National Closed Championships

KLCA has been facilitating the entries of our players with MCF for the National Closed Championships from 12-16 March 2013 and to date they are:


Official Entries

Men
1. Dilwen Ding
2. Bausch Koh

Women
1. Rosamund Koo


Extra State Entries

Boys
1. Tan Jun Feng
2. Shreyes Subramaniam
3. Tan Wei Hao
4. Ng Jen Sheng
5. Tan Yong Zhao
6. Lye Lik Zang
7. Yap Egin
8. Lim Ming Xian

Women
1. Melanie Koo
2. Ho Chen Ee


Wild Card Entries

Boys
1. Dawson Tan
2. Lee Zhi Wei

Women
1. Iman Sofea Mohd Azman
2. Sofea Aliya Syahril

Its The Official Closing Date Today! (Updated)

With today being the official closing date, we are, as promised, publishing our final entry list - but if you have registered and are missing, do let us know - and we will of course still be trying to accommodate any truly deserving entries!

On the spellings of your names, don't worry too much (but point it out to us if you will), because we will follow your FIDE ID and use the April 2014 list when it comes out, and that too will be published, this time on www.chess-results.com with a link on the KLCA website.

Not too many Malaysians are playing, but that year in year out that has been the case and expected with our players largely amateurs having limited leave from work and school. This is also an Olympiad year with selection foe the national team still going on via the coming National Closed Championships and then the Malaysian Masters. We also have no doubt some foreign entries too will also drop out for various reasons.

But on the whole these will be the participants, and if I am counting right, we have 44 titled players from a total of 92 including 18 with the GM title and 18 with the IM title!

Grandmasters
1. Sergei Tiviakov (NED)
2. Niaz Murshed (BAN)
3. Richard Bitoon (PHI)
4. John Paul Gomez
5. Nguyen Anh Dung (VIE)
6. Vladimir Lazarev (FRA)
7. M.R. Venkatesh (IND)
8. Deepan Chakkravarthy J.
9. R.R. Laxman
10. Neelotpal Das
11. Suat Atalik (TUR)
12. Tahir Vakhidov (UZB)
13. Susanto Megaranto (INA)

Woman Grandmasters
14. Bhakti Kulkarni (IND)
15. Anda Safranska (FRA)
16. Irine Kharismar Sukandar (INA)
17. Medina Warda Aulia
18. Hoang Thi Bao Tram (VIE)

International Masters
19. Oliver Dimakiling (PHI)
20. Rolando Nolte
21. Aleksander Wohl (AUS)
22. Moulton Ly
23. Arghyadip Das (IND)
24. R. Ramnath Bhuvanesh
25. Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy (VIE)
26. Nguyen Van Huy
27. Nguyen Duc Hoa
28. Farid Firman Shah
29. Kirril Kuderinov (KAZ)
30. Bogdan Borsos (UZR)
31. Mahmood Lodhi (PAK)
32. Jimmy Liew (MAS)

Woman International Masters
33. Bhagyashree Thipsay
34. Chelsie Monica Shite (INA)
35. Beverly Mendoza (PHI)
36. Hoang Thi Nyu Y (VIE)

FIDE Masters
37. Ram Aravind L.N. (IND)
38. Aravindh Chithambaram
39. Haridas Pascua (PHI)
40. Nelson Mariano III
41. Kaisar Jenius Hakiki (INA)

Woman FIDE Masters
42. Swati Mohota (IND)
43. Savant Riya
44. AA Dewi Citra (INA)

FIDE Rated Players
45. Vu Phi Hung
46. Ngo Thi Kim Tuyen (F)
47. Nelson Villanueva (PHI)
48. Jelvis Calvelo
49. Gabriel Paril
50. Deleon Marohom Jr.
51. Xavier John Verdun
52. Franz Robert Grafil
53. Edsel Montoya
54. Martin Greenwood (ENG)
55. Azarya Jodi Setyaki (INA)
56. Diajeng Theresa Singgih (F)
57. Aris T.L.S.
58. Mark Vucak (AUS)
59. Fedja Zulfic
60. Fahad Rahman (BAN)
61. Md. Anisuzzaman Jewel
62. Ibrahim Parvez
63. Rana Chowdhury
64. Egor Eliseev (RUS)
65. Andre Shukin
66. Poompong Wiwatanadate (THA)
67. Thanadon Kulpruethanon

68. Tesjawinin Sagar (IND) (F)

69. Siya Rajenda Sagar (F)

70. Cyrus Low (SIN)
71. Isuru Alahakoon (SRI)
72. Vasanta Wettasinha
73. Kamarunsalehin Kamis (BRU)
74. Zain Izzuddin
75. Jamal, Danar (IRQ)
76. Ismail Ahmad (MAS)
77. Lim Kian Hwa
78. Tan Li Ting (F)
79. Yeoh Li Tian
80. Fong Yit Ho
81. Fong Yit San
82. Abel Jinwei Yap
83. Hermanu Latif
84. Tan Jun Feng
85. Mukhriez Shah Mahmood
86. Lim Meng Xian
87. Justin Ong

Unrated
88. Krassen Mitev (USA)
89. Ferdinand, Hutabarat
90. Dlsoz Omer (IRQ)
91. Michael Cheong (MAS)
92. Amir Faiz Amirul

How to Enter the KL Open

(The KLCA team before our underperforming team mate Sumant's unforgivable defection to Selangor! - we of course have forgiven him and welcome him to play in the KL Open!)

