Pusingan Kedua, Liga Catur Berpasukan Shah Alam 2009

Pada 26 Jun 2009 pusingan kedua Liga Catur Berpasukan Shah Alam 2009 telah berlangsung di Akademi Insofar Chess, Tkt 3, PKNS, Shah Alam.

Pasukan GiLoCatur Gambit telah bertemu dengan pasukan keempat yang diketuai oleh Wan Aizuddin Wan Ramli. Firey rook telah bertemu dengan Syed Remizan Syed Sobri pada papan ketiga. Firey rook bermain putih.

Hitam telah memilih bermain Sicilian Defence 1... c5. Namun pada langkah 9...Nxe4?? hitam telah memakan pawn di e4 dengan knightnya, ini merupakan satu kesilapan besar kerana pawn ini dikawal oleh knight di c3.

Kemudian pada langkah ke-14, hitam memilih menggerakkan Queen nya ke h4, 14...Qh4?? 15. Bg5! Dengan Bishop di g5, satu "double attack" ke atas Queen di h4 dan Rook di d8 oleh bishop telah berlaku. Hitam tidak ada pilihan untuk mengelak kehilangan Queen nya. Hitam kalah pada langkah 31.

Pasukan GiLoCatur telah menang 3-0 pada ketika itu, sementara papan ke-4 sedang bermain lagi kerana kekurangan jam catur.

Gambar 2. Posisi Catur pada 31. Qxb7, Hitam kehabisan masa.

(3) Firey rook (GiLoCatur Gambit) - Syed Remizan,Syed Sobri [B32]
Liga Catur Berpasukan Shah Alam Subang Jaya, 2nd Round, 26.06.2009

B32: Sicilian: Löwenthal and Kalashnikov Variations

1.e2-e4 c7-c5 2.Ng1–f3 Nb8-c6 3.d2-d4 c5xd4 4.Nf3xd4 Qd8-b6 5.Nd4xc6 d7xc6 6.Nb1–c3 e7-e5 7.Bf1–c4 Ng8-f6 8.Bc4-b3

[8.0–0 Bf8-e7 9.a2-a4 a7-a5 10.Bc1–e3 Be7-c5 11.Be3xc5 Qb6xc5 12.Bc4-b3 Bc8-g4 13.Qd1–e1 Ra8-d8 14.Kg1–h1 0–0 15.f2-f3 Bg4-c8 16.Qe1–e2 Rd8-d4 17.Ra1–d1 Rf8-d8 18.Rd1xd4 e5xd4 19.Rf1–d1 Bc8-e6 20.Qe2-f2 Be6xb3 21.c2xb3 Qc5-b6 22.Nc3-e2 c6-c5 Leneveu,B-Sokolin,L (2410)/Meudon 1991/EXT 1997/0–1 (41);

8.h2-h3 Bf8-b4 9.Bc1–d2 Bc8-d7 10.Qd1–e2 0–0 11.0–0–0 Qb6-c7 12.g2-g4 b7-b5 13.Bc4-b3 a7-a5 14.a2-a3 Bb4-e7 15.g4-g5 Nf6-e8 16.Rd1–g1 Kg8-h8 17.h3-h4 a5-a4 18.Bb3-a2 b5-b4 19.Nc3-b1 b4xa3 20.Nb1xa3 Be7xa3 21.b2xa3 Qc7-d6 22.Bd2-b4 c6-c5 Antal,A (2046)-Mester,A (2092)/Hungary 2007/EXT 2009/0–1 (66)]

8...Nf6xe4N

[8...Bc8-g4 9.Qd1–d3 Bf8-b4 10.Bc1–e3 Qb6-c7 11.Be3-g5 Nf6-d7 12.Qd3-g3 Bg4-h5 13.0–0 Bh5-g6 14.f2-f4 f7-f6 15.f4-f5 Bb4xc3 16.b2xc3 Bg6-f7 17.Bg5-e3 Bf7xb3 18.c2xb3 Rh8-g8 19.Qg3-h4 0–0–0 20.Rf1–d1 h7-h6 21.a2-a4 a7-a6 22.Qh4-f2 g7-g5 23.b3-b4 Betz,H-Hauns,H/Karlsruhe 2003/EXT 2004/½–½;

8...Bf8-b4 9.Bc1–d2 Bc8-g4 10.f2-f3 Bg4-h5 11.Qd1–e2 0–0–0 12.0–0–0 Qb6-c7 13.Qe2-c4 Rd8-d4 14.Qc4-e2 Rh8-d8 15.Nc3-b1 Bb4xd2+ 16.Rd1xd2 b7-b5 17.Rh1–d1 Qc7-b6 18.h2-h4 Bh5-g6 19.g2-g4 h7-h5 20.g4-g5 Nf6-e8 21.c2-c3 Rd4xd2 22.Rd1xd2 Ne8-d6 23.Qe2-f2 Petrovic,N (1783)-Nikolic,S (2057)/Slovenia 2003/EXT 2005/½–½ (46)]

9.Nc3xe4 Qb6-b4+ 10.Ne4-c3 Bc8-g4 11.f2-f3

[11.Qd1–d3 might be the shorter path 11...Bf8-d6+-]

