MSSM 2009

MSSM kick-off from 16-20th March 2009 at Hotel Goldcoast Klang. Selangor is the host this year. All the states taking part will be competing for the medals in both events taking place during MSSM. Individual event - L18 and P18, L15 and P15 and L12 and P12, and Team event with the same under age group as well.

Who will reign the title this year? Well.. for some under age group the winner is as expected, but for some, there was unexpected upsets created! Kelantan Team P12 might be experiencing trouble since they lost to KL today. Last year P15 champ is not leading the competition this year, due to her lost in the second round. Now Vicki Hong is in the lead! L18 also experiencing the same upset where Justing Ong lost to Sumant in the 5th round.

to find out more comments for MSSM click gilocatur's blog

for further info on the result, En Muhammad Arshad from Catur Terengganu is providing us with the result.

MSSM Team L18

MSSM Team P18

MSSM Team L12

MSSM Team P12

MSSM L12

MSSM P12

MSSM P15

MSSM L15

MSSM P18

MSSM L18

White To Play And Mate In Two Moves

Try solve it on your own without using any chess program.It keep us in the right track to improve our game..good luck.

The new way to play! The revolutionary foldable DGT 960 chess clock can easily generate one of the 960 starting positions for the new way to play Chess. The display shows symbols indicating in which position the pieces have to be placed on the board. It brings many chess-lovers back to the chessboard. The aspect of having a lead through knowledge of theory about chess opening moves sequences makes way for creative thinking.

Get the chess clock that does it all! DGT 960 gives you everything you need to time tournament and speed chess—and many other board games—with electronic accuracy. What’s more, DGT’s latest is the first clock to automatically generate 960 (Fischer Random Chess) starting positions with the touch of a button! This idea of former World champion Bobby Fischer, who recently passed away, has been the most important improvement in chess since 500 years. This chess clock is a gadget that every chess player would wish to have.

DGT 960 is also the first folding chess clock. It’s packed with technology, but slips into your shirt pocket with room to spare! Yet it opens to give you a big, clear display! Single-time-control clock, packed with features!

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• Permits time odds
• Move Timer
• Programmed time for every move separately (Rummikub, Scrabble ®—even offers different move time for each player for handicapping)
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• 2 years of operation on one button CR2032-3V battery
• Folded measurements: 5½" long, 2 5⁄8" wide and 1" high!
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White To Play And Mate In Two Moves

During KL Open, I get the chance to meet with GM Dao Thien Hai and ask him few questions like how his training like.. Therefore, as a result of that, once in a while, we will be uploading to the fans out there chess puzzles for you to solve. The more you do puzzle and memorize them, it will be easier when you faced the same situation during tournaments.



We can discuss the move and answer in the shoutbox..

Good Luck!

Chess In Sinar Harian 25th Feb 2009

Correction : the winner for best school team U-20 is Sek Men Abdul Rahman Talib (SMART), not SMK Sultan Abu Bakar as mentioned in the news. Apology to the team.

Add info : Best Board 4 was won by Nor Azri Malek from team TITAN, which was accidentally left out in the news ( i have given all the info for the reporter but somehow, most of the names were left out, my apology to all)


This wasn't the right picture during the event, this picture was the one taken last year (wonder why the right picture wasn't in the news)

Attention!

I think I need to make a statement here.

This blog is named Kelab Catur Setia Kuantan, is because it carries a lot of sweet memories for me with my siblings. I love the moments that I had with them, coz they are the true reason why I was national player, a former national champion. My siblings are the backbone for each of my successes in whatever that i am in with.

I like to write in my spare time, so I decided to have a blog of my own and Kelab Setia has always been in mind. Naming our team SETIA, We have won and conquered all local tournaments here in Kuantan. The trophys of Champions of Team tourneys, Pahang Closed Champions, Best Boards, etc, you named it, we had it all. But what i remember most is when we sticked up together and fight for a place in each tourney. We never get any automatic spot when it comes to play for Malaysia or to play for Pahang. We took part in any selection tournament ever held here.

Currently I am using this blog as an official site for Kelab Catur Kuantan, coz after all I am the one that is active blogging for the fans here. In future, Persatuan Catur Kuantan will have a site on its own. But right now, lets juz used this as a medium.

