Saturday, December 26, 2009

Chess In SEA games 2011

Chess is in the SEA games again!!!! great huh?!

Chess was one of the sports contended in Sea games held at Singapore,Vietnam, Philippines until Thailand list it out from the games, and Laos too this year.. but Indonesia in 2011 wants the game in! why wont them, Indonesia had the potential in the golds contended with her strong GM Susanto Megaranto and WGM Irene Sukandar. Other countries are please with the news and I bet preparations will be held in the countries to select the best players to represent the countries... In Sea games chess history, the best Malaysia could have are Bronze medal from Siti Zulaikha and from the Malaysian Team.

Which lead me to the question, who shall it be for Malaysia? I hope the selection of the players will be done in full integrity and the players picked are the best in its field. The categories that most definitely will be in are the Classical Chess, Rapid Chess and Blitz. I knew some players are good in Classical but not necessarily good in Blitz, so I do hope players were chosen wisely.

Chess will also be contended in Asian Games in Guangzhao 2010 too! the first in Doha Qatar 2006, we didnt send any players, juz hope next year the sports comittee will say it otherwise! With the coming of a new national chess coach in Malaysia, hope that investment will produce future champion in chess!

2009 Malaysian Interstate Chess Championship

A tournament held at Sibu, Sarawak which starts today until Dec 27. It is a team tournament. There are 10 teams taking part, and you can find the list at Hairulov's blog. I juz want to announce that Pahang is not one of the teams taking part, unfortunately.

But I wish to thank Mr Lim Kian Hwa for the invitation. It was a great offer for a free board and lodging throughout the tournaments which was the last time I had the opportunity was during the Merdeka Team held years ago! It was a generous offer from the organiser. And besides how many team event that we actually had to regard the best state in Malaysia? I was thrilled at first and was hoping that Pahang could send a team, but sadly that Pahang cant send any team... (too bad). Hopefully next year we can a team and participate in any event that gives us the quota to send players.. All the best to the players!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Malaysian Master 2009

The Malaysian Master 2009 had juz ended last week. The finals are between FM Nicholas Chan and IM Mas Hafizulhilmi. There are 6 rounds to be played in the finals but IM Mas won the first 2 rounds, and drew round 3 and won the round 4, therefore the Master 2009 was him!! and because of that, I think he is best suited to be known as the Malaysian's Best 2009! after all he is currently ranked 1 in the Malaysia FIDE rating list.

The journey through the finals was a real tough! only the selected best from the hundreds of Malaysian were picked to play. Top 4 from the FIDE list, Top 2 from National Closed 2009, NJM 2008 and one MCF choice. The first quarter finals saw IM Mas was paired to play against NJM 2008 - Tariq Amru. IM Mas won the game and proceed to the Semi-finals. The second quarter finals are between FM Ooi Chern Ee and FM Mok Tze Meng. Where the latter won the event and proceed to Semis too. The third quarter - IM Lim Yee Weng vs NM Edward Lee. Yee Weng won the match. And the 4th quarter finals - FM Nicholas Chan vs NM Evan Timothy Capel.

There was a prediction made by IM Jimmy Liew that the one who won the semis against FM Mok will be the one that will win the Master event! All of us was anxiously watching and waiting for the results of the game for the 1st semis between IM Mas vs FM Mok. A hard fought game between them but IM Mas prove to be the at his best. Later on FM Nicholas joined him in the finals when he won against IM Yee Weng in the semis.

Many blogger made the highlights toward the event (which is good news to us chess players), but let me list you the one blog that I often click to find out about the result. Here

Congratulations to IM Mas Hafizulhilmi and may his quest for the GM title inspire us all in moving forward too!

National Junior Chess Championship 2009

The National Junior Chess Championship and the National Junior (W) Chess Championship 2009 (the event that held annually beginning 2008), has ended last Sunday with this year title goes to NJM Yeap Eng Chiam from Kuala Lumpur the newly crowned NJWM is Nur Najiha Azman Hisham.

I was there last Sunday, juz to get out of hectic working schedule and take a break (those who saw me with the pimples on my face severely would understand how stressful I am lately), where would be best for me to take a break, even if it juz for one day (phew!)

There was a tie for the champion title in the open section between Yeap, Sumant, Evan and Justin. But the play-offs that held afterward (I heard it was a rapid event) decides that Yeap is the title holder!. And it looks like NM Evan who was in May won the NM title because of the play-offs wasnt lucky enough to get the NJM title in the same year (or else history is created!).

In the Girls section, WFM Nur Najiha takes the challenge trophy home and it has stayed in the family ground for 2 consecutive years now! the first time the championship was held last year, the winner goes to her elder sister WCM Nur Nabila. It sure does makes my second cousin Kak Zaza (her mom) proud! (I can tell from the looks in her face when Najiha together with Amira Syamina and Latifah Kaiyisah were in the same points after the last round, waiting for the results from the arbiter either it is a confirm that Najiha won becoz she won against those two or it is a play-offs like the open section).

More news on this you can visit Gilocatur at here. He was there supporting his children playing.

The four kids from Kuantan manage to get a good score too (at least from my point of view). Kuhan and Khirranya Ganesan - both got 3 points from 9 rounds. That is the minimum score that I told them to get (at least). This is their first tournament in a major event like this, all feelings are there, but overall they were all excited to continue their journey in tomorrow's Jax Tham rapid event and next year National Age Group 2009! Another 2 kids Muhd Firdaus Afiq Asman (5 points) and Nur Sabrina Aliya Asman (4.5 points). Sabrina create a lot of stir on her opponents when she drew her first round against Camilia Johari (National Junior Squad) and when she won against the Perakian Nur Munirah Mat Rahim (if I am not mistaken she was the MSSM U-18 champ).

Congratulations to all of them! I thank their parents for taking them to the tournament, and hope others make take the same step too, and may the hopes of the next National Player will hail from Kuantan soon! (insyaAllah)