11...Bg4-h5 12.0–0 Bf8-c5+ 13.Kg1–h1 0–0 14.a2-a3 Qb4-h4 15.Nc3-e4 Bc5-b6 16.Qd1–e2 [¹16.Qd1–d7 and White can already relax 16...h7-h6 17.Bc1–d2+-] 16...Ra8-d8 17.Bc1–g5 Qh4-f4 18.Bg5xf4 e5xf4 19.Ra1–d1 Rd8-e8 20.Qe2-c4 Re8-e7 21.Qc4-b4 Re7-e5 22.Rd1–d7 a7-a5 23.Qb4-d6

[¹23.Qb4xb6 makes it even easier for White 23...a5-a4 24.Bb3-c4 h7-h6+-] 23...Re5-d5 24.Bb3xd5 c6xd5 25.Qd6xb6 [¹25.Ne4-d2 and White has reached his goal 25...Bh5-g6 26.Qd6xb6 h7-h6+-] 25...d5xe4 26.Rd7-d8 h7-h6 27.Rd8xf8+ Kg8-h7 28.g2-g4 Bh5xg4 29.f3xg4 f4-f3 30.Rf8xf7 a5-a4 31.Qb6xb7 [31.Qb6-d4 e4-e3 32.Qd4xg7#] 31...Kh7-g6 32.Rf7xg7+ Kg6-f6 33.Qb7-e7# 1–0

Diagram 1. White played 17. Bg5! Double

attack on Queen and Rook by white.

Testing The Waters

by Quah S S

Players in the Klang Valley are getting a taste of the long time control game format.

FOR the past nine weeks, chess enthusiasts in the Klang Valley have been using an old chess format that has not seen the light of day for quite a while. How does a once-a-week, long time control game grab you?

That’s what 70 chess players are in the midst of discovering.

Would they prefer a serious once-a-week game tournament, a tournament that’s played over four or five consecutive days, or a quick event that crams six or seven rounds over a weekend?
Right now on every Wednesday, a handful of them have been turning up at the Dato Arthur Tan Chess Centre (DATCC) at the Wilayah Complex in Kuala Lumpur to discover whether the first option is right for them. They come to play a single round of chess that could last up to three hours or longer.

















Lending support: Goldis Berhad CEO Tan Lei Cheng dropped in just in time to watch her father, Datuk Tan Chin Nam, play.


It was the brainchild of Datuk Tan Chin Nam to begin with, that the DATCC should engage chess players in long serious games so that they would have more time to mull over their next move and rediscover the beauty of the game.

At first, it was envisioned that there could be about 20 teams taking part but eventually last April, the DATCC chess league started off with 10 teams.

“Ten teams is not a setback for you,” I told organiser Hamid Majid. “It was probably as good as you could get for a first-time event.

“The format is new to people in Kuala Lumpur,” I continued. “They are probably a little apprehensive about committing one day in the middle of every week to play chess. There’ll be better response next year when this once-a-week tournament catches on and players see how they can readjust their time accordingly.”

I told Hamid that when the Penang Chess Association first organised their chess league along the same lines in 1991, the association had faced the same challenges.

There were only eight teams then, but at the height of its popularity a few years later, there were 30 teams. For a small place like Penang, it was an astounding response.

So with only 10 teams, it was decided that this first DATCC chess league would be played as a double round-robin event. It would be a win-win situation for all. The players get to play 18 rounds and the organisers get to fill their clubhouse for 18 weeks.

Last Wednesday, the half-way stage for the DATCC chess league was reached. It was a significant milestone which, unfortunately, passed unnoticed by everyone, including the organisers.

At the half-way stage of the event, SMS Gold was leading the pack with 32 points, a slim but clear margin of 1½ points over Goldis. For most of the first half of the league, it was a close tussle between these two teams for the lead.

SMS Gold was first off the block with a 4-0 win against current tail-ender MBS Kuala Lumpur in the first round but somehow, the team lost its focus and found themselves trailing Goldis in the standings.

By the fifth round, Goldis had opened up a two-point gap on SMS Gold.
In an important do-or-die match in the sixth round, SMS Gold beat Goldis 3-1, which meant that both teams were now equal on points.

After this round, SMS Gold simply rode on the momentum to win by 4-0 in their next three matches.

In contrast, some wind was taken out of Goldis’ sails as they couldn’t match the progress of SMS Gold. Hence by the end of the ninth round last week, a 1½-point gap had been opened by the league leaders.

As the teams entered the second phase of the chess league, they would again be meeting the same opponents as in the first half of the event but now with colours reversed.
The 10th round was played only two days ago but with SMS Gold playing the tail-ender, I do not see how Goldis would be able to narrow the gap.

So who are the players that have helped SMS Gold and Goldis put up such an impressive start to the DATCC chess league?

SMS Gold is led by Fide Masters Ooi Chern Ee and Mok Tze Meng playing on the top boards. There’s also former world police champion Ismail Ahmad in the team, and Malaysian Chess Federation secretary Gregory Lau, veteran player Chan Mun Fye, Soon Wai Cheong, former national champion Nicholas Chan, current national schoolboy champion Lim Zhuo Ren and Khor Shihong.

