows.

But at the end of the day, it was about others taking over an event awarded, developed, and funded by us and even if some would have agreed to this, I have to be happier that KLCA also agreed that we could not put the sponsor in such a position where we just hand over to others.

So, the event now will apparently be a minor part of the Singapore Chess Festival traditionally held in December and KLCA will need to rethink if it wants go through this again to promote chess.

Commonwealth Chess Championship 2009

Due to some very unfortunate developments in Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association and its sponsor have decided not to organise this year's Commonwealth Chess Championship in Ipoh, Malaysia. We spent considerable time and effort to find a solution but unfortunately are unable to satisfy the interests of ALL the parties concerned.

Instead, the event will now be organised in Singapore from 9th to 15th December 2009 in conjunction with the 6th Singapore International Chess Festival. Official invitation with full details will be announced by the first week of July 2009. For information, the dates given are dove-tailing several international open tournaments in this region and will be a great opportunity to all players.

I apologise for the inconveniences caused and look forward to your joining us in a festive chess season in the Far East in November-December.

Ignatius Leong
President
Commonwealth Chess Association

http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/3991-commonwealth-chess-championship-2009

Off to Iraq soon... and staying in Kurd territory (which is not supposed to be a war zone!).

2009-05-04T15:38:00.005+08:00

FIDE International Seminar for Coaches

Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

27 May – 1 June 2009

The Iraqi Chess Federation (ICF), supported by the Asian Chess Federation (ACF), and under the auspices of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), invites participants to the FIDE International Seminar for Trainers in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.

In this program, four Titles can be achieved; FIDE Trainer, FIDE Instructor, National Instructor and Developmental Instructor, depending on the results of the examination and also the applicant’s stature as a player, trainer etc.

The FIDE Trainers’ Commission (TRG), is pleased to nominate Mr. Peter Long (MAS) and Mr. Hassan Khaled (EGY), FIDE Trainers, to conduct the course and the examination in English and Arabic...

Schedule & Program

May 27 (Day 1)

1100-1400: Introduction: FIDE & Trainers’ Commission (TRG), Regional Academies, FIDE Trainer System, Roles & Types of Trainers, Introductions by Participants, Seminar Program & Lecturer Expectations

1600-2000: Tactics: Checkmate Patterns, Tactics & Combinations, Strategy of Attack on the King. EXAM: (Checking Level of Tactical Ability)

May 28 (Day 2)

1100-1400: Scholastic Chess: The Benefits of Chess, Teaching Beginners, How to Implement Chess in Schools Programs

1600-2000: The Most Important Theoretical Endgames: EXAM: (Checking Basic Endgame Knowledge)

May 29 (Day3)

1100-1400: Principles of Opening Play: How to Teach Openings EXAM: (Knowledge of Open Game Fundamentals)

1600-2000: Classics: Teaching Positional Elements through Working with Classical Games

May 30 (Day 4)

1100-1400: Decision Making: Positional Judgement, Planning & Middlegame Strategy

1600-2000: Calculation

May 31 (Day 5)

1100-1400: Trainers’ Workshop: Conducting a Lesson, Using Computers & the Internet

1600-2000: Playing Strength Assessment/FIDE Trainer Candidate Presentations

June 1 (Day 6)

0900-1300: Summary & Results

Full article at http://getchesstraining.com/?p=526

Thailand Open Chess Championship 2009

2009-04-04T12:32:00.001+08:00

In its 9th edition, the Bangkok Chess Club Open has now officially grown up to become the Thailand Open Chess Championship with every likelihood to being well on its way to becoming a major international regional event.

Supported by the Thailand Tourism Authority, and with a star attraction in English Champion and Grandmaster Nigel Short, and held at the wonderful Aisawan Resort & Spa in Pattaya, there is also quite unprecedented publicity, from TV coverage, buntings and posters in strategic locations all over Pattaya, and very nice opening ceremony graced by the city's mayor.