So, I do hope no more confusion regarding Kelab Catur Kuantan and Kelab Catur Setia Kuantan, as both are different, in name and its purposes.

Pictures of Kuantan Team Open

KCC is the tournament leader until round 5 where they meet Setia Chess Kuantan. Setia trashed these local fav 3-0 with NM Kamal leading the pack.
Pic on the right - is the promising youngsters team TEMPO fought hard against the well known veterans - TARIAN UNGGAS lead by Pakcik Shukor from Temerloh. I still remember this team way back in the late 80s where they won in style during the Kuantan Team Closed chess championship back then.


Team PAWN STONE vs MMU - both team put their best players on the board, the tournament regular Abd Khalid Musa against an Iranian player Hamid Reza - MMU student.
Pic on the right - as you can see on left is Pakcik Majid one of Kelab Catur Kuantan's AJK. He used to play under the flag of Polis Hutan (now no longer existed coz no more communist to fight) during the Kuantan Team Closed in the late 80s and early 90s. Now he is an active trainer for the Sungai Isap community.


3 trio of siblings - the daughters of our AJK, Cikgu Fakri. One of them qualify to MSSM this year.
Pic on the right - is the promising girls, one of them if continously play may become the next National Player.


The scene from the back. These kids played their best through out the rounds, ages ranging as young as 7 years old. These are the next generation of chess in Kuantan.
Pic on the right - on the left is BIZWORLD the first board player is Suwardi Andri Sidek a former Pahang state player, used to play chess in the same time as I am. A very talented player indeed but unfortunately seldom play in outside event. His team was up against SMART, comprising of kids ranging age of 13-14 years old that i bet next year will dominate the U-15 MSSD event.


On the right is UMP player - NM Zarul Shazwan leading the team. NM Zarul fought well to deserve the best board prize with 7/7 and 100 % performance.
Pic on the right - the total 60 teams took part for 1st Kuantan Open Team 2009.


The helpers that voluntarily helping. Thanks so much!

Kuantan Blitz Open 2009

After the Team event, while waiting for the result we had our Blitz Open at the same place. Many seems to be excited as this was our first Blitz ever had. 74 players participated in Blitz.. many wanted to join but we had to close the registration at 11.30. With such a huge support from the fans, our next Blitz will be a format same like the Malaysian Open Blitz that I took part last August.

The favourite for the Blitz is of course NM Zarul Shazwan, as he is a frequent player that plays a lot of this games in KL. While others were juz a regular player. Our local favourite to win the Blitz as he once beat NM Zarul during the friendly match held late last year is Sulaiman Johari, but he too failed to stop NM Zarul from clinching the Blitz Champion title this time around.

The champion goes to NM Zarul Shazwan, Second goes to NM Kamal Arifin and third goes to Sulaiman Johari. I was surprised to see NM Kamal on the second spot, coz i know he is not a Blitz player, his style of play suited for a longer time control, but in a Blitz who would've thought the outcome.

Result 1st Kuantan Open Team 2009

Finally... the result is out! Sorry to fans out there that have been waiting for the result for days now.

Honestly when we had our Kelab Catur Kuantan meeting to form Persatuan Catur Kuantan, we had our discussion to have our first event for the year. The team event has always been in our mind as it was last held in Kuantan in the year 1995 ( I think!). So, I bet not many youngsters out there actually knows how to play in a team. As it has been our motto at the Kelab to have different event in a year. We may have Rapid event, Team event, Blitz event, or perhaps Classical event.

Our first task when we choose Team event is to identify the limit of team to participate. And since the chess sets and clocks is limited to us (as we had to borrow some from Malaysian Chess Federation - Thanks a lot Greg for the sets), so we decided that only 60 teams on a first come first serve basis were allowed to participate. As the closing date approach in, many and many teams registered to play, and to my surprise it is our pride to announce that we had reached our target of 60 TEAMS!!!

The Kelab main objective is to do an open event but the prizes will be given by category, we feel this is the best way the ensure that the senior players can share their experiences with the juniors and show them the right way to play chess (this was how I became National Player, I learned from the experienced player while playing against them). Lucky for us, many understood this (though I noticed few disagree).

There are still a huge gap between the seniors and the juniors, but I do see the a little change this year. I am happy to see that many of the youngsters that play on that day, play better chess than the year before. If more and more tournaments were to be held in Kuantan, more and more talented players will arise. Well, that is what we believed in and it is our goal to have more quality games.

