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/