KLCA Congratulates National Junior Champion Tan Li Ting

KLCA congratulates 15 year old Tan Li Ting on retaining her title at the just concluded National Junior Championships held from 1-5 December in Johor Bahru. (See the results at http://chess-results.com/tnr117794.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=9&wi=821)

This year KLCA has adopted a policy to facilitate participation of the best young players available and we are very happy with the results at national level.

Mas Hafizulhelmi was the co-winner of the Malaysian Masters with another 15 year old in Camilia Johari emerging the champion in the woman section. Before that, at the National Closed Championship 18 year old Wong Jianwen was a successful qualifier and so am with Mas, Camilia and Li Ting, now a also member of our National Team together with UK based 21 year old Lim Zhouren.

Our other nominees in 15 year old Dilwen Ding and 12 year olds Bausch Koh and Ng Jen Sheng are all starting to develop promisingly as well. Not to mention the potential shown by 6 year old Amir Faiz Amirul and his 11 year old sister Amira Farhana Amirul.

At the Inter State Teams held in Sabah, Mas led a young team to an expected second place and that included Camilia and even younger 9 year old Lye Lik Zang. (A still young Dr Zaidan Zulkipli completed the team!). Both Mas and Lye won Gold Medals for their performances on first and fourth boards respectively.

In 2014, KLCA hopes to be able to build on this success, perhaps even on the international stage!

Grand Closing of the DTYM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters 2013

Sergei Tiviakov became the first champion to ever repeat with his second successive victory at the DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters. After a slow start with a draw in the first round against our No. 1 Mas Hafizulhelmi, the determined Netherlands resident played himself  into form and with less mistakes than his opponents even improved on his rating with a 9/10 score. 

Thomas Luther who is also on his second visit was happy to finish a clear second with the help of some resourceful play to win and hold difficult positions in the latter part of the tournament.

Rolando Nolte enjoyed an early break but then simply could not convert several winning positions and so once against missed out on getting the GM title but could draw some consolation from third place ahead of the more fancied Niaz Murshed who seemed to have lost his ambition mid way through the event.

Of the others, Ramnath Bhuvanesh was always up and down while Goh Wei Ming never really recovered from his loss to Nolte from a winning position.

Mas Hafizulhelmi performed credibly, even picking up 5-6 rating points.

Young Padmini played at a high level and consistently throughout but was very unlucky not being able to convert on occasion against her vastly more experienced opponents, while for Dimakiling and Wohl, it was a mix of very good play and some horrible blunders.

It was indeed a grand closing ceremony at the Palace of the Golden Horses with staff and students from the Asian Metropolitan University putting on a great performance and wonderfully organising the closing ceremony.

The VVIPs are certainly enjoying it. (L-R, Dato' Abdul Rashid Mohd Sharif, YTM Tunku Dato' Seri Kamel Tunku Rijaludin, DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, and Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib).

Many members of the MCF Council was also in attendance.

The foreign players were rather captivated...  

....our national women players a little less so?

...and there was very welcome support too from many family affairs 

All the details including final standings are at http://chess-results.com/tnr103856.aspx?lan=1 and the games can be found on TWIC.

Another Double Round... then the Results after Nine Rounds

Chessplayers all know that some luck is needed to win a tournament and sometimes the question is how or whether you can make it! And determination sometimes does count.

Sergei Tiviakov may have been leading but his play is that of a man badly out of form. And his closest rival Thomas Luther is now also riding his luck and winning from lost and drawn positions!

Languishing in the cellar, Dr Wong Meng Kong saved his best, as often the case, for Tiviakov and with the top seed literally on the ropes no one knows what happened to the knock out blow that never came.

So Tiviakov continues to lead with 7/8 and Luther remains second with 6.5/8.

In third is Rolando Nolte who on 5.5/8 after a tense, perhaps even unfortunate, draw with Ramnath Bhuvanesh keeps his chances for his final GM norm (and title) alive but now needs to win both his remaining games.

Niaz Murshed keeps fourth place on 5/8, Goh Wei Ming is in fifth on 4.5/8 and Mas Hafizulhelmi has 4/9 to be in sixth place.

With almost no exceptions the games have been hard fought, brilliant moves and superlative efforts and sadly also terrible blunders with resulting heartbreaking losses.

For two suffering veterans, it was really a hard day for Oliver Dimakiling who lost both his games but on the flip side perhaps simply wonderful for a much improved Alex Wohl who won both his games.

So Wohl joins Bhuvanesh in seventh and eighth places with 3.5/9 and 3.5/8 respectively, Padmini Rout is alone in ninth place on 3/8 and Dimakiling with 2.5/8 is tenth while Wong is 0/8 to be in eighth place.

All details are at http://chess-results.com/tnr103856.aspx?art=2&lan=1&wi=821

Sergei Tiviakov Takes Sole Lead

Top seeded Sergei Tiviakov took the lead today at the DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Invitational with his fourth successive victory to reach 4.5/5 after six rounds of play.

In second and third places are Thomas Luther and Rolando Nolte with 4/5 and Niaz Murshed fourth on 3.5/6. Sharing fifth to seventh places are Goh Wei Ming, Padmini Rout and Mas Hafizulhelmi with 3/6 and in eighth is Ramnath Bhuvanesh with 2/5.