My sincere thank you as a tournament director to NM Zarul Syazwan, NM Kamal Arifin, NWM Nurul Huda, Mohd Khair, Kamal Azmi, Sulaiman Johari, Abdul Khalid Musa, Ali Akbar, Suwardi Andri, Suwardi Aris, Hamidi Taib, Abdul Majid, Shukor Mustafa, Asman Amin and many more that participate in the tournament and share your widest experiences in chess with the juniors. Thank you!

Thank you to the players that came all the way to the tournament, the team from Temerloh led by Norazri Malek and Pakcik Shukor, the team from Rompin led by Cikgu Zamri and cikgu Muhamad Deraman, the team from UMP led by NM Zarul, team from MMU led by Kumaraguru, team from MRSM Muadzam, Pekan, Kuantan and etc.. Thank you!

Also a deepest appreciation to my students and the parents that has helped me through out the tournament, Puan Aida, Puan Sathia, Bazli, Danish, Cikgu Fakri, Susanti, Hanis, Haris, Aslam, Hisham, cikgu Rohani and the helpers of SMK Sungai Soi. Thank you for all the support, that made my life a sunshine all the way for the two days! My appreciation also goes to my siblings, the sponsors and last but not least TO ALL THE PLAYERS, THE PARENTS, THE FANS for supporting the event, "tanpa anda siapalah kami"!

We shall meet again in May!

1st Kuantan Team Open 2009

The 1st Kuantan Team Open 2009, will start this weekend, so guys, what are you waiting for.. register now!

There are lots of prizes to be won we have :
1. Best School Team U-20
2. Best School Team U-12
3. Best Mixed Junior Team (U-20)
4. Best Family Team
5. Best Government Team
6. Best Ladies Team

Also...
the TOP 5 prizes for the OPEN section!!

The Champion will be crowned the 1st Kuantan Team Open 2009 winner and will received cash prize of RM500.00.

On Sunday (15/2/09) while waiting for the closing, we will be having Kuantan Blitz Open in which the champ will carry home RM200.00! The entry fee for blitz is RM10 for non-member and RM5 for member of Kelab Catur Kuantan.

Hurry now and register!

Kuantan Rapid Open Team 2009

Kelab Catur Kuantan is proud to announce our first tournament of the year

Name : 1st Kuantan Rapid Open Team 2009
Venue : SMK Sungai Soi Kuantan (if you know how to get to Pantai Sepat from
Tanjung Lumpur bridge then you are near to SMK Sungai Soi).
Date : 14 - 15 February 2009

If you noticed the date on saturday is actually a school day dont worry, we are working out with PPD kuantan for letters of approval for you to participate in the tournament.

This is a team event which consist of 3 players or 3 players + 1 reserve. The time control is 30 mins per game. Attractive prizes for best school team, best government team, best family team and best ladies team are up for grabs!

Register now before the closing date : 12 feb 2009!

Inquiries : call En Nordin 012-9017143 or Cik Khairunnisa' 019-9699879

Come and join us now!

****there will also be a Kuantan Blitz Open on Sunday, 15 feb 2009. This is open to all players either they participate in the team event or not. This exciting Blitz is a 5 min game. The registration in open on saturday 14 feb 2009 at SMK Sungai Soi****

MSSD Kuantan 2009

Since MSSM 2009 start in March..therefore the organising of MSSD Kuantan was like a haste, and I believe the other district also were having the difficulty too. Not many students seen this year compared to last year. One of the school that I asked informed me that they didnt receive letters of MSSD, and therefore no students from the school participated.

Hmm.. what do I say about this.. well.. we are missing a new star that is what it is! we will never know perhaps that school has a star and we failed to get that and make it shine. To be honest if anyone spot my talent early, I will be playing in MSSM in under 12 category! but i have heard of MSSD only in my secondary schooling years!

Though not many participated in the MSSD but the players gave it all out, and the teachers were doing all the best! Kudos to all the teachers - the host SK Mat Kilau, cikgu Saizi. PT Kuantan - Cikgu Norinah, and others that too many to mention in this blog including the teachers that accompany the players to MSSD. (sorry, this mamarazzi forgot to bring her camera that day, as I am too busy with my job had to be in KL for work and could only catch one round of MSSD).

