Star’s Article On Larry Parr

8 April 2011, Kuala Lumpur – In today’s The StarOnline News Portal, SS Quah discusses about the life and times of Mr Larry Parr who is a very familiar and jovial person in the local Malaysian scene if you ever had a conversation with him before.

So please visit thestar.com.my or click here.

Team Tournaments

28 January 2011, Kuala Lumpur – In today’s The Star Online portal, SS Quah discusses the spirit of camaderie and having fun at prevailing team chess tournaments. He briefly touched on the recently concluded University Science Malaysia (USM) Team Chess Tournament held in Penang and the meeting of new and old friends.

Apparently the university has a chess and bridge club and the students organise the annual chess individual and team tournaments to earn credits for their co-curriculum activity, as a result, the chess community benefits from this annual chess event held by the chess club. Keep it up guys! Good work!

The ongoing