Alone in ninth place is Oliver Dimakiling on 1.5/5, in tenth is Alex Wohl with 1.5/6 while eleventh and last place is held by Wong Meng Kong on 0/5.

The main excitement was however in the previous round when Goh Wei Ming saw his GM norm hopes fall apart when he blew a win against fellow GM hopeful Rolando Nolte who now has the only realistic chance of becoming a grandmaster at this event.

Malaysia's flag is flying high with Mas Hafizulhelmi holding his own on 50% with a win and a loss going with four draws but it is indeed a horror story for Wong Meng Kong who shows his lack of practice.

11 players are playing 10 games with a bye each over 11 rounds at the Swiss Inn from 4 p.m.daily with the last round at 11 a.m. on 22 June at the Palace of the Golden Horses.

Three Rounds, then a Busy Sunday... before Monday's Rest Day

We have three rounds so far at the DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters and because the players have voted for a rest day on Monday, there will be two games this Sunday.

Eleven titled players from eight countries are taking part in this ten round all play all event to be held from 13-22 June 2013 and organised by Polgar Chess Asia for the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association thanks to sponsorship from the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation and the Masterskill Education Group Berhad together with its affiliates Asia Metropolitan University and Masterskill Global College.

GM Niaz Murshed

Because we have a bye each day it will be hard to determine who exactly is leading but on points scored, for now it is 1-3. Murshed, Goh, Bhuvanesh 2/3; 4-6. Tiviakov, Luther, Nolte 1.5/2; 7-8. Padmini, Wohl 1.5/3; 9. Mas 1/3; 10. Dimakiling 0.5/3; 11. Wong 0/3.

Full details at: http://chess-results.com/tnr103856.aspx?lan=1

I have already mentioned Lim Yee Weng coming on Thursday and on Friday we even had visitors from Sabah, MCF Vice President and Sabah Chess Association President Muammar Julkarain who came together with their No.1 player (guess who!) and later on. among others, two equally serious chess lovers in Sumant Subramaniam and of course Nor Ilhamuddin Shaik Ali.

At the same time the play-offs to determine the final qualifiers for the Malaysian Masters will also take place so for real chessplayers, this Sunday it can only be the Swiss Inn in KL Chinatown!

Here we will be seeing a two game match between Muhammad Syazwan Zulkifli and Wong Jianwen (men) and a three player all play all between Jessica Augustine, Nithyalakshimi Sivanesan and Nur Sabrina Ailya Asman (women) and before I become the Chief Arbiter, let me wish every player all the best.

KL Masters Gets Underway

The KL Masters - DYTM Raja Nazrin Shah Invitational - is finally underway and Malaysia's most celebrated player, International Master Mas Hafizulhelmi, has started with the toughest match-up possible by facing top seeded Super GM Sergei Tiviakov in the very first round.

All the other match-ups can be considered to be equally exciting with fireworks expected between Goh Wei Ming and Oliver Dimakiling, a struggle of wits ensuing between Niaz Murshed and Ramnath Bhuvanesh, the classic veteran versus young talent encounter taking place between Dr Wong Meng Kong and Padmini Rout, and old friends Thomas Luther and Alex Wohl both looking for a good start against each other.

Rolando Nolte who drew the bye has Lim Yee Weng for company, the latter in early from Singapore, perhaps to prepare for the coming Malaysian Masters from 22-26 June.

The pairings and results (when available) are at: http://chess-results.com/tnr103856.aspx?lan=1

DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Invitational KL Masters 2013

The DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Invitational KL Masters, a 11 player, 10 round robin FIDE title and rating tournament with sponsorship from the the Masterskill Education Group Berhad and the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation, will take place from 13-21 June at the Swiss Inn Kuala Lumpur located in the city's vibrant Chinatown district, and on 22 June at the Palace of the Golden Horses.

Headlining the event is last year's KL Open champion Sergei Tiviakov and he is joined by fellow grandmasters Thomas Luther, Niaz Murshed and Dr. Wong Meng Kong, all who are expected to provide serious competition.

Informed local chessplayers will of course remember that Tiviakov is an Olympiad individual gold medalist and former European champion who in December anchored the Nederlands team to victory at the World Cities Team Championship while Luther is a many time German national champion who is now also serving as Chairman of the FIDE Commission "Chess for the Disabled". Niaz Murshed was the first grandmaster from the Indian sub-continent at 21 years of age when that was a very special achievement indeed while Dr Wong managed to do the same at 40 years of age while juggling career and family!

The other participants are all GM title and norm candidates, International Masters Mas Hafizulhelmi, Kevin Goh Wei Ming, Rolando Nolte, Ramnath Bhuvanesh Rajamaran, Aleksander Wohl and Oliver Dimakliing, and the many time World Youth Champion, Woman Grandmaster Padmini Rout.

See pairings and results at http://chess-results.com/tnr103856.aspx?lan=1

KLCA Congratulates IA Peter Long

The President of the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association congratulates Peter Long, our long serving Organising Secretary and Tournament Director since we were formed in 2007 (incorporated on 15 February 2008), on being awarded the long overdue International Arbiter title by FIDE.

On the international stage, Peter has successfully put together and run for us, one ASEAN schools team championship with the Ministry of Education, three KL International Opens, one KL Masters with UKM, one DYTM Raja Nazrin Shah International Open and Invitational Masters, and one DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah International Open, all events that have shaped and set the standard for organising in Malaysia.