Taking a Break

The first six months of 2010 has been utterly exhausting - KLCA-RSC Grand Prix, 3rd KL Open, 1st KL-UKM Masters - all this take enormous amounts of time at the cost of work and family and we are after all not professional chess organisers.

For sure there are plenty of independently run rapid events every week with the Malaysian and Penang Opens are still to come, and for our national players, the Olympiad in Russia and the Asian Games in China beckon.

So it is back to the real world until it is time for the next KL Open in 2011!

KL Rapid Grand Prix Standings after 4 Rounds

With the conclusion of the fourth round of the Kl Rapid Grand Prix (held 8 and 9 May 2010) which was organised for the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association by Polgar Chess Asia together with the Royal Selangor Club, all that remains is for the finals (which we are postponing till the end of the year due to calendar congestion) and so it is time to review the event.

But first, the standings:

Open Category:

U-12 Category:

We had a total of 61 unique entries in the Open Category and a total of 56 unique entries in the U-12 and so a total of 117 unique entries, a rather disappointing number but indicative perhaps of  the size of the local chess community.

But perhaps more telling is the constant unhappiness expressed by so many not participating that legs were being played over two days (as necessitated to give players the increasingly rare opportunity to play longer 90 minute games or 45 minutes each).

It really does seem that quality is not what local chess players are interested in.

Three New International Master Titles Won at the KL Masters!

With no less than three players earning their third and final International Master norms, the UKM KL Masters can only be deemed a big success.

(Click on chart to see detailed results)

But everyone did well too, the unsuccessful candidates all certainly showing enough quality in their games and results which on another occasion with some luck would also have earned them title norms.

And for an excellently run event, congratulations is also very much in order for a very hard working Abdul Haq Mohamad and his colleagues at UKM.

Hou Yifan Wins KL Open 2010

Hou Yifan was a very popular and most convincing winner of the 3rd KL Open 2010, the 16 year old grandmaster from China having already been crowned champion one round before the end.

See video of closing and prize giving ceremony by clicking here.

All reports are at the tournament website ww.klchess.com/klopen/ and the final standing can be found at chess-results.

The organisers of the KL Open also would especially like to thank, amongst many others, our friends at www.europe-echecs, www.chess.co.uk/twic/, www.chessdom.com, and www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com for daily international coverage.

Chessbase has also published a nice little final report summing up the KL Open at http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6252.

KL Open 2010 Begins!

With the grand opening ceremony at the Olympic Sports Hotel today that was graced by The Regent of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah Sultan Azlan Shah, the 3rd KL Open Chess Championship has gotten underway.

See Video

Read Bernama Coverage

The KL Open will be played from 7-12 April and games will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily on 7, 8 & 11 April, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on 9 April, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 10 & 12 April.

On 10 April there will also be a simultaneous exhibition to be conducted by visiting grandmaster Nigel Short from 4 p.m. and this will be followed by dinner at 7 p.m. with all grandmaster participants.

A variety of daily coverage can also be found at:

Chess Results
Official Tournament Website
Alex Wohl's Blog

Introducing the 1st UKM KL Masters

The KL Masters 2010 is on! This 9 round robin tournament which follows immediately after the 3rd KL Open Championship represents a unique opportunity for local players to try for a title norm or even to improve their rating.

We have lined up Grandmasters and International Masters who are participating in the KL Open to play as required and now it is up to Malaysians to step forward!

Already there are enquiries (and entries) from several international players as well as two locals and it is the entry list and possible mix which will ultimately decide if the KL Masters 2010 is a GM, IM, WIM or rating tournament!

Please direct your enquires to MCF Secretary Gregory Lau (greglau64@gmail.com) or to KLCA Events Director Peter Long (peterlong@aol.asia).

Nigel Short to Give a Simultaneous Exhibition at the KL International Chess Festival

This year, with his participation in the Thailand Open (as advisor to the organising Bangkok Chess Club), Grandmaster Nigel Short, former World Championship Contender, many time Commonwealth Champion, and the current English Champion will visit Malaysia as a guest of the KL Open 2010!

Short who is scheduled to arrive on 9 April via Bangkok from Europe has agreed to conduct a simultaneous exhibition at 4 p.m. on Saturday 10 April (the next day).

The simultaneous exhibition is limited to a maximum of 20 places (we have increased the number to meet expected demand) and seats are priced at RM 500 each on a first come first serve basis and of course those already playing in the KL Open interested will receive a 50% percent discount!

For the best possible experience, we will limit spectators and participants will have their score sheets signed by (and their photo taken with) the most famous grandmaster ever to grace a local chess tournament.

Together with our other VIPs, the media and special guests, the participants in this exhibition will also be invited to join the dinner function planned to be held immediately after (where their questions may be also directed to this legend of the game).