Goldis’ fire power includes international masters Mas Hafizulhelmi, Lim Yee Weng and Jimmy Liew playing side by side. The team also has Abdullah Che Hassan (who came so close to winning this year’s national closed championship), Nik Ahmad Farouki, Ian Udani, Gerald Soh, Abdul Haq, Tan Ken Wei and Faizal Andin.

Although these teams (including the other eight) had registered up to 10 players each, only four could play in each round.

If you want to watch the 11th and subsequent rounds, be at the Dato Arthur Tan Chess Centre, Wilayah Complex, in Kuala Lumpur from 7pm onwards every Wednesday until Aug 19.

De Laguna Park (Port Klang) Chess Open - 12 July 2009

De Laguna Park (Port Klang) Chess Open - 12/7/2009

http://seleranelayan.blogspot.com/
Organized by RESTORAN SELERA NELAYAN
Date : 12/7/2009 (Sunday)
System : Swiss System - 6/7 rounds ( Round 1 starts at 9.30am )
Time Control : 25 minutes per player
Tie Break : SOLKOFF, SONNEBORN BERGER, PROGRESSIVE SCORE
Entry Fees : RM15.00 – Under 12 Category
: RM20.00 – Open Category




Every player will receive souvenir from the organiser
CASH PRIZES & SOUVENIRS WORTH MORE THAN RM 2,500.00
LUCKY DRAW SPECIAL DURING PRIZE GIVING CEREMONY
Additional prizes: ( RM30 each )
Best Pulau Indah (2)
Best IPT
Best Veteran
Best School Teacher
Best Lady
Best Under 18

Enquiries
AZHAR MOHD SAID 012 – 679 6193
ZAMRI SAJARI 016 - 277 5005
***** CLOSING DATE : 6th July 2009 *****

Bank-in your entrance fee to Maybank Acc. No: 5120 4443 7431 made payable to ABD MALEK SAYUTI before closing date, then write your name and category on the bank slip and fax it to 03 - 3165 7720 ( Do call us to confirm your entry )

Important : Please bring along the original bank slip on the tourney day. LATE ENTRY AFTER CLOSING DATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Log on to http://seleranelayan.blogspot.com/ for the map and venue details

Simple direction how to get there.
From Kesas - Go straights towards Pulau Indah ( After Shah Alam & Subang Jaya ), use the same road.
From Federal Highway - Go straight to Port Klang, then find way to Pulau Indah.
Find direction to Pelabuhan Barat ( Westports ). Crossing long bridge, just 4km from the bridge, there will be a traffic light and turn left.
Banners and signages will assist you too. Follow them!!

Kejohanan Catur Felda Lasah 2009

Image via Wikipedia

Adalah dimaklumkan bahawa satu kejohanan catur akan diadakan pada ketetapan berikut:

tarikh : 12 Julai 2009 (ahad)
masa : 9.00 pg (pusingan 1)
tempat : sekolah agama rakyat felda lasah (17 km dari sg siput utara)
kategori : B12 (L & P) B15 (L&P) dan Terbuka
yuran : Sekolah rendah / menengah (RM 5), Ahli persatuan belia / PICA (RM 10) Kategori Terbuka (RM 15)
Hadiah : B12 & B15 (L&P) Johan hingga tempat ke-10
jumlah 10 hadiah X 4 kategori = 40 hadiah
Terbuka : Johan hingga tempat ke 10
Johan (RM 1000), N.Johan (RM 500), Ke-3 (RM 300), Ke-4 (RM 200),
Ke-5 (RM 100). Ke-6 hingga Ke-10 (RM 50)

Semua hadiah ditaja oleh Persatuan Belia Felda Lasah, semua peserta akan diberi Sijil Penyertaan, Cabutan bertuah akan diadakan sebelum majlis perasmian penutup oleh Pengerusi Persatuan Belia Felda Lasah.

Sesiapa yg berminat tolong sms nama pada 014 2510852 (cikgu abu) dan nyatakan kategori. penyertaan terhad kepada 150 org yg pertama. Untuk pendaftaran sekolah, sila faks kepada 05 5951371 (u.p cikgu abu bakar)
tarikh tutup : 10 Julai 2009 atau jika sudah mencapai sasaran 150 peserta.

Harap maklum, terima kasih.

Disediakan oleh Pengerusi J/K Teknikal
Kejohanan Catur Terbuka Felda Lasah 2009
(anjuran persatuan belia felda lasah dengan kerjasama PICA)

Sekitar Liga Catur Shah Alam 2009

Pemain-pemain catur bagi papan pertama dan kedua bagi Pasukan 17ChessClub (kiri) melawan Pasukan GiLoCatur Gambit (GG) (kanan) sedang tekun bermain pada 19 Jun 2009 lalu di Akademi Insofar Chess, Tkt. 3, PKNS, Shah Alam.











Analisa permainan di papan keempat diantara En. Fauzi (GG) dan Max (17ChessClub) sementara di perhatikan oleh Kapten pasukan GiLoCatur Gambit, En. Saleh Latif (berdiri baju biru muda).

Liga Catur Shah Alam 2009

Setakat 19 Jun 2009 lalu, hanya tiga pasukan yang telah berdaftar untuk bermain. Pasukan-pasukan itu ialah 17ChessClub, GiLoCatur Gambit dan Insofar.