There is of course the little touches together with great attention to detail and the always brilliant hospitality that Thailand is universally known for always helps(!), and to get a sense of this, do go to the photo gallery at http://aisawan.dyndns.info/chess/.

While there is now the debates of how this event can now continue to be a favourite of amateurs looking to enjoy the many things that Thailand is while also continuing to make the difference in developing local talent, at this point chess lovers must simply congratulate the Bangkok Chess Club led by Kai Tuorila for setting an organisation standard even leading national chess federations can learn from!

As for the chess, you can get the results at http://www.chess-results.com/tnr20583.aspx?lan=1

The FIDE Trainer Information & Resource Centre is now LIVE at www.getchesstraining.com!

2009-03-26T00:37:00.002+08:00

Fulfilling a promise made at the FIDE Congress in Dresden.

One reason perhaps why I was recently made a Council Member in the FIDE Trainers' Commission (and when you see the Resource Centre I think you will agree that I have not forgotten I have also been made a Councillor of the FIDE Chess in Schools Commission).

For sure I have to thank FIDE Senior Trainers Michael Khodarkovsky, Susan Polgar, Zurab Azmaiparashvili, and Mikhail Gurevich for believing in me, and of course our new Chairman Adrian Mikhailchisin and Secretary Esftratios Grivas for their guidance and support (and hard work too).

The Commonwealth Chess Championship is back in Malaysia!

2009-03-05T17:34:00.001+08:00

Once again KLCA President Dato' Edmund Santhara has made another bold and strategic move by bringing the Commonwealth Chess Championship back to Malaysia.

And this follows a hugely successful KL Open and fulfills his promise of also having a major international event every other year (the ASEAN+ Youth Teams was organised with the Ministry of Education in Shah Alam in December 2007).

The Commonwealth Championship will be held from 14-21 July 2009 at the Masterskill University College Campus in Ipoh, Malaysia.

Details at http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/3827-commonwealth-chess-championship-2009-in-malaysia

S.C.U.A.R.

2009-03-02T23:55:00.002+08:00

What is SCUAR (did you like the dots I added?)? Well, in Bahasa Indonesia it is Sekolah Catur Uun, Ayu, dan Razak. Sekolah Catur means of course Chess School or Chess Academy and Uun, Ayu, and Razak are the three great kids in the photo above with me!

If you don't believe me, take a close look at what is written under the title on the t-shirt of the trainer above. No, Uun, Ayu, and Razak are not SCUAR trainers but are certainly their brightest young talents and with every possibility still ahead of them. (Also, all students of SCUAR get a set of t-shirts, jacket, cap and bag for free and the same goes for the lessons - every afternoon and every day).

I played some fun games with these kids and for someone with just one year of chess, Uun lacks nothing compared to his peers except perhaps playing experience and for sure Ayu is an amazing talent.

SCUAR is the brainchild of and gift to Surabaya chess by Riskie Darma Putra, an enormously generous individual who is also the father of 12 year old Uun, 8 year old Ayu, and the uncle of Razak.

A massive and ongoing investment (premises, equipment, staff, guest trainers, overseas competitions), it is affiliated to Sekolah Catur Utut Adianto (although SCUAR has now adapted and added to their program) and so is certainly differentiated more than the simple addition of the letter "R"!

Computers are used (with the best hardware loaded with the best available software like Chessbase 10, Rybka 3 and Chess Assistant), the chess equipment the students get to use in their daily lessons is certainly good enough for top level competitions, and I have not seen better coaches in all of Indonesia than the three National Masters that work there.

Watch out Jakarta! Surabaya is where Indonesia announced its independence and I don't think they want to also be the second city in chess!

Ehdi Handoko - A True Warrior

2009-02-21T12:05:00.002+08:00

I had arrived in Jakarta in the late afternoon and was soon meeting up one after another with PERCASI Deputy Secretary General Sebastian Simanjuntak, Publicity Head Kristianus Liem, WGM Irene Sukandar and her brother Kaisar Jenius as well as with Drs Bunawan till late despite having to leave at 4 a.m. to catch a flight to Surabaya.

