Future Champs!

Many parents when I approached and offered to teach their children, or often asking them to take their talented kids to outside chess competition, many said their children are too young to start chess, too young to play chess, too young to play outside competition, too, etc, etc, etc.. but honestly speaking they are wrong!

IM Mas Hafizul first started to learn the games at the age of 3 and first competition at the age of 6! The vietnamese boy who took part in the world U-8 chess championship representing Vietnam last year was only 4 years old, and his mother told the press, her son pick up chess at the age of 2! Imagine that!

The above are the few stories that should inspires all the parents out there, to give their talented kids the chance to get involved with games that is not only a sports but also a mind games that improves the academic result of a child. Taking for example the pass chess champs are now currently pursuing higher education in various fields, Wan Khye Theng (SEA Games, and Olympiad player) currently studying Physicology, FM Nicholas Chan (SEA Games Bronze Medalist and Olympiad player, also this year Selangor Open Champ) currently in the final year of Medical Degree, WIM Siti Zulaikha Foudzi and WCM Nur Shazwani Zullkafli (SEA Games and Olympiad player) also currently doing Medical Degree, the latest news I heard, FM Anas Nazreen Bakri, under the JPA scholarship will pursue Chemical Engineering at Tennassee USA University. Even IM Mas Hafizul also got Petronas Scholarship to pursue his studies in UK.

I felt the urgency to say this in my blog, because I have seen many talented players out there, with amazing talents but the parents couldnt care less to bring up the child talents in chess. Here are the few pictures taken at the recent National Closed 2009.


pic left : Subramaniam Sivanesan from Negeri Sembilan age 11. He is U-12 MSSM Negeri Sembilan Champ. His father said his son is so keen into chess that it forces the father to learn the game and teach him!
pic right : The little ones in action against the bigger opponent, do the scared? nope! they certainly enjoys the game so much!


pic left : Amier Hamzah on the left, against Chew Ee Sheng. Both parents were seen everyday at the scene giving support for their children in chess. Amier will play at the coming ASEAN age group next week!
pic right : Low Jun Keat, and Yeoh Li Tian next to next in this picture. Yeoh performance in NC is not impressive as everybody predicted (including me! sorry!) but yet he has proven, at the age of 10 he is the best in his U-12 group age, and often made surprises by beating stronger opponent (older to be precise). He was last two years no 4 in the world for U-8 world youth event!


Pic left : This kinda blurry pic were the final rounds between mother and daughter game. On the right is Olivia Madhavan. She is fortunate to have encouragement from both parents.
Pic right : Nur Sabrina Aliya is also fortunate to have a father who is also a player, but to my surprise she did not learnt chess from her father, but from her uncle back at Kampung!


pic left : This is 9 years old Nithyalaksmi Sivanesan the U-12 MSSM Negeri Sembilan for 2 years in a row. According to her father, she pick up just by watching her brother learn the game. The father is not a player, but learn how to play the game to teach chess to his son and daughter. The father search thru the net to find the best method to teach his children. Now he often took the children for training under trainers in KL.
Pic right : Nur Nabila age 12 has been playing chess since young age. As a player, the father often took all his children to chess competition whenever he played, later he didnt realised that his children, also pick up the games by watching the father move the pieces. He was so surprised when Nabila suddenly play the game. She is the strongest of her age and often representing Malaysia in various junior event!


pic left : This is Nur Najihah siblings of Nabila at the age of 10 years old, this saturday she is off to Vietnam for the ASEAN age group event.
pic right : Renitha Narayanan, pick up chess also at a young age, currently 17 years old, she is the pride of the family!

Pic left : NWM Alia Anin, currently 15, studying at Boarding School in Melaka, has the talent for the games at early age, she is currently holding the record for the winners of all under age group contended. She was the U-8 champ, U-10 champ, U-12 champ, U-14 champ, and U-16 champ. She planned to win the U-18 too and U-20 later on. She scored 5As in UPSR and planning for 8As in PMR.
pic right : You already who's who in this pic, the first time I saw Tan Li Ting was this year in MSSM U-12, I see a lot of potential in her, so, we decided to include her in our team for the DATCC Chess League. And that potential has brought her the NWM title holder this year! During NCW the father cant even sits down and kept moving back and forth waiting for her daughter to finish.

Watching all the parents at the NC, makes me wonder, can I see the same sacrifices and contributions too back home?