2. Pada 19 Jun 2009, dua permainan telah dilangsungkan iaitu 17ChessClub melawan GiloCatur Gambit dan 17ChessClub melawan Insofar. Keputusannya dua kemenangan bagi 17ChessClub iaitu vs GiLoCatur Gambit, 2.5 : 1.5; dan vs Insofar, 4-0; Kedudukan ketiga-tiga pasukan adalah seperti di dalam Jadual dibawah:-

Nama Pasukan Mata Papan Menang Seri Kalah Jumlah Mata

1. 17ChessClub 6.5 2 0 0 2
2. GiLoCatur Gambit 1.5 0 0 1 0
3. Insofar 0 0 0 1 0

3. Semoga ada lagi pasukan catur yang dapat ditubuhkan dan menyertai liga catur Shah Alam ini kerana liga catur ini akan berlangsung selama 18 minggu.

Chess Diagram Generator

Selangor Chess News - A Weekend Of Happenings

Chess Association of Selangor (CAS) players are a very active lot and everywhere they go would certainly leave their mark in the chess scene.


In the recently concluded Penang Heritage City Open, CAS VP Mok
Tze Meng (Fide Master) swept the top prize with a convincing 7 wins and 2 draws in a 9-round standard time control to prove once againthat this veteran is still one of the top players in the country to be reckoned with. It is up to present crop of juniors to rise to the occasion and earn the top spot, and respect from this 'old' guard and the chess community. Otherwise chess will remain in the backwaters or a mere recreational activity to while away your weekend or serve as a fun trip for both the players and officials. We would also like to see the seniors contributing towards excellence in chess for the sports to gain a broadbased recognition





FM Mok Tze Meng

FM Anas Nazreen Bakri is not from Selangor but his chess prowess developed in Selangor or CAS to be precise. He soon represented CAS or Selangor in national chess tournaments on numerous occasions. Like many of our top chess players he also excelled in his studies. He left for the US last Saturday to pursue his studies in Chemical Engineering. He did express hope to continue to hone his chess skill in the Uncle Sam country. We would like to put on record 'Tahniah dan Selamat Maju Jaya' to FM Anas.





FM Anas Nazreen Bakri

The Azman Hisham girls, namely Nur Najiha and Nur Nabila brought honours to the country to win the Under 10 (G) title and runner-up in the Under-12 (G) respectively in the recent 10th ASEAN Age Group+ Championships in Vietnam. The newly crowned WFM Najiha in fact hauled






WFM Nur Najiha Azman Hisham



in another Gold in a Rapid Under-12 (G) event while WCM Nabila took Gold in the Blitz event







WCM Nur Nabila Azman Hisham



for her category over the weekend With this impetus the two juniors (and the others too), should move on and to at least be on par with the likes of the senior women players of recent times like WIM Siti Zulaikha and WCM Nur Shazwani. Malaysian juniors are no different from their counterparts in the region or the world but only at the lower age-group. More needs to be done, and doing it in a different way perhaps to progress further.




Abdul Haq (left) one of the winners of Ole-Ole Chess Blitz 2009.

Selangor State witnessed a flurry of chess activities too. The Ole Ole Shopping Centre in Section 18 Shah Alam had her maiden chess championship last Saturday. Helping out in the running of the tournament was our newly appointed Committee Member Puan Suffiah. MCF Deputy President Hj Ibrahim Bakar was present to give away the prizes. By the way he was also instrumental in bringing chess to this part of Shah Alam. In the picture is one of the winners Abdul Haq (in chequered shirt) receiving a hamper from the GM of Ole Ole Shopping Centre. The tournament was won by NM Zarul Shazwan.




WCM Nur Shazwani receiving her prize at Tanjung Karang Open 2009.

Finally last Sunday, the Tanjung Karang Open 2009 was held through the iniative of a group of chess enthusiasts in the district. WCM Nur Shazwani (in the pic receiving the prize from the main sponsor Hj Mohd Yahya Mat Sahri) held her own amongst the many male players to be among the top 10 finishers. Her brother NM Zarul Shazwan again swept the top prize
In short Selangor has a large pool of talents and it is time for us to unite and pull our resources together for Malaysian chess to move forward.

(as published by Chess Association of Selangor website - June 2009)

Kejohanan Catur Berpasukan Shah Alam

Penganjur : Akademi Insofar Chess
Tarikh : Setiap Jumaat pada 8.30 malam, bermula dari 19 Jun 2009 Jangkamasa : 18 minggu
Venue : INSOFAR Chess Academy, HBM Professional Training Centre, PKNS Kompleks, Shah Alam Selangor
Format : Acara Berpasukan (Team Event , Double Round Robin)
Time Control : 25 minit

Yuran bagi setiap pasukan : RM 200. Minimum 4 pemain, maximum 10 pemain, pemain tambahan RM50 (setiap pemain).TERHAD HANYA 10 PASUKAN. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE basis. Pendaftaran sebelum 18 Jun 2009.