Maybe next year if they can plan better and prepare, as they already know the schedule has already changed this year. And hope next year the play off can be made to decide who actually deserve the spot to represent Kuantan in MSSPahang. Coz, I have seen this year that the matchpoint of the top 5 or top 6 players are the same but due to the tie breaks only top 4 were chosen to represent Kuantan. A bit unfair coz, I have seen that the deserving players with better play can actually make it for MSSM if they get the chance to compete in MSSP. But I am fully understood the reason why the play off cant be done this year. As an organiser myself I know it is a tough job juggling 2 things at one time!

I dont have the list with me, but the players that will play for Kuantan this year in MSSPahang that will be held in Cameron Highlands on Feb 4-7, GOOD LUCK!

All the best guys!!

Here Comes The New Year

I guess it is not too late to say Happy New Year!

We are in the year 2009.. and once again new year comes with a new resolution. And what is my resolution? My wishes of having 4 tourneys this year in Kuantan will come true! Adding more new students to my list, and introduce a better chess to them and hopefully from the tourneys and the coaching more and more talented players from Kuantan will arise..

And maybe juz maybe that one day we can see the Kuantan players will contribute to quality chess playing in Malaysia.. who knows!

Now what have we install this year!

According to MCF chess calendar, this year MSSM will kick off on 14-20 March in selangor. And that is the earliest chess activities (other than the rapid tourney that has been going on starting as early week of January this year).

And yes, dont forget the National Age Group that will start in April 3-5 in Kuala Lumpur. Last year the venue was at Grand Olimpic Hotel in Jalan Hang Jebat in KL (I was one of the arbiters.. Err.. by any chance I am selected again this year :-)) Selection to play for Malaysia will be based on this tourney as it is the under age tourney for categories like U-8, U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16 the tourney for U-20 which is the national Junior Chess Championship which grants the champion the title of National Junior Master (NJM) will start in Dec 6-10 this year (last year winner was Tariq Amru and Nur Nabila). The good thing about this tourney is that these winners will get the chance to represent Malaysia not just in the World Youth but also in the ASEAN and ASIAN events! Great huh!

Wonder what is my first tourney this year (if I could finished my work before the event start) will be the Royal Selangor Open on April 29- May 3. It is a FIDE rated tourney. One way to get your FIDE ratings is to play in this tourney. And for those with FIDE ratings this is the way to increase your ratings and get a cheaper entry fee if you want to play in Malaysian Open this year :-)).

Our annual National Closed (also FIDE rated tourney) will start in June 3-7. Who will be the new NM or NWM this year will be decided in June 2009!

From the events above I do hope more and more Kuantan players will play in the tourneys, as playing outside of Kuantan does improves their game when they faced local players in local tourney here.

All the best to the players, and may 2009 will bring lots and lots of improvements to everyone!

KL Open 2008 (Part 3)

No one can run a tournament without those people that helped along the way! So, here are few of them that I could get a snap at. En Latif is one of them, but I didn't get to snap his pic, as he was busy and wasnt around the Hall at the time this mamarazzi doing her job.


(pic left) Duratul Ain (she is part of MASUM, involved in arbitering at University level, and she was also AJK for the Sukan Wanita Kebangsaan 2007, and chief arbiter for the Rapid Game at sukan wanita 2007, chess coordinator for inter college game, and Sukan Staff UKM) and Asmah (she is the female coach for Para Games at Korat 2007 where Malaysia bags two gold medal there, and she is an active coach, and arbitering for Perak schools)
(pic right) Rezal (coach and arbiter for the MSSKL)



(pic left) is Asiah (Asmah's prodigy - another future female arbiter in Malaysia)
(pic right) is Ezane (A teacher from Raub, Pahang who is much interested in chess, and he did a good job in assisting the VI players)

(pic left) Dawn Hui (a singaporean, is a chess player and her role in KL Open is a pairing arbiter)

(pic right) Rizal Ahmad Kamal (a well known chess player, former National Player, a head coach for Malaysian Paralimpik team, and also a chess businessman)

KL Open 2008 (Part 2)

GM Bong vs one player from Indonesia. Pic on the right the fight for the second placing - Wang Rui with white shirt vs Irwanto

GM Susanto Megaranto vs one Indian Player with the CM title. While pic on the right is Kaisar Jenius Hakiki (on the left) vs our Malaysian - Tan Khai Boon.

