June Tourney and August Tourney?

I did mention in my previous post about July tourney, do we have June tourney? Of course!!! (Hab Rapid la katakan.. hehehe)

Taken from SIFU.mycatur blog :
KL Braille will be having a Blind Open 2009 this 20 and 21 June 2009 at Dewqan Jati Minda, KL Braille Centre, Jalan Gombak Kuala Lumpur. 15 blind participants including from Singapore wll be taking part in a 6 Round Swiss 60 minutes time control. I wonder when KL Braille will organised the Open like last year, where we with eyesight need to wear eye pad and cover our vision to play against the Blind players.. It is not easy, FM Mok too, struggle to play in the competition especially when he was up against Mah Hassan Omar (the first Blind advocates in Malaysia).

DOUBLE CHESS CHALLENGE
This is interesting! in my teenage years during MSSM this is our favourite pass time! I always had in mind to organise such event, but you dont have to wait for me, Coz it will be on this saturday 20 June 2009 at KL Braille Centre. Registration opens to pairs and only ten pairs accepted as this is a first tournament. Sounds interesting eh!

CLEARWATER SANCTUARY INTERNATIONAL CHESS OPEN
On the same date, 21st June, we have another event held at Perak called Clearwater Sanctuary International Open, at the Clearwater Sanctuary Resort.

1ST AIZEK CHESS RAPID TOURNAMENT
No annoucement has been made for any tourney on 28th June, if any, I dont think I am going, I got my half year annually stock take.. (as usual!) But, no worries, the chess fever is on again the following week. And this time it will be at Dungun, Terengganu on 5th July 2009. Furhter info contact Cikgu Sabirin 013-9333393. Dungun is not that far from Kuantan, so, I guess many players from Kuantan can take part.

TEMERLOH OPEN
Temerloh has announced its annual event Temerloh Open 2009. They booked the date on 1 & 2 Ogos 2009. And this has been announced in Chess-Malaysia yahoo group. Details please contact Fazli Zulkarnain 0199299767 or zakaria 0139283346. This is limit to 100 participants only.

I'm just wondering... hmmm.. who is the best rapid player in Malaysia? We used to have Allegro tourney back in the 80s and 90s where it was sponsored by MAA back then! then by Bank Pertanian Malaysia. The champ of each leg or perhaps the top ten of each leg (cant really remember) will be invited to play in the Grand Prix Final at Kuala Lumpur. The champ will be known as the best rapid player, coz he won against the other champ! If it were to be held again today, it would be interesting to watch Zarul Shazwan, Abdullah Che Hassan, Nicholas Chan, Edward Lee, Evan Timothy or Mok Tze Meng to compete who will be crowned MALAYSIA NO 1 RAPID MASTER! (hehehe)

Catur Rapid Siri 2 Kedah/Perlis 2009 @ 18/7/09

Opps! We have 2 tourneys happened on the same day. The DUN Andalas open and the Catur Rapid Kedah/Perlis Open! Hmm.. a tough choice? I dont think so, in either tourney, I think the players can still get the same experience coz, I bet in Kedah, players from Penang will surely play!

Click on the picture for further info! Check it out!

DUN Sri Andalas Chess Open 2009

Another rapid event (25 min) will be held on 18th July 2009.

For more info :
Azhar - 012-6796193 or Zamri - 016-2775005

De Laguna Park - Port Klang Chess Open 2009

I am beginning to think we are the hub of rapid tourney.. hahaha.. too many rapid events being held in Malaysia... you can say we have it almost every week! (phew!).. So, there will many opportunity to win and improve your standing in rapid play.

The above Open will be organised on 12th July 2009. Fee for U-12 - RM15 and Open - RM20.

Contact info : Azhar - 012-6796193 and Zamri - 016-2775005

**click picture for larger view**

47.White to move

In the position above it look like Black is advantage by one pawn and make a move Qe8 to g6. The question is

a)Is there no danger for Black after moving the Queen to g6?If it does What is the best move and continuation for White to play?