Setiap pasukan wajib membawa 2 set catur dan jam sendiri. Jika tiada boleh disewa - set Jam (RM 10 semalam), set catur (RM 5 semalam). Perlukan notis 3 hari sebelum hari pertandingan.*** HANYA SEORANG PEMAIN FIDE RATING 1800 KE ATAS DIBENARKAN DALAM SETIAP PASUKAN! ***

HadiahJuara : RM 1000 + medal
2nd : RM 700 + medal
3rd : RM 650 + medal
4th : RM 600 + medal
5th : RM 550 + medal
6th : medals
7th : medals
8th : medals

Untuk maklumat lanjut sila hubungi : Mat Zaki Yeop (017.528.6927) atau Muhammad Ismail aka MAX (012.268.9156)

High Noon At National Closed Tourney 2009

by Quah Seng Sun

It was a very tense national closed chess championship.

THE air-conditioning was turned up full blast but neither the players nor the spectators noticed. Instead, everyone was feeling warm under the collar. Reason? For the first time in the 36-year history of the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF), a four-player play-off had been forced in the national closed chess championship.

The afternoon’s drama was totally unexpected. For much of the national closed, Lim Zhuo Ren, holder of this year’s Majlis Sukan Sekolah-sekolah Malaysia under-18 chess title, looked like running away with the national champion’s title. He had taken the lead after the fifth round and was hanging tenaciously onto it.

Unfortunately, Lim’s game was completely torn to shreds by aggressive play from last year’s champion, Edward Lee.

In the meantime too, Lim’s nearest rival, Abel Yap, hit a brick wall, unable to take advantage of Lim’s self-inflicted difficulties. If he had won in the final round against Che Hassan Abdullah, the title could have been his instead.

So, with the win, Che Hassan drew level with Lim, Lee and Evan Timothy Capel at the top of the standings.

Capel scored an important win against an unheralded Che Aziz Mohamad Hezri.

Evan Timothy Capel

With four players tied at the top of the standings, a play-off for the national champion’s title became inevitable, and it had to be held immediately.

It was anybody’s game in this play-off.

Lee was first off the block. Aggressive play netted him a point against Lim. Capel also won in the first round against Che Hassan. In the second round, Lim broke his duck by beating Capel while Che Hassan and Lee drew their game. So after the second round, Lee held a very slim half-point lead. However, the lead was thrown away in the third round when he lost to Capel. Che Hassan scored his second consecutive draw, this time against Lim.

At the halfway stage of the play-off, Capel was in the lead with two points, followed by Lee and Lim with 1½ points each and Che Hassan with one point.

In the fourth round, Capel held onto his lead with a second win against Che Hassan, and Lee hung on behind by beating Lim again. The fifth round saw Capel taking revenge against a fading Lim while Lee pressed hard by beating Che Hassan.

Going into the sixth round, Capel was leading with four points and Lee was half-a-point behind. Che Hassan and Lim played out to an inconsequential draw, leaving Capel and Lee to slog it out in their final game. It was tense. At the end, Capel hung on and their game was drawn.

Tan Li Ting

This year’s national closed championship has been one of the most exciting to date.
By the way, 11-year-old Tan Li Ting won the national women’s closed championship. She played chess that was mature beyond her age and she overcame a lot of challenges from her rivals to pip them to the title.

Li Ting is by far the youngest national women’s champion. She is younger by four months than Siti Zulaikha when the latter won her first national women’s title in 1999, according to the MCF.

(as published in The Star - 12 June 2009)

It's All About Chess For Korchnoi

by Quah Seng Sun

Never a world chess champion, Viktor Korchnoi nevertheless lives for the game.

AMONG all the chess professionals, there is only one I know of who can truly claim that chess is his life. He’s not even a world chess champion. He came close to becoming one in 1978 when he lost what was to be known as the Battle of Baguio.

I’m referring, of course, to Viktor Korchnoi, a chess grandmaster from the former Soviet Union who is now a Swiss citizen and a hugely respected world senior chess figure.
From his youth until today, Korchnoi, 78, has done nothing but play chess. Twice, in 1978 and 1981, after defecting from the Soviet Union, he challenged Anatoly Karpov for the world title and lost.


In 1974, he played Karpov in the final of the Challenger matches and again lost. Karpov went on to be crowned as world champion after Bobby Fischer forfeited his defence of the title.




Consummate chess player: From his youth until today Viktor Korchnoi has done nothing but play chess.

After 1981, Korchnoi was never able to reach the same heights in his chess career again. Nevertheless, the fire burns strong in him and he continues to compete regularly until today. In September last year, he won the 16th world senior chess championship. It was a befitting recognition for a man who has spent his whole life in the game.

In 1978, Korchnoi wrote Chess Is My Life which chronicled the challenges in his life, his struggles with the chess establishment in the Soviet Union, his defection and a small collection of games. A few years ago, he retold the story of his life in a new edition of this book.

Many other professional chess players have claimed that chess was their life. At various times, people like Karpov, Kasparov and Kramnik have said it too. But then, Karpov and later, Kasparov, were also dabbling in other things, like politics. Karpov was a member of the old Supreme Soviet Commission for Foreign Affairs and president of the Soviet Peace Fund, while Kasparov is retired from competitive chess and is today an opposition figure in the new Russia.

In Malaysia, we do not have professional chess players. It may be too simplistic to say that because there are no professional players here, none of our chess players can claim their lives revolve around the game, but it’s true.