It is unfortunate this year is an Olympiad year so most of our top players have already told me they needed to save their leave to try and qualify (National Closed and/or Malaysian Masters) and then to be able to actually go (and they worry of having to find more time off work should there be centralised training).

We are however trying to work with the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) to see how the younger players still in school might be able to play but even so, there is both MSSM and National Closed in March and National Age Groups in April too!

But let me be clear that we have never refused a proper and qualified entry. I have only (and perhaps too often) had to turn away really desirable players when I could not pay them the professional fee expected or to give them the conditions they needed to financially ease their participation. We have also had on occasion had to limit the number of lowly rated and unrated players so that others playing would have a fair chance to make title norms.

So let me now state what our position is regarding participation:

1. It is not a right unless you are a registered player with KLCA in good standing and we also take the position you cannot be in a fight with other organisers and certainly not with the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) and any of its other state membership.
2. Can also get MCF to ask for you if you are indeed a national player, in the past we have even waived entry fees for such requests when a case is made.
3. But end of the day, just follow the rules: you have to enter yourself and it pays to be nice (I believe that is the norm when someone wants something), so write in politely (my email is peter@thefidetrainer.com), then it is really hard to refuse and we might even try to go out out of our way to find a way.
4. To badmouth, demand, and then running to others to make an exception? That makes it quite impossible.

The chess community is small, whether locally, regionally or globally, and so I have accepted many entries via Facebook, E-Mail, even SMS, on good faith from people with good track records and/or with standing in chess (ex top player, official, current national player, foreign international titled player, etc.). The fact that many chessplayers have such difficulty filling up entry forms is another story altogether!

But after doing this for over 25 years and being involved in over 150 international and national events of every type imaginable, I know only too well (as do my equally experienced arbiter colleagues) where there will likely be trouble and it is clearly our responsibility to preempt where possible and that has applied even to many other country "superstars" in multi-sport events where the World Chess Federation (FIDE) does not have the biggest say! Of course the measures taken to protect the integrity of an event and to ensure a good experience for the participants are many and varied.

On this note, I am of course remembering to happily accept the new and of course completely welcome entries of six more players, two local young talents in Fong Yit San (current National Junior Champion) and his older brother Fong Yit Ho, our first Singapore entry in Cyrus Low, IM Moulthun Ly from Australia, returning Kazakhstan IM Kirill Kuderinov and GM John Paul Gomez of the Philippines. 

KL Open - Update of Entries (16 February 2014)

(IM Liew might beg to differ but all eyes will be on young Yeoh!)

Time for an update - we have now reached 64 players, with 35 titled (more than half!), and representing 14 countries. Our target is still 80 (even if we can probably squeeze in 100) and as expected a number of regional national chess federations are in contact to reserve places for their representatives.

Personally I was more than happy to accept the entry of 15 year old Yeoh Li Tian, our third ranked player who made a comfortable breakthrough past the 2300 barrier last year and who we all hope for even more success in 2014, perhaps finally collecting the Malaysian Closed Championship title and also making International Master title norms!

For those still asking, details of the venue/hotel can be found at www.olympichotel-kualalumpur.com/.

Again, a reminder that entry fee for all other than grandmasters is USD 100, eligible Malaysians only pay RM 200 and for KLCA representatives it is just RM 150.

Grandmasters
1. Sergei Tiviakov
2. Niaz Murshed
3. Richard Bitoon
4. Nguyen Anh Dung
5. Vladimir Lazarev
6. M.R. Venkatesh
7. Deepan Chakkravarthy J.
8. R.R. Laxman
9. Neelotpal Das
10. Vaibhav Suri

Woman Grandmasters
11. Bhakti Kulkarni
12. Bhagyashree Thipsay
13. Irine Kharismar Sukandar
14. Medina Warda Aulia
15. Anda Safranska

International Masters
16. Oliver Dimakiling
17. Rolando Notle
18. Jahongir Vakhidov
19. Aleksander Wohl
20. Arghyadip Das
21. R. Ramnath Bhuvanesh
22. S. Satyapragyan
23. Aleksander Wohl
24. Bogdan Borsos
25. Dede Lioe
26. Jimmy Liew

Woman International Masters
27. Chelsie Monica Shite
28. Upi Damayana Tamin

FIDE Masters
29. Haridas Pascua
30. Nelson Mariano III
31. Aravindh Chithambaram
32. Ram Aravind L.N