Then I was was woken by Sebastian with the sad news that our good friend Grandmaster and FIDE Trainer Edhi Handoko has passed away at 1 a.m. He had been ill recently but we did not think it was so serious and I was looking forward to seeing him soon at a coaching assignment or at the JAFPA Chess Festival in April.

Edhi is well known to the ASEAN chess community at large and I am proud to be able to call him a friend since we first met in 1983 when he was already eclipsing the long time No 1. Indonesian GM Herman Ardianysah.

I have seen a lot of Edhi in the past year - meeting him many times at diverse places from Tarakan, Jakarta (JAFPA), Beijing (World Mind Sports Games), etc. and we spent at lot of time together in Dresden at the 38th World Chess Olympiad, often watching the games of the Indonesian team of which he was the captain with McDonald's for dinner often to follow at GM Susanto Megaranto's insistence!

There is only one word to describe Edhi's career - uncompromising.

Edhi played chess without fear or favour and believed that he could find something in any position. His game was full of the tactics that has always epitomised the Indonesian chess school but with his own special twist with incredibly deep calculation of variations.

As a result, he was Indonesian Champion in 1978, 1979, 1984, and 1991, and a member of his country's Olympiad Teams in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, and 2000.

He became a Grandmaster in 1994 and was Asian Cities Champion in both 1993 and 1994.

When finally overtaken by GM Utut Adianto in the late 80's as Indonesia's No. 1, they became a much feared and respected combination of good friends and genial rivals who certainly benefited from each other and together led Indonesia to its best every international results for over a decade.

In recent years Edhi had started to become a great trainer and brought not only his vast knowledge of the games honed through literally tens of thousands of top level competitive games but also by his attitude to playing chess.

He will be missed greatly as a friend (he had no enemies and no detractors), as a role model for all young chess players, and for the so much more he was starting to offer Indonesian chess in building a new generation of young talents in his new career as a trainer.

Edhi's funeral procession will be from Rumah Duka Tiong Teng, Solo, Jawa Tengah at 9 a.m. Sunday, 22 February 2009 to the Bonoloyo, Cemetery and is survived by his wife Endang Hastari S and his two sons Ekona Sulistya Wibowo (21 years) and Okana Razzi Giovani (10 years).

Contributions to his family are most welcome and I will be happy and honoured to facilitate these (email me at peterlong64@gmail.com for details).

Playing Chess Again

2009-02-16T12:00:00.002+08:00

I freely admit that I have long lost interest (and most importantly the motivation) to play tournament chess and for one who has experienced time controls of 40 moves in 2 hours (and even adjournments) I am finding the most commonly used FIDE time control today of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move from the start of the game to be very difficult indeed.

But now as a trainer of top young talent - since being persuaded to be so at the 1st Asian Club Championships in Al Ain, UAE - I am convinced that it is important to play regularly (proper games) so that I don't lose touch with what my students would face over the board and that this personal "training" is also important so that when I teach I am able to analyse well and not depend on general principles alone.

So it was no big deal to agree to play in the recent Intchess 7th Vision Masters where I joined two GM's as the thrid veteran (perhaps also the designated sacrificial goat!) in a six player double round tournament to give three talented young players (who had apparently trained extensively for this event) a chance to make an International Master norm.

Against these "kids" I happily played 1. e4 without any preparation and happily engaged in open games. Tactics of course are their strong point and I actually had quite some fun exercising my mind in the resulting complications (and not doing too bad in calculating variations) and even though the final result was two losses and four draws it could easily have been any score at all! For the first time in my life I also played 1. ...e5 against 1. e4 including defending a Ruy Lopez (Spanish Game)!

I would have lost something like 20-25 rating points in total but for a trainer these things really no longer matter and I will probably also be in Pattaya for the Bangkok Open in April playing the openings my students play so I will be able to help them more in the future.

Keeping Your Hand!