Chess for all of us here is a game, a hobby and an interesting pastime – maybe a more passionate pastime for some – but assuredly, chess is not everything in our lives.

But while some of us less passionate ones were spending the last few days doing things other than playing chess, the more passionate were participating in the national closed chess championships in Kuala Lumpur.

The championships have ended and I should have some results for you next week but for the moment, let me just say that there were 54 players in the open section and 22 players in the women’s section.

Of course, the numbers could have been better but I suppose the Malaysian Chess Federation cannot complain, seeing how details of the championships were announced rather late.


Regular readers will remember how I’ve often griped about defending champions being unwilling to defend their titles at the national closed championships. This year, I got a very pleasant surprise: both of last year’s champions – Edward Lee and Alia Anin Bakri – chose to play.
It took a lot of guts to play and it showed that they were willing to defend their titles. For this, I salute them. They brought that extra something to this year’s championships.


By the way, our chess players can certainly learn a lot from sportsmen like Rafael Nadal. When he was knocked out of the Paris tennis open on Monday, was he disappointed? Naturally, he was. But he let the moment pass. He accepted that one day, he would lose at this tennis Grand Slam event.


“I have to accept my defeat as I accept my victories,” he said and added, “I have to keep a cool head to try and analyse what I did wrong. I need to learn and you learn more when you lose than when you win. I need to work on those points on which I wasn’t good and from there, try and do better for my next tournament. So this is not a tragedy. This is sport.”


Now, this is wisdom that should apply to any game, chess included.



(published in The Star, 5 June 2009)

IGB - 6th Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysian Open Chess 2009

The Malaysian Chess Federation has started to promote the annual premier event in August which is The Malaysian Chess Festival 2009 to be celebrated this August 2009. Entry Form for the above Malaysia Open is now available

Date : 21st - 28th Aug 2009

Venue : Bintang Ballroom, CitiTel Mid Valley

Closing Date : 10th Aug '09

Contact : IA Hamid Majid (tel +60340219576 or +60193158098) or Greg (+60129020123)

Details can be obtained in the attached Entry Form.
In addition MCF will at the same time organize the Malaysian Blitz Open and the Merdeka Team Rapid Chess Championship 2009, thus extending the period of the Festival to the 31st Aug 2009. Further details of the team event will only be published when the prospective sponsor has firmed up their support for the event.

The difference for this year's team event will be held during the month of Ramadhan and MCF assures all players that games will finish well before breaking fast times.

36th Selangor Chess Open 2009

Firey_rook had entered the 36th Selangor Chess Open held from 30th April till 3rd May 2009 at the Dato' Arthur Tan Chess Centre, 4th Floor Car Park, Kompleks Wilayah, Kuala Lumpur.

I played a player by the name of Wan Aizuddin Wan Ramli and the Sicilian Dragon opening was played by black. I enjoyed the game thoroughly as it was an opening that I had just been practising on my own as white. It had happened to be my only win as white for the tournament.

At move 22, white played 22Rxg6! The white rook at g6 cannot be taken because the pawn at f7 was pinned by the white bishop at b3. So black was forced to play 22... e6. White quickly took the initiative by 23 Rxg7! taking the Dragon bishop! Black's game quickly came to an end a few moves later.


White played 22. Rxg6! e6 for a decisive white win.