GM Mark Paragua having a tough time in this game with a vietnamese. While pic on the right, GM Filipov Anton vs GM Nguyen Ahn Dung with a simple draw secures him the champ of KL Open.

Our NM Edward Lee - not actually what I expected from him in this tourney. Pic on the right is the scene from the back table.

This was take in round 8. The GMs fighting for the top spot!

GM Susanto, trying to hang on to the position vs IM Julio Catalino Sadorra. While the game on the right was between GM Dao Thien Hai and GM Filipov, which ended in a simple draw. Filipov must have calculated that he is the winner of the event, therefore he secures a simple draw from his last two games.

According to Dao Thien Hai (we had a chat after round 8 game), the players have been exhausted (before this they took part in Singapore Open) and therefore they are playing as simple as they can for the remaining rounds and keep their strength for the next tourney in Dubai on the 24th Dec 2008. So, a draw is a simple solution.

KL Open 2008

On saturday (20/12/2008), I went to Kuala Lumpur, my first intention is to meet up with friends that I havent seen in months.. so, since they are there helping out at KL Open 2008, I'd get the closer look at the event myself.. After all I am the mamarazzi in action anyway!

The event took place at Dewan Komanwel at Bukit Jalil.. well it is a sweet memory for me coz, I have been here last year for the Sukan Wanita Kebangsaan 2007. So, the feeling of actually standing there again, was great! I am so excited to see the players, the games, as the publicity in the internet and newspaper sounds like a grand event. What a good time to take a break from my busy schedule at home to be around chess world again.

But what I see is not what it seems to be. I was surprised to see the challengers section using analog clock! and the Open section using digital but with no increment! Actually this is the first time I have heard that 2 hours time control without any specific number of moves or any increment can actually be a FIDE rated. This is a new thing for me to experience. Maybe the organiser have its own reasons or maybe FIDE wanted to introduce a new system of play to be FIDE rated. But to see all those players in such a good position actually lost on time, seems to me a bit unfair to them. Then seeing all those higher rated players with some of them GMs, IMs and etc writing on a photostat copy of A4 size of paper as the score sheet of the event, is also a new thing for me. The young players will ask the arbiter to copy back the game, but none requested by the higher rated players to do so (this is understandable why). Funny, dont you think? I was at the arbiters table helping out the event when one WGM from India asking for her games in pdf format. Then I ask my friend, she told me that the organiser promise the player to give the games after the event ended. Then I said, ok.. this is another new idea imposed by the organiser. But to have the game on hand on the next day would be much better, in terms of preparation for the next game. Well, I would prefer it that way, rather than waiting later on. Then on that day, there were list of names that players need for the purpose of the certificate. Once again I praised the organiser for the idea, coz when I played in DATMO, I sure want one cert. The players were all excited to find out they got certificate of participation. One foreign player were so happy when he ask us it is free? coz in his country he has to pay for the cert ( in this case, I hope this is not happening here). And one GM actually wants the cert too! But I heard until the final day the certs are not given to the players. Well, maybe the organiser wants to send it by post, who knows!

This are the pic taken from the challengers section :


Camillia Johari (the girl) giving it all out in the round. Pic on the right is the scene from the back table.


While Nabil (white shirt) were fighting hard against Tan Kien Wei from Spore, his sis Nur Nabila (pic on the right) were cool to take the crown by beating Joni from Indonesia in a Knight and Pawn endgame.

In round 8, the fight of the veteran vs the youth, and Li Tian won

Haslindah is making a chess move here at KL Open in challengers section, giving support to the ladies in action (and well, it is a GIRL POWER since Nabila is the Champ in that category)

Our to be GMs in the making......

the visually impared players are making the statement in the tourney. Pic on the left is Nur Fieqah - the gold medallist in last Para Games in Korat. Pic on the right is the Indonesian player with black specs. All VI players are being helped with the recording of the moves by the Helper (Asiah, Rezal, Ezane)

In round 8, Nur Nabila crushed Edwin Lam's dream of becoming the champ, they both played a very well fought game until Edwin could no longer take the heat given by Nabila.

(Pictures from the open section will be posted later)