Thanks again to Eugene and K for sharing your thought to solve problem 46 by 1.Nxd6+ exd6 2.Bb5 Nxd5 3.Qxd5 Be6 4.Bxc6+ Nxc6 5.Qd3 and yes correct Eugene if black respond with 1...Kf8 followed by 2.Nxe7 Bxc2 3.Nxc6 Bxd1 4.Nxd8 and white is a piece up.

Chess News in Buletin Sukan TV3 dated 16th June 2009

Here is the clip from Buletin Sukan which featured our golden girls! Thanks to 17chessclub who uploaded the video on their site.



If you notice, the pictures taken in the news is the one that was posted in this blog.. hehehe.. looks like TV3 is browsing thru my blog... hahaha...

I have lots of things to write about this achievement.. So, stay tuned, keep on browsing ok!

46.White to move

In the position above Black has made a blunder by moving the knight to f6.The question is

a)From your point of view what is the best continuation for White to take an advantage from Black error?


Thanks again to Eugene for sharing your thought to solve problem 45 by 1. Nxg6 fxg6 2. Re7+ Rf7 3. Rxa7 Rxa7 4. Qd4+ Kg8 5. Qxa7 and 1.Nxg6 is the key move. Other variation that playable 1.Nxg6 Bxf2+ 2.Rxf2 fxg6 3.Qe7+ Qxe7 4.Rxe7+ Kg8 5.Bxg6 but in the end the position favor white.

Ole-Ole Shah Alam Chess - Result Open

Ole2 Chess Open 2009

On 13th June 2009, I was at Ole-Ole Shopping Complex in Seksyen 18 Shah Alam, just besides Giant Seksyen 18. It has been a long time since I last visited Shah Alam. Cant really recall, what was there before Ole-Ole..

Ole-ole Shopping Complex is celebrating its one year old, therefore the management decides to hold its one month carnival, and chess was part of the carnival! Since it is in the shopping complex, rapid chess is the best choice of tournament. Pn Roslina Marmono is the Tournament Director, I was the Chief Arbiter also as a pairing arbiter for Open event, and Pn Suffiah is the arbiter for U-12 category. All ladies huh?! Well.. I can put a big smile coz, it is a success event. Tournament start as scheduled and the pairings were done smoothly all rounds, and the closing were held as we planned it would be! :-))

The Champion for Open section is NM Zarul Shazwan Zullkafli with 5.5/6, second place goes to Mohd Nabil Azman Hisham, third place goes to Abdullah Che Hassan. Champ for Ole-Ole Shah Alam is Abd Haq and U-12 is Subramanian Sivanesan. Full results will be update later (sorry, I forgot to copy the results).

The Closing Ceremony :


The closing ceremony was attended by the Management Consultants of Ole-Ole, the Complex Manager of Ole-Ole, Since it is held in Shah Alam, Selangor, the President of Persatuan Catur Selangor is there, also Vice President of MCF.

The Arbiters :


Pic left : from left - Kak Zaza, Kak Ana browsing thru the wireless connection for the ASEAN results. The one standing is Pn Suffiah and her husband Cikgu Zullkafli is helping her out.
Pic right : from left - Kak Zaza, Pn Roslina - the busy hardworking Tournament Director, me and Pn Suffiah.


Job well done Ladies!

The Open Section :


Pic left : the background is a toy shop, luckily we didnt put the U-12 kids here, or else, i dont think the kids will concentrate under the circumstances :-))
Pic right : the overall players.


Pic left : is he making a comeback? Only Abd Haq can answer that, and he won first place for Ole-ole Shah Alam category, besides him is Amira Syamina winner of best ladies!
Pic right : The players before the start of first round.


Pic left : He was a chess writer for one of famous chess column in the 80s and 90s called "Petak 64" in Utusan Malaysia every saturday. Never thought I would see him again after all these years. He is En Mustafa Said and the reason he compete in Ole-ole open because he resides in Shah Alam. Hope to see him more often! Besides him is, Abdullah Che Hassan.
Pic right : Fariz Shafruddin, and besides him is Mohd Hussien Mohd Jamil (havent seen this guy in quite sometime too) he is the son of the late En Mohd Jamil, the one that brings chess to MSSM a long time ago.