(9) Firey_Rook - Wan Razali,Wan Aizuddin (1580) [B72]
36th Selangor Chess Open 2009 (7), 02.05.2009
[Fritz 11 (4m)]
B72: Sicilian Dragon: 6 Be3, lines with h3+Bc4 and sidelines 1.e2-e4 c7-c5 2.Ng1–f3 d7-d6 3.d2-d4 c5xd4 4.Nf3xd4 Ng8-f6 5.Nb1–c3 g7-g6 6.Bf1–c4 Bf8-g7 7.Bc1–e3 Nf6-g4 8.Qd1–d2 [8.Bc4-b5+ Ke8-f8 9.0–0 a7-a6 10.Bb5-c4 Nb8-c6 11.Nd4xc6 b7xc6 12.Be3-d4 Ra8-b8 13.h2-h3 Bg7xd4 14.Qd1xd4 Ng4-e5 15.Bc4-b3 g6-g5 16.Nc3-d1 Rh8-g8 17.Qd4-e3 Rg8-g6 18.f2-f3 a6-a5 19.Nd1–f2 Bc8-a6 20.Rf1–d1 c6-c5 21.Bb3-a4 Qd8-b6 22.b2-b3 h7-h5 Domnitz,Z (2330)-Kaldor,A (2395)/Netanya 1976/EXT 2003/0–1 (59)] 8...Ng4xe3 9.Qd2xe3 0–0 [9...Nb8-c6 10.Nd4-f3 0–0 11.h2-h4 h7-h5 12.0–0–0 Nc6-a5 13.Bc4-b3 Na5xb3+ 14.a2xb3 Qd8-a5 15.Kc1–b1 Bc8-g4 16.Rd1–d5 Qa5-a6 17.Nf3-h2 Bg4-e6 18.Rd5-d1 Rf8-c8 19.g2-g4 h5xg4 20.h4-h5 g6xh5 21.Qe3-g5 Kg8-f8 22.Nc3-d5 Be6xd5 23.e4xd5 Qa6-e2 24.Rd1–d2 Schulz,A (1402)-Doberitz,P (1761)/Leutersdorf 2006/CBM 110 ext/0–1 (36)] 10.0–0–0 Nb8-d7N [10...Nb8-c6 11.Nd4xc6 (11.Nd4-e2 Nc6-a5 12.Bc4-d3 Bc8-e6 13.f2-f4 Na5-c4 14.Bd3xc4 Be6xc4 15.g2-g4 Qd8-a5 16.a2-a3 Rf8-c8 17.Nc3-d5 Bc4xd5 18.e4xd5 Rc8-c7 19.f4-f5 Ra8-c8 20.c2-c3 b7-b5 21.Ne2-d4 Rc7xc3+ 22.b2xc3 Rc8xc3+ 23.Qe3xc3 Qa5xc3+ 24.Nd4-c2 Bg7-h6+ 0–1 Reszka,M (2091)-Kulozik,A (1800)/Wisla 2000/EXT 2005; 11.Nd4-b3 Nc6-e5 12.Bc4-d3 Bc8-e6 13.f2-f4 Ne5xd3+ 14.Rd1xd3 Be6-c4 15.Rd3-d2 Bc4xb3 16.c2xb3 Qd8-a5 17.Kc1–b1 Rf8-c8 18.Rh1–c1 Rc8-c6 19.Rd2-c2 Ra8-c8 20.Qe3-d3 e7-e6 21.Nc3-e2 Qa5-b6 22.Rc2xc6 Rc8xc6 23.Rc1xc6 Qb6xc6 24.Qd3-c4 Qc6-c5 25.Qc4xc5 d6xc5 Svendsen,A (1004)-Eliassen,E (1760)/Karmoy 2003/EXT 2005/0–1 (61)) 11...b7xc6 12.Kc1–b1 Qd8-a5 13.Rd1–d3 Ra8-b8 14.Kb1–a1 Qa5-b4 15.Bc4-b3 c6-c5 16.a2-a3 Qb4-b7 17.Rh1–b1 Qb7-a6 18.f2-f4 c5-c4 19.Bb3xc4 Qa6xc4 20.e4-e5 Bc8-e6 21.b2-b3 Qc4-a6 22.Ka1–a2 Rf8-c8 23.e5xd6 e7xd6 24.Nc3-e4 Rc8xc2+ 25.Rb1–b2 Lopez Fuentes,F (1750)-Alonso Moyano,J (2190)/Barcelona 1996/EXT 2001/0–1] 11.h2-h4 a7-a6 12.h4-h5 Nd7-e5 13.Bc4-b3 Bc8-g4 14.f2-f3 Bg4xh5 15.g2-g4 Ne5xg4 16.f3xg4 Bh5xg4 17.Rd1–g1 Qd8-d7 18.Kc1–b1 [18.Qe3-g5 and White can already relax 18...Rf8-e8 19.Rg1xg4 e7-e6+-] 18...b7-b5 19.Nd4-f3 [¹19.Qe3-g5 secures victory 19...Bg4-h3 20.Nc3-e2+-] 19...h7-h5 20.Rg1xg4 Qd7xg4 21.Rh1–g1 Qg4-d7 22.Rg1xg6 e7-e6 23.Rg6xg7+! taking over the initiative 23...Kg8xg7 24.Qe3-g5+ Kg7-h8 25.Qg5-f6+ [¹25.Qg5-h6+ makes sure everything is clear 25...Kh8-g8 26.Nf3-g5+- f7-f6 27.Bb3xe6+ Rf8-f7 28.Qh6-h7+ Kg8-f8 29.Qh7-h8+ Kf8-e7 30.Nc3-d5#] 25...Kh8-g8 26.Nf3-g5 Qd7-a7 27.a2-a3 [¹27.Nc3-e2+- might be the shorter path] 27...Qa7-g1+ 28.Kb1–a2 Rf8-e8 29.Qf6xf7+ [29.Qf6xf7+ Kg8-h8 30.Qf7-h7#] 1–0

Keputusan Pertandingan Catur Berpasukan di UM pada 29 Mac 2009

Nama pasukan catur Kumpulan Millenium. Sebanyak 40 pasukan telah menyertai pertandingan ini, yang membarisi pemain-pemain yang mempunyai taraf FM dan rating FIDE. Antara pasukan yang berseeded tinggi adalah Geng Mamak, Stonemaster Group, City Map, Rorschach, Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris, MMU, Scorpion Sufiezul Family dan lain-lain. Sementara seeding Kumpulan Millenium yang telah diberi sebelum mula pertandingan ialah ranking ke-26. Jadual 1 menyenaraikan secara ringkas keputusan pertandingan secara keseluruhan bagi pasukan Kumpulan Millenium.