2009-02-05T17:26:00.003+08:00

The title of this blog post is an expression I have heard time and time again used by leading trainers - at least those who work with strong talented players - but what does that mean?

I think it is simple logic is that when a someone moves from being a player to a trainer, there are three things he or she has to bring with him or her to be able to do the job:

1. Knowledge of the game (he or she must have studied the game and done it well!).

2. Interest in teaching (especially experience at the level he or she is attempting to impart the relevant knowledge together with the minimum necessary playing strength).

3. Willingness to share what he or she knows because the trainer is now working for the success of his or her student and so cannot have personal ambition or approach the training as if he or she were still playing.

Items 1. and 2. above are closely related and each trainer must ask himself or herself at which level he or she can be most effective and of course 3. is one very clear indicator if you (as a student) has a playing partner or a trainer!

So what is this "keeping your hand" about? Well, even if a trainer meets all the above attributes, it is being argued that in order to teach a top student you have to keep up your analytical ability and part of that process requires you to play!

I asked around and many trainers expressed their fear of doing so as they know their results would be poor and it would also be likely that they will be looked down and perhaps even lose their students. (This is for sure as they would no longer have time or energy to prepare for themselves and for sure their best years would have been long gone with age).

But they would have a minimum level and that would show and it is the job of the trainer to do their best for their student and if such playing from time to time is a necessary part of their maintenance and ongoing professional development, then we must!

First Asia Club Cup Begins

2008-12-25T19:00:00.001+08:00

It's Christmas today. And until New Year's day, the Al Ain Hilton and InterContinental hotels will be home to 30 teams participating in the first Asia Club Cup thanks to Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifah Al-Nehyan, President of the Asia Chess Federation.

Frankly I am mentally and physically exhausted after almost non-stop travel including most recently attending the Chess Olympiad in Dresden followed by coaches seminars in Bali and Sri Lanka and then to return home to organise the KL Open Championship, so what do I do for rest but end up here in Al Ain, UAE as part of an quickly put together ASEAN team under the Club INTCHESS banner playing in the first Asia Club Cup!

I am the captain and Board 4 of a team that is surprisingly seeded eighth with GM Bui Vinh of Vietnam, IM Julio Catalino Sadorra of the Philippines, IM Tirto of Indonesia the "serious" players and owner Ignatius Leong of Singapore, like me, the old "patzers" trying to hold up the last board between us.

Our competition? Well, for example the top seeded Al Ain Chess Club has an average rating of 2679 and GM Li Chao of China is only the alternate! And in the second favourite team, GM Ghaem Maghami Ehsan is on second board for the Teheran Chess Club but is actually only the fourth ranked player on the team. We also have essentially the national teams of China, Philippines, Uzbekistan and Vietnam ranked third to sixth.

More relevantly, the team seeded above us, the Chennai Chess Club is well ahead of us with 4 IM's averaging 2432, and the Mongolian team just below us is not too different from their national side as well! So with me as the weak link (Ignatius Leong will only be around a few days), on paper at least we seem to have a chance and are of course hoping to win our group by finishing seventh!

Yes, the enduring optimism of chess players which often suspends reality! Such is the beauty of chess competition. And who knows, Christmas is a season of giving (and so some must be receiving!).

KL Open - Begining of a New Chapter for Malaysian Chess?

2008-12-22T21:42:00.006+08:00

The KL Open Chess Championship has ended - on a high with a very memorable Closing and Prize Giving Ceremony at the Legend Hotel - and by any standard is happily a great success. The buzz this event generated ensured that FIDE General Secretary and ASEAN Chess Confederation President Ignatius Leong flew in from Vietnam and that the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) would be fully represented by both its non chess playing President and slighly more adept Deputy President.

The Crown Prince of Perak, Dr Raja Nazrin Shah was at hand to give away the prizes which included the challenge trophy that he allowed to bear his name and that is indeed significant as he himself was not only a chess player in his Oxford days but is also someone who is very particular about his associations, being conscious of his standing and leadership role amongst the both the "rakyat" and his fellow monarchy.