Woman FIDE Masters
33. AA Dewi Citra
34. Swati Mohota
35. Savant Riya

FIDE Rated Players
36. Luu Duc Hai
37. Vu Phi Hung
38. Ngo Thi Kim Tuyen (F)
39. Nelson Villanueva
40. Jelvia Calvelo
41. Azarya Jodi Setyaki
42. Diajeng Theresa Singgih (F)
43. Hendry Jamals
44. Aris T.L.S.
45. Ferry Ferdiansyah
46. Martin Greenwood
47. Mark Vucak
48. Md. Anisuzzaman Jewel
49. Ibrahim Parvez
50. Rana Chowdhury
51. Egor Eliseev
52. Andre Shukin
53. Poompong Wiwatanadate
54. Thanadon Kulpruethanon

55. Akash PC Iyer

56. Tesjawinin Sagar (F)

57. Siya Rajenda Sagar (F)

58. Kavisha S Shah (F)
59. Ismail Ahmad
60. Prabhaharan Rajendra
61. Lim Kian Hwa
62. Tan Li Ting (F)
63. Yeoh Li Tian

Unrated
64. Michael Cheong

Initial Entry List (After Exactly 48 Hours)

Lots of enquiries already (especially with groups of players coming officially from some countries), and confirmed so far are six GMs, six IMs, one FM and two FIDE rated from 8 countries (including Malaysia):

Grandmasters
1. Nigel Short (ENG)
2. Sergei Tiviakov (NED)
3. Nguyen Anh Dung (VIE)
4. Niaz Murshed (BAN)
5. Richard Bitoon (PHI)
6. Praveen Thipsay (IND)

















International Masters
7. Nguyen Van Huy (VIE)
8. Bhuvanesh R. Ramnath (IND)
9. Alex Wohl (AUS)
10. Oliver Dimakiling (PHI)
11. Abu Sufian Shakil (BAN)
12. Jimmy Liew (MAS)


FIDE Master
13. L.N. Ram Aravind (IND)


FIDE Rated
14. Poompong Wiwatanadate (THA)
15. Ismail Ahmad (MAS)

DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah KL International Open Chess Championships 2014

1. Sponsors & Organisers

With sponsorship from the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation, Polgar Chess Asia and the Kuala Lumpur Chess Association (KLCA), together with the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF), is pleased to announce the DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah KL International Open Chess Championship will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 4-11 April 2014.

2. Format of Play

The tournament will be played over 9 rounds using the Swiss System according to World Chess Federation (FIDE) Title & Rating Regulations, with a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game. In addition, there will be a 30 second time increment per move from move one.

3. Prizes

1st RM 10,000, 2nd RM 6,000, 3rd RM 4,000, 4th RM 2,000, 5th-10th RM 1,000 each, Best Woman RM 1,000, and with Special Prizes totalling RM 1,000.

4. Entries

The entry fee is USD 100 (RM 200 for locals - KLCA players get a 50% discount) and the organisers reserve the right to increase the entry fees for players under 1800 or who are unrated, and to refuse any entry without explanation.   

WHILE WE WILL ACCEPT PROVISIONAL REGISTRATION, ENTRIES ARE ONLY CONFIRMED ON RECEIPT OF PAYMENT AS PLACES ARE LIMITED.

5. Schedule

Friday 4 April 

Arrival

1100 Technical Meeting

1500 Round 1

Saturday 5 April

0900 Round 2

1500 Round 3

Sunday 6 April

Rest Day

Monday 7 April

0900 Round 4

1500 Round 5

Tuesday 8 April

0900 Round 6

Wednesday 9 April

0900 Round 7

Thursday 10 April

0900 Round 8

Friday 11 April

0900 Round 9

1600 Prize Award & Closing Ceremony

Departure

6. Contact

The Organising Secretary/Tournament Director is IA Peter Long and all enquiries may be directed to him via email: peter@thefidetrainer.com.

Thank You from KLCA!

In the last few months, and especially in recent days, KLCA has received many offers from individuals offering their help and services and whatever your agendas might be, we thank each and everyone of you for coming forward.

As all other state associations will confirm, under the Commissioner of Sports (COS) guidelines, our members can only be through clubs and in fact since our last AGM we have been working to set up these clubs so that individuals can become members.

We are very happy so many onboard over the years have been stepping up to try and help us become better even as we have grown from strength to strength, and last year, 2013, saw KLCA not only organise once again a major DYTM Raja Nazrin Shah international event for the sixth successive year, this time in the form of a KL Masters, and we also organised and hosted a Malaysian Masters, both for our men and our women, for the Malaysian Chess Federation.

KLCA also sent young players to play in the National Championships and the National Junior Championships and fully supported the newly revived Inter State Team Championships.

We are of course very proud of the results of players like IM Mas Hafizulhelmi, FM Lim Zhouren, Wong Jianwen, Dr, Zaidan Zulkipli, WFM Camilia Johari, Tan Li Ting, and Lye Lik Zang, all who played and excelled under the KLCA banner.

In  few months we will have our AGM and so now is the time for you who have been so interested: KK, Fadli, Yeap, Megat, Raymond, and so many others like yourselves, to set-up clubs under COS that could qualify you to apply KLCA membership, and we will give every application our consideration.

But remember, we are not interested in, let alone wish to be involved in your politics!

     

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!