Malaysian Chess Festival 2009

The month of August every year is the year where I had the most fun chess activities! We have the Malaysian Chess Festival, where we have the Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysian Open (DATMO), Ambank Chess Challenge, Malaysian Blitz Chess Open, and Merdeka Rapid Team. During the rest day of Datmo and Ambank, we have this Merdeka National Open Rapid Age Group Chess Championship dated this 26th August 2009 (wednesday), only for those age U-8, U-10, U-12, U-14, and U-16. It will be held at the same venue of DATMO.

Previous years, I had the fun of joining the DATMO and Merdeka Rapid, where that is the only chance we get the chance to play against those higher rated players, and titled holder such as those GMs, IMs etc.... BUT

This year, I am involved in Malaysian Chess Festival as an arbiter! I admit it is not an easy job handling task in a big event as this, but I learned a lot. Today is the only first day of DATMO and Ambank Chess Challenge, but I learned how the Technical of Malaysian Chess Festival did their job, handling the starting out of the event and during the event.

I am incharge of the Ambank Chess Challenge and working with the group of UM students as helpers, and surprisingly they are doing a good job!.. ok enough with the excitement of being an arbiter :-)) now lets proceed with the details of the event.

Pic left : Result of Round 1 of Ambank Challenge concluded today.

Pic right : Pairing of Round 2 tomorrow.

Pic of the Round 1 at Ambank

Tough participants for this year is only about 45 players, and not many as compared to last year, but I still think with the present of last Ambank Challenge winner - Roel Abelgas (as being informed by Mr Name on the shoutbox, the last year winner was Leonardo Carlos - Thanks to him. My sincere apology for the wrong post) from the Phillipines, and other Filipinos, Malaysians playing at Ambank will still face a hard time to compete. All bets to break will lies in the hands of locals such as Fadli Zakaria, Jax Tham, Nor Ilhamuddin, among others...

While on the DATMO, there are about 12 GMs present this year! I think that is a huge number of GMs present! With an interesting facts that the fav which is also the 2 times DATMO champ, GM Li Chao from China is playing again to defend the title. Also looks interesting, is the second seeded GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son. But what makes the competition more fascinating to come and watch at 5th Floor, Ballroom at Cititel Midvalley Kuala Lumpur, are the players like GM Parimarjan Negi - one of the youngest GM in the world from India, Iranian number 1 chess player GM Ehsan Maghami, GM Marat and Saidali from Uzbez, regular turn up like GM Ziaur Rahman, GM Susanto, also the ladies WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan from Iran who caused a sensation in round 1 where she drew with GM Darwin Laylo from Philippines, also present were WGM Irene Sukandar.

Result of Round 1 - DATMO

Pic left : GM Li Chao B from China

Pic right : GM Parimarjan Negi From India

The scene from the DATMO 2009.

I will try to keep the fans with the updates, but if you want more, kindly check bloggers like hairulov, gilachess blog, and Gilocatur from the link. Also, there are special blog that created specifically to all the DATMO fans which is - http://malaysianopen.blogspot.com/

5th Asean Para Games 2009 - The Ceremony

Dato' Sharizat - The Women Affairs Minister came earlier to the event, she later on sign on a chess board as a momento of the Games.

A group photos of the Technical Team and Malaysian Coaches with the Minister. From left seated; Gregory Lau - Techincal (secretary of MCF), Dato' Aminah - Head delegates of Malaysian Chess Team, Dato' Sharizat, and Dato' Zainal Abu Zarin - Organising Chairman, but I bet he must be someone really important) and Ibrahim Bakar (VP of MCF). Standing from left; Duratul Ain - Techincal, Rizal AK - Malaysian Coach, Alina - Technical, Aswan - Chief Arbiter, Mohd Zambri - Tournament Director, Asmah Ahmad - Malaysian Coach, Roslina - Malaysian coach, and Haq - Malaysian coach.


Pic left : Before they reached the Ultimate decision, a thorough discussions and details checklist of the winners were made between the Technical Group of the Games... I can feel the tension is there.. there can be no mistakes this one!
Pic right : And the Duratul Ain a.k.a the MC is ready to announce the medal winners

Pic left : The happy faces of the Coach Asmah and the Gold medallist - Nur Feiqha
Pic right : Smiling all the way till the end.. Coach Hashim Jusoh

Seated from left : Latif Mohamad - Chief Malaysian Chess Coach, Gregory Lau, Malaysian Chef de Mission of the 5th Para Games, and Dato' Aminah.

And here goes the winners ;

Pic left : the bronze medallist from Myanmar - Aye Lwin (to actually get to know the visual impaired players and was once used to taught some of the VI players a thing or two, is quite a touching moments for me, so imagine this guy who is not just unable to see but he is mute too..)
Pic right : NM Choo Min Wang - was once the first ever National Champ back in the 70s. He brought Gold home in Men Individual.