I once played a game with Raja Nazrin, over 20 years ago after being introduced by a mutual friend as the national champion, and of course I beat him, not with too much difficulty (he was about a 2000 rating then) but only by just converting an advantage in the endgame and together with the polite noises one makes after losing (he was not a prince then and his father was still Lord President of the Supreme Court) I did not miss the gentle remark that as Malaysia's top player I should have done much better!

This says a lot about the man and the respect he commands.

Kudos to Edmund Santhara, President of KL Chess Association and CEO of Masterskill (a real chessplayer who even attributes his success in the corporate world to strategic thinking he has developed from being a chessplayer!) which was the main sponsor, a big thank you to MCF Secretary Gregory Lau for ensuring smooth relations and close cooperation for an event that cannot be anything but good for Malaysian chess, and of course to the relatively inexperienced but hard working and always willing team put together by Chief Arbiter Latiff Mohamad.

As Tournament Director I must also thank my friends Butch Villavieja from the Philippines and Dawn Hui from Singapore for helping out in key roles and especially ASEAN Chess Confederation Secretary-General Sebastian Simanjuntak from Indonesia who not only brought a huge and representative delegation from Indonesia but also found time to help out in so many ways while playing and winning a big prize he prompty donated!

There were many firsts, from having 11 countries represented, prizes for the visually handicapped, supporting events like the simultaneous exhibition between the VIP Tournament Guest of Honour and a National Junior Selection, the enthusiastic participation of numerous titled players despite a modest prize fund, two players becoming a Grandmaster and an International Master respectively, numerous young players getting rated, and many of these details can be found by going to www.klchess.com.

Nikola Karaklajic - R.I.P.

2008-12-18T06:38:00.006+08:00

International Master and International Arbiter Nikola Karaklajic of Yugoslavia and Serbia, a true chess great and someone I was privileged to have met and spent a great deal of time with, has passed away on December 16 at the age of 83.

Karaklajic was never a full time chess professional in the fullest sense even though his accomplishments were staggering as stated in the press release by the Belgrade Chess Union

"He was one of the most important figures in Yugoslavian and Serbian chess. Player, writer, trainer, organizer, arbiter, journalist, chess ambassador - it is not easy to sum all his achievements."

Outside of chess he held a fulltime job and was a multi talented individual with so many firsts including being a radio DJ who very early discovered the Beatles and brought their music to the young people of his country!

Personally I owe him a lot as he taught me what was important in chess and he was a very kind and good friend indeed.

When I was in Belgrade in the 80's trying to understand what was the system of training used by Yugoslavia (at that time the number 2 chess nation in the world after the Soviet Union) I stayed with him in his cosy little apartment and he not only facilitate my research at the federation's offices and with clubs and players but would also find time to personally show me many aspects of life in his truly beautiful country.

More details of his life can be found at: http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/3609-in-memoriam-im-nikola-karaklajic.

Sir, you lived life as everyone should - and fought the good fight indeed - we who have had the honour of meeting you and perhaps the privilege of knowing you do congratulate you!

Yes, I was in Dresden

2008-12-08T10:47:00.006+08:00

Yup. That's me working in the Press Centre. One of best places to be with Internet access and live game feeds, refreshments and lots of interviews going on through the day at official times as well as in the corners where old friends can often be seen in animated discussion.

I also consulted with a couple of teams and one even gave me a room which cut down significantly on my bills and allowed me to eat very well indeed at the wonderful breakfast and lunch buffets to be had daily at the hotel.

Coaches Seminar in Bali

2008-12-05T13:58:00.006+08:00

I was in Bali, Indonesia from 1-4 December to conduct the first ever FIDE Seminar for Coaches in Indonesia and I am now writing this in Sri Lanka where I would be doing two national seminars in the next few days before rushing back late on 12 December for the KL Open.