Pictures from U-12 Section :


Pic left : Irfan Haqqim Azhar.
Pic right : Najwan - the youngest from the Nabila and Najiha siblings


Pic left : Subramanian Sivanesan lifted the champion title. His game does improves a lot lately!
Pic right : the kids ready to start the event!


Before the start of first round!

Jalan-Jalan In Ancient City of Vietnam!

Pic left : Hue city also known as the ancient city of Vietnam, as you see in the picture taken by Pn Haslindah, the background is once upon a time a palace!
Pic right : this is taken from a Boat Trip the players had during the rest time, their hotels is juzt besides the river


Pic left : the ancient pagoda, the influence from the chinese hundreds of years ago
pic right : an ancient tomb! felt like one in the Tomb raiders (hahaha)


looks like the tiannamen square in China, right? But this the monument in the forbidden city in Vietnam.

More from Hue, Vietnam - Closing!

Pic left : the players during the closing. Standing from left - Pn Haslindah, NM Edward Lee, Jerome Yong, NJM Tariq Amru, Nabila and Najiha. Sitting from left - Pn Zurin (Camilia's mother), Camilia and En Azman Hisham.
Pic right : The Medal Tally for a closer view


Pic left : Najiha in the presentation awards for Rapid Girls U-10. She won the gold medal! if anyone wondering why all three standing at the same spot, coz all three were tied at first place!
Pic right : Nabila standing tall at the podium as the Gold medallist for Girls U-12 Blitz Event!


Pic left : Najiha during the presentation of Standard Girls U-10!
Pic right : The girls with the medals they won with team manager Pn Haslindah!


This letter of certification confirmed that Nur Najiha Azman Hisham is the WFM, and her sister Nur Nabila is the WCM!

Malaysians end their campaign at the 10th ASEAN Age Group at Hue city of Vietnam with GOLDS in Standard Chess - Nur Najiha in the Girls U-10, Rapid Chess - Nur Najiha in Girls U-12, and Blitz Chess - Nur Nabila in Girls U-12

We took home, SILVER from Nur Nabila in Standard Chess for Girls U-12 event. But the girls won 3 bronzes in the standard chess, rapid chess and blitz chess as a team score for Girls U-12!

Based on their performances, shouldnt the girls deserved some celebration back home? I asked MCF secretary, Mr Gregory Lau, he said - arrangements has been made with TV3 to welcome the players at the airport soonest they arrived from Vietnam on 16th June! A dinner will also be held sponsor by our future woman's chess president to honour the Girls achievement!

If anyone says that, they dont deserve such big news like this, or some people said that they are only playing in a "weaker" group.. Come on guys stop the nonsense! The girls played at their best during their age group! Playing against opponents who are considered the best in the ASEAN region in their own age group! not anyone can pull it through, nor can just any average person really take the opportunity given to grab the titles offered!

At the times from generation to generation female gender as always been the issues and left out in any major chess competition because we are being told that we are weaker than the Male. The truth is that, though we are not as strong as the Male, but our results in our own category has always been impressive compared to our Male players!

At the times, where most ladies during National Closed event heard the announcement that no ladies selection will be held, and the selected players to play at Malaysian Masters event were only taken from the Open section with attractive prize money given, the announcement also be made that sponsors for next year Olimpiad in Siberia are only for the Mens' Team! (WHAT??)

The victory in Vietnam, and the publicity, is the advantage that will be used by us to gain sponsors for next year Olimpiad in Siberia for the ladies' team! We missed last year Olimpiad in Dresden, so, hopefully (really hopefully!) we can send the potential juniors for the event..

Good job girls!

More from Hue, Vietnam - Pictures!

Pic left : Rian Kapriaga in Open U-20
Pic right : Dian Kartega in Girls U-10. Indonesian also producing new talents every year, and these 2 are perhaps future Indonesian champs..


Pic left : Amier Hamzah's (Open U-8) Team! left - En Ahmad Uda - his "chaperon", right - Ian Udani a filipino, Amier's coach for the ASEAN event! If anyone is wondering, Amier won the selection U-8 National Age Group last March to qualify to play for Malaysia. His next journey would probably be the World Junior in Turkey (maybe)
Pic right : round 7 game, between our WFM Najiha and Huyn from Vietnam.