Pic left : The prize giving for Women Individual
Pic right : The Men Team medallist. In the Malaysian squad were included Mah Hassan Omar - the first Blind Lawyer in Malaysia.

Pic left : Women Team winners
Pic right : The Men Individual winner (the full pictures)

Pic left : I dont know why, but Negaraku songs always touches my soul. Especially at the moments where I was there witnessing the historical event... (wonder when it will be my turn to actually stand tall on a podium and sing a long Negaraku songs in the Games as big as this!)
Pic right : The Malaysian Team posing! Congrats to all!

Without these guys, the Games seems impossible to go on! These are the important faces throughout the days the event was held - Good job guys! Job well done! (to all the helpers, volunteers, arbiters, technicals, TD, etc, etc, etc!)

5th ASEAN Para Games : 15-19 Aug 2009 (Result)

Here are the updates :

CONGRATS! CONGRATS! CONGRATS!

We have won all the GOLDs contended today!

Combined Event of B1/B2/B3 Men (Individual) :
GOLD - NM Choo Min Wang (Malaysia)
SILVER - Francis Ching (Philippines)
SILVER - Aye Lwin (Myanmar)

Combined Event of B1/B2/B3 Men (Team) :
GOLD - Malaysia
GOLD - Phillipines
BRONZE - Myanmar

Combined Event of B1/B2/B3 Women (Individual) :
GOLD - Nur Feiqha M Halil (Malaysia)
GOLD - Nguyen THi Hong CHau (Vietnam)
BRONZE - Ni Ketut Mursi (Indonesia)

Combined Event of B1/B2/B3 Women (Team) :
GOLD - Malaysia
SILVER - Vietnam

Why you see there are two same medals awarded in the same category, that is because the points are the same for the winners, therefore as a country of generosity, Malaysia decides to give away the medals.

Pictures and stories will follow later....

5th ASEAN Para Games : 15-19 Aug 2009 (pic of players)

5th ASEAN Para Games : 15-19 Aug 2009 (updates)

Pic left : Coach Asmah and coach Rizal - preparing Norain for her last game today..
Pic right : Norain concentrating on her game, watched by others.


Pic left : The happy Chief - En Latif Mohamad (on the right), also in the pic are, NM Choo Min Wang and Ho Hea Keang.
Pic right : All of us in the pic : on the left - Haslindah, Coach Roslina, Standing - Athirah, Nur Feiqah, Aqilah (the member of Physical Gold Team)

5th ASEAN Para Games : 15-19 Aug 2009

Pic left : in red shirt is Malaysian - Mahadzir vs another Malaysian in orange uniform - Mah Hassan Omar. Both are helping in total score of Gold in Team Event.
Pic right : On the first board and future Gold Medalist in Individual event is NM Choo Min Wang vs another Malaysian Shaharuddin Sidek (also helping out in total score of Malaysian Team)


Pic left : Malaysian Women battling in the Team Gold - Seen in black Tudung is Nur Feiqha (she previously won 2 golds for Malaysia), vs Teo Suat Nei. Both competing in helping for the total women Team.
Pic right : is the crucial moment for Malaysia. If on the right Norain won or at least draw against Vietnamese - Nguyen Thi Thuong Chau, then another individual gold belongs to Malaysian - Nur Feiqha

Currently I am in Dewan Komanwel at Bukit Jalil reporting live for the last day of KL09. Lets all hope and pray for another 3 golds from Malaysian Chess!

Kuala Lumpur Paragames 2009 (KL09)

Paragames is a game that normally start when SEA Games has ended, but since Laos has withdraw from hosting the event due to limited facilities for the disables.. therefore KL in turn played the host for Paragames this year!

In Korat 2007, in Chess our Paragames Athlete bags 2 Golds! however this year, in order for chess to be in category A, the target of 6 golds in chess has been put into bet by our Chief Coach / Captain of the chess squad - En Latif Muhammad. Chess will be divided into 2 categories, one - visual impared and another one - physical diabilities. Malaysia competing in all categories (as we are the host).

The coaches for this year Chess Paragames are : Asmah Ahmad Hambadley, NWM Roslina Marmomo, Rizal Ahmad Kamal, Hashim Jusoh, Abdul Haq Muhammad.. (hmm.. did I miss anyone?).. Yeah, another helper.. Haslindah Ruslan and Ghazali Che Kob (sms from Roslina.. thanks :-))

While I was at home, crossing fingers and pray hard that the dream would come true, who would have thought! Just received a sms from Asmah and a call from Roslina... Women squad just bag 3 Golds and Men 1 Gold! The total is 4 Golds, 4 Silvers and 4 Bronzes!

BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! this is a celebration for all of us chess fans! CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS....

2 more Golds guys.. then 6 Golds will be a mission completed! :-))