This seminar was organised by Gunadarma University under the auspicious of the ASEAN Chess Academy (as the FIDE Regional Academy for Asia) and is endorsed by PERCASI (Indonesian Chess Federation).

A total of 23 participants took part, 21 local and 2 from Malaysia, and because they came from all over Indonesia and found the cost extremely expensive, and yet wanted badly to learn, most had to travel several days over sea and land just to attend.

The full report is posted at http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/7-commissions/3588-a-successful-bali-fide-instructor-seminar

What I would like to share from my experience teaching this seminar is that in general the Indonesian participants demonstrated a high level of tactical ability (as is their traditional strength) and only needed structure and systems to harness their natural passion and enthusiasm to play and now to also teach chess.

Most also had their own successful schools and there was a recognition not only of improving their skills but also that such qualifications were very important for their professional development.

Indonesia despite its many challenges related to geography has now the biggest pool of young talent amongst girls in the world and I hope the seminar has helped many of these dedicated coaches continue their excellent work and perhaps even do an even better job!

My compliments to Bunawan, the prime mover behind this seminar, who tirelessly organised and whom I suspect also personally bankrolled many expenses too because he understood its importance to development.

Announcing the KL International Open Chess Championship!

2008-11-05T12:15:00.001+08:00

Sources: FIDE.com, www.klchess.blogspot.com

KL Open in Malaysia
Wednesday, 05 November 2008

The Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA) is pleased to announce the KL Open Chess Championship with sponsorship from Masterskill University College of Heath Sciences.

Managed by Intchess Malaysia, this event will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 15-21 December 2008. There will be three categories - Open, Challengers, and Visually Impaired (Blind) and there will also be a blitz tournament on the rest day and also a special simultaneous exhibition in aid of charity.

The KL Open will immediately follow the Singapore Open (download prospectus here) and the organisers will facilitate transfers from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur for invited players who are also early registrants in the Open.

Participants wishing to combine chess and a holiday in Malaysia are allowed up to a total of three half point byes in the 9 round swiss tournament which will be FIDE rated.

Details can be viewed below and the prospectus can also be downloaded by clicking here .

World Youth Championships 2008 - Final Medal Standings

2008-11-02T13:24:00.002+08:00

I think that this was clearly a most memorable event that has set new standards for future World Youth Championships - all thanks to the warmth and hospitality of the Vietnamese people.

All the games are now at www.chessasia.net as well as the updated photo galleries which can also be found at www.wycc2008.vietnamchess.com/index/php.

4 Types of Trainers?

2008-10-21T18:55:00.013+08:00

The following is taken from Senior FIDE Trainer & International Grandmaster Efstratios Grivas's lecture notes at the Seminar for Coaches held in Vung Tau, Vietnam.

Written in 2003, this sure looks a lot like the FIDE titles awarded to trainers after you take away the Senior FIDE Trainer title which currently cannot be earned anyway!

Trainers’ Ranking

Every trainer is useful in specific stages in the progress of a chess-player. We could try to categorize chess trainers as follows:

First-Level Trainer: The trainer who will teach the student the basics and bring him into contact with the world of chess. One of his main aims is to infuse the student with love and respect for chess. DEVELOPMENTAL INSTRUCTOR?

Second-Level Trainer: The trainer who will teach the student his first openings, simple tactical motifs and, generally, will introduce the student to the aspects of working and learning. NATIONAL INSTRUCTOR?

Third-Level Trainer: The trainer who will teach the student, first and foremost, the theory of the middlegame and the endgame. Moreover, he will work closely with the student towards the creation of the student's personalized openings repertoire, which he will also help enrich with new ideas. FIDE INSTRUCTOR?

Fourth-Level Trainer: The trainer who will continue in the footsteps of the previous one, but will also introduce the student to other important aspects of chess, such as the concept of and preparation for competitive success. Trainers of such calibre and skill are very scarce, and are only necessary to those chess-players who wish to reach a high level of play or seek competitive success in any form. FIDE TRAINER?