Any enquiries and your registrations should be directed to KL Open 2010 Organising Secretary Peter Long at peterlong@aol.asia.

Record Entries for the 3rd KL International Open Championship!

The 3rd KL Open Championship for the Raja Nazrin Shah Challenge Trophy has to date attracted a record 121 entries from 21 countries including 64 internationally titled players from amongst 107 international rated players.

Grandmaster Mikheil Mchedlishvili from Georgia, 16 year old vice women's chess champion Hou Yifan from  China, and many times German chess champion Thomas Luther headline a top class field that boasts an unprecedented entry of 16 Grandmasters, 24 International Masters, and 30 FIDE Masters.

In previous editions the winners of the KL Open, Anton Filippov from Uzbekistan (2008) and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son from Vietnam (2009), have gone on to attain the status of super grandmaster and one player has met the requirements for the grandmaster master title while three others the international master title.

The 3rd KL Open 2010 is part of the Masterskill KL International Chess Festival which also includes the KL Rapid Chess Championship being held at the Royal Selangor Club from 3-4 April 2010, a special simultaneous chess exhibition over 20 boards to be conducted by former World Chess Championship finalist and English chess champion Nigel Short at 4 p.m. on 10 April 2010, the first Visiting Grandmaster Series workshop for the Kuala Lumpur Schools Sports Council (MSSKL) on 18 April 2010 at the Cochrane Centre for Sports Excellence (PKSC), and the 1st KL Masters Challenge from 13-19 April 2010.

Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA) and managed by Polgar Chess Asia, the 3rd KL Open 2010 is made possible by sponsorship by the Masterskill University College of Health Sciences and the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation through their youth and national building programs.

FIDE helps announce the 3rd KL International Open Championship 2010

http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/4336-3rd-kl-open-chess-championship

List of registered participants are at:  http://www.chess-results.com/tnr29862.aspx?lan=1

Starting off the KL Rapid Grand Prix 2010 at the Royal Selangor Club

1. Organisers and Sponsors

Organised by Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA) & Polgar Chess Asia with sponsorship from Malaysian Intellectual Development Foundation and the Royal Selangor Club.

2. Format, Time Control & System

There will be two sections - Open & Kids (U-12), played using the Swiss System, and the rate of play will be 45 minutes for the whole game.

There will be 4 legs, played monthly, followed by the grand finals:

First Leg: 6-7 February 2010
Second leg: 6-7 March 2010
Third Leg: 3-4 April 2010
Fourth leg: 8-9 May 2010
Grand Finals: 5-6 June 2010

Points (actual scores) accumulated from each leg will be used as the basis for qualifying for the Grand Finals, where the top 10 in each section will be given free entry and the top 25 overall finishers* in each section will be given priority in participation.

*The organizers reserves discretion in modifying the number of qualifiers.

3. Schedule

Played on weekends: On Saturdays from 2 to 5:30 p.m., and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday
12:00-13:00 Final Registration
14:00-15:30 Round 1
16:00-17:30 Round 2

Sunday
09:00-10:30 Round 3
11:00-12:30 Round 4
13:30-15:00 Round 5
15:30-17:00 Round 6
17:30-18:00 Closing & Prize Giving

Participants are encouraged to pre-register with the organizers to be assured of a place as space is limited and so only 80 places are guaranteed for each leg.

4. Total Prize Fund (RM 6,600)

Each Leg: 
Open:
1st Prize – RM300; 2nd – RM150; 3rd – RM100; 4th to 5th – RM50 each; 6th to 10th – RM 25 each
Kids (U-12):
1st Prize – RM150; 2nd – RM75; 3rd – RM50; 4th to 5th – RM25 each

Grand Finals: 
Open:
1st Prize – RM600; 2nd – RM300; 3rd – RM200; 4th to 5th – RM100 each; 6th to 10th – RM 50 each
Kids (U-12):
1st Prize – RM300; 2nd – RM150; 3rd – RM100; 4th to 5th – RM50 each

5. Entry Fees to be payable three days before each leg, thereafter a 50% penalty of up to the applicable entry fee may apply.

Members (KLCA & RSC):
Open: RM 15
Kids (U-12) RM 5

Non-Members:
Open: RM 20
Kids (U-12) RM 10

*The organisers reserves the right to accept and reject entries.

6. The Playing Venue

The tournament playing venue is the Card Room of the Royal Selangor Club at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur. 
7. Payment

All payments shall be made payable to:
Effective Commerce Sdn. Bhd.
Maybank Berhad, Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Petaling Jaya Branch
Account Number: 514187 214430
Swift Code: MBBEMYKL

Copy to: peterlong@aol.asia

KLCA Appoints Polgar Chess Asia as Event Manager