Jadual 1. Keputusan Pasukan Millenium

Bil. Pusingan Nama Pasukan Lawan (warna board 1 lawan) Keputusan Millenium
1 Scorpion Sufiezul Family (hitam) Kalah - 0.5 : 3.5
2 UPSI B (putih) Menang – 3 : 1
3 Keluarga Kamal (hitam) Seri - 2 : 2
4 MMU – C (putih) Seri - 2 : 2
5 IIUM Mustang (hitam) Kalah - 1 : 3
6 MMU A (putih) Seri - 2 : 2

Jumlah Board Points (Millenium) : 10.5

Ranking Keseluruhan : 26 / 40

Menang : 1; Seri : 3; Kalah : 2.

Pictures at Tun Syed Zahiruddin Chess Team Tournament University Malaya 29 March 2009

Members of Millenium team, Khairul Azam practising with Zaini Hashim before the team tournament at University Malaya starts, 29 March 2009.

The Zuls Family against the Millenium chess team.

The Millenium team against the Zuls Family team.

The Millenium team in action against UPSI Team 2.

Breakfast before the storm begins.

Stonemaster and JB team mate resting prior to the start of this tournament.

Sicilian Dragon - Refutation of ...Qa5

(3) Hernandez,Gilberto (2525) - Amura,Claudia Noemi (2365) [B79]
Balaguer op Balaguer, 1997
[Martin,A]
I come to bury ...Qa5, not to praise him. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 d6 8.f3 0–0 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Qa5 11.Kb1 Rfc8 12.Bb3 Rab8 Diagram
XABCDEFGHY8-trr+-+k+(7zpp+lzppvlp'6-+nzp-snp+&5wq-+-+-+-%4-+-sNP+-+$3+LsN-vLP+-#2PzPPwQ-+PzP"1+K+R+-+R!xabcdefghy
Bobotsov's move, planning b7-b5 and then ...Ne5-c4, recapturing with the pawn on c4. The Rook on b8 then comes into play.Positional considerations can now be dispensed with; White should just get on with it! 13.h4! b5 14.h5 Nxh5 [One could call 14...b4 'consistent': 15.Nd5! the traditional recipe of stripping away the piece cover around the Black King. 15...Nxd5 16.Bxd5 Ne5 17.hxg6 hxg6 18.Bh6 Bf6 19.Bg5 Nc4 20.Qf4 heading for h4 and KAPUT. 20...Na3+ 21.Ka1 Nxc2+ 22.Nxc2 b3 23.Rh8+!! Diagram
XABCDEFGHY8-trr+-+ktR(7zp-+lzpp+-'6-+-zp-vlp+&5wq-+L+-vL-%4-+-+PwQ-+$3+p+-+P+-#2PzPN+-+P+"1mK-+R+-+-!xabcdefghy
Stoica-Carousa Rumania 1969A wonderful move, worth a diagram of anybody's money. What a crusher! 23...Kxh8 (23...Bxh8 24.Qxf7#; 23...Kg7 24.Bxf6+ exf6 25.Qh6#) 24.Bxf6+ Kg8 25.Bxf7+ Kxf7 26.Bc3+ Ke8 27.Bxa5 bxc2 28.Rc1+-] 15.g4 Nf6 16.Nf5!! Diagram
XABCDEFGHY8-trr+-+k+(7zp-+lzppvlp'6-+nzp-snp+&5wqp+-+N+-%4-+-+P+P+$3+LsN-vLP+-#2PzPPwQ-+-+"1+K+R+-+R!xabcdefghy
And here's another bonecrusher which a slow move such as 12...Rab8 has only encouraged. Black is almost certainly busted now. 16...Be6 She realises that she has walked slap bang into a theoretical trap. Taking the Knight is no good either. [16...gxf5 17.Bh6! Ne5 (17...f4 18.Qxf4 b4 19.Bxg7 bxc3 20.Rxh7!+-) 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qh6+ Kg8 20.Nd5+-] 17.Nxg7 Kxg7 18.Bh6+ Kg8 19.Bg5 Bxb3 20.cxb3 Nd7 21.Rxh7! Diagram
XABCDEFGHY8-trr+-+k+(7zp-+nzpp+R'6-+nzp-+p+&5wqp+-+-vL-%4-+-+P+P+$3+PsN-+P+-#2PzP-wQ-+-+"1+K+R+-+-!xabcdefghy
The Dragon is a very good opening; you just have to make the right choices, that's all. 21...Nf8 [21...Kxh7 22.Qh2+ Kg8 23.Rh1 f6 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Qxg6! and mate to follow.] 22.Rh3 f6 23.Be3 e6 24.Qh2 b4 25.Rh8+ Kf7 26.Rh1 e5 27.Nd5 Ke6 28.f4 Nd4 29.Rxf8 Rxf8 30.Qh7 12...Rab8 is too slow.I just finished a book on the Dragon and it has been a very interesting experience. Without doubt the Yugoslav Attack is the ONLY way to put any pressure on Black and I found that the way is narrowing for the second player. Perhaps there are one or two lines only that can be recommended. I'm afraid 10...Qa5 isn't one of them.The fuller truth will soon be out there, and yes, you will have to buy the book! 1–0

Introduction

I am a chess enthusiast. Each time one moves the chess pieces, one discovers the many hidden secrets of each move.

I prefer 1.e4 if I play white. Either the Scotch Opening or the Sicilian Defence or the Ruy Lopez, it depends on which moves Black plays next.

Currently have a national rating (April 2009) of 1370.