Salam Aidilfitri !

To all Muslim chess fans out there, Salam Aidilfitri or Eid Mubarak !

The Latest...

Our IM Mas Hafizul will continue his journey for the GM norm to play at the Commonwealth Chess Championship in Nagpur, India on 27th September to 6th October 2008. He had just sms me that he is at the Mumbai airport (Malaysian time 2.28am - 27th september, India time 12 mignight on the same date) waiting for the flight connection to Nagpur at 6am India time.

Hope he will play the best there and be more focussed. He was at his hometown for few weeks to spend Ramadhan with his family (after the GM tournament at Cititel Express on the 5th september). I hope with the encouragement and advises he received from his father (who is his no. 1 mentor), he will be in good shape and performed better too! He will be spending the remaining few days of Ramadhan fasting there, plus the additional celebrating Aidilfitri on the board... fighting...

All the best Mas!

What's the News Today?

Fasting month is almost over soon, only few more days before Aidilfitri (Eid Mubarak). There's not much to tell in the month of Ramadhan, as Malaysian chess scene is off too in respect of the month. But after Raya, the chess season is on as usual, with tourneys coming in as soon as on the 12th October with Kuala Langat Open, then on 19th there will be Pearl Point Open. UPSI Open also booked their date on the 26th of October.

I know the chess fans out there are eager to be in action as we all have been fasting from tourneys too.

more info log on to link Hairulov and Gilachess website.

Also marking a debut will be the up coming FIDE rated event in Kuala Terengganu on 18th - 22nd December 2008. The total cash prize of RM18,000 are up for grabs only for the best players in the top ten finishing rankings. But sadly it is invited to all FIDE rated players only and only 30 Terengganu players are eligible o take part. But still it is an event that has been awaited by the fans as we can witness the best quality of classical chess games played by the nations best player. It is expected that the competition will be an interesting event to watch!

visits http://www.caturterengganu.blogspot.com/

Selamat Menyambut Ramadhan Al-Mubarak

Untuk semua peminat catur tanahair yang beragama Islam.

Selamat Menyambut Ramadhan Al-Mubarak!

IM Mas GM Tournament

And yes.. IM Mas is still pursuing his dreams of becoming Malaysia's first GM. He has been to many tournaments ever since he turned pro last october. His leave of absent from work will expire April 2009. The last time I saw him was at Royal Selangor Open in May, where he dropped by to see what's going on. Then the latest was at Merdeka Rapid and DATMO. Well, he looked different (lost few kilos!). More serious than ever, but still he is smiling all the way at whatever circumstances he is in right now. He is not in good condition, and has been playing straight too, it does gives him the stress to realise our one dream! I juz wish him well and play well.

Pic left : Mas, Cathy and Ian

Pic right : the table that Mas was playing

I went to Cititel Express KL to get a glimpse at the happening there, but when I arrived there with Haslindah, Mas was having a discussion with his trainer GM Ian Rogers and wife Cathy Rogers. He won round 5 against FM Myo. He doesnt sound like he is happy with his result so far, juz like I said earlier he is under a lot of stress, and he is playing under that circumstances..

The two board that still playing
pic left : GM Ziaur Rahman vs WIM Zhang Xiaowen

pic right : GM lludhachev vs GM Drazen Sermek

The tourney was held juz for Mas to get the norm, well, he almost done it at Biel... There are 3 GMs playing (Sermek - from Croatia, Illudhachev from Uzbek and Ziaur Rahman from Bangladesh), 1 WIM Zhang Xiaowen from China, 1 FM Myo from Myanmar and 1 IM Mas.

Mas needed 6.5 points from 10 games (double round robin format). But so far after 7 rounds he is at 3 points standing. Which makes the norm seems far to reach for. But I do hope he will increase his ratings. Increase in ratings does gives impact to him when he get his norms.

Hopefully, he'll get his leave from chess for few days and get his focus back on track! (he need that)

~for more info click link hairulov~

Merdeka Standard 2008

The outside of the tournament hall..
Pic on the right : the juniors section

The Open section..

Pic on right : Pelikan team in the pic - Kamaludin yusof vs Astro team - Siti Zulaika (this was Siti's second tourney in the year after Merdeka Rapid, due to her studies)

The ladies in action too. Pic above is Roslina and Nurshazwani. Roslina's playing for ex-MMU and Shazwani for Selangor's (her team won best state and second runner up after Apocalypse Manila.

Mohd Irman playing for his company (I think), Pic on the right : is Hairulov.. I saw him at the playing hall and take photos of him, then I am off to Cititel Express to see the GM event there. To my surprise he was there too... A very active paparazzi indeed, off to Cititel express like a bullet after his game!

Jimmy Liew, Mohd Kamal Abdullah abdullah, Yeoh Chin Seng..

On the right : Selangor team vs Sarawak's Team. Selangor led by Ian Udani, Zarul Shazwan, Abdullah Che Hassan, Fariz and Shazwani (reserve)

Pelikan team : Nicholas Chan, Marcus Chan, Kamaludin Yusof, and Leong Mun Wan against Astro Team : Mok Tze Meng, Ooi Chern Ee, Siti Zulaika, Edward Lee and Ismail Ahmad (reserve). Pelikan was leading in the early rounds.

The last series of Malaysian Chess Festival 2008 is Merdeka Standard that was held at Kompleks Wilayah Kuala Lumpur on the 30th and 31st August 2008. This is the second I am not playing, but however I am in KL for the paparazzi news, esp to all the fans!

Though 1st sept is the first Ramadhan (fasting month for all muslims), the turn out for Merdeka Standard was overwhelm like last year.. Thanks to the organiser that eventually reduce the rounds and concluded the game in two days instead of three to give way to outsiders to have their ramadhan at home!

I was surprise to see the one and only Phillippines team stayed in Malaysia a bit longer for Merdeka Standard after the DATMO. The team - Apocalypse Manila who was fifth in Merdeka Rapid, obviously wants to the crown on this one! They only suffered a terrible loss to Pelikan team in round 4, but came out the best they could to close the gap from tournament leader - Selangor. Before the last round Selangor was leading with one point.

Both team met in the last round, Selangor only need a narrow win to walk away with the title, but fate decide that Filipinos won the game with 2.5 to 1.5. Though the total score was the same between both teams, but the champion belongs to Apocalypse Manila after all.

Anyway congrats to all Teams participating.. This is the last event that will be held in Kompleks Wilayah. After this, MCF will have a new office at OCM, so, the tourney hall will be in the OCM building too. Hope it will be better looking and with better facilities to all players.

For more info log on to www. gilachess.com

The Winners!

The Malaysian Chess Festival 2008, has ended! The event that I experience myself this year. I managed to get few photos.


Malaysian best this year! FM Mok and FM Lim (note : IM Mas was present at the closing ceremony but my camera ran out of battery power to take his photo)


The third place : GM Marat from Uzbekistan


And the winner for the second year in a row, GM Li Chao from China!

Malaysian Blitz 2008

Before the closing ceremony, as usual, annually we will have the Malaysian Blitz Open. The time control of the event is 3 mins + 2 secs increment. Many players registered for the event. Not juz the DATMO and Ambank participants but other interested Malaysian also take part. Azhar's family, Irman Ibrahim.. and etc!


All players will be playing for all 9 rounds swiss system. Top 16 will receives prizes, but top 8 will compete for knock out rounds (quarter finals, Semi and Final round)


This is me taking part too... It was fun and interesting way to test your skill..


The final between GM Zhang Zhong vs GM Saidali lyuldachev. The final game was conducted after the closing and dinner held at Cititel Ballroom.. Saidali beat Zhang Zhong 2-0 straight. I think the factor of having the game delayed does affect the players' game..

Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysian Open (DATMO) 2008

Our world as said in My Side Of Story...
Pic on the right : Seen on third board of the pic Haslindah (the one that inspires women in chess) vs Lim Kian Hwa.


Alia Anin vs Indonesian player. She is playing in DATMO as a preparation for World Youth in October this year.


Oliver Dimakiling from Philippines against another filipinos.
Pic on the right : Ian vs Ismail Ahmad


Malaysian players : Tariq Amru vs Balendran, and Mohd Saprin.
Pic on right : Ismail Ahmad


Malaysian : FM Mok Tze Meng and NM Mohd Kamal Abdullah


First Board : GM Li Chao vs FM Lim Yee Weng
Second Board : GM Zhang Zhong vs GM Marat


IM Julio Sadorra also took part.
WIM Kruttika Nadiq - another female taking part. She is from India


GM Marat vs GM Li Chao. This is an interesting game to watch, coz Li Chao never give up in attacking Marat, and Marat was defending well too. But one slight mistake for pushing the e-pawn cost Marat the game. Before Li Chao take advantage of the blunder, he gave a disbelief look at Marat..


Malaysian : Masrin Erowan, and Mohd Fairin Zakaria


On the second board : Mas is playing against WGM Li Ruofan

Another Malaysian : FM Lim Yee Weng who gave an impressive performance in DATMO, he finally got his IM!

Before event, they chat.. when it all started, the battle begins

GM Susanto was leading the pack in the beginning, and he beat Li Chao in the process too.. But I guess, it is a hard task to maintain the lead..

Pic on the right : WIM Irene Kharisma against GM Zhang Zhong

The GMs in action!

First Table : GM Susanto vs GM Marat (at the beginning)

Second Table : GM Zhang Zhong.. and he got second place too at the end..

WIM Irene gets another WGM norm in DATMO..

IM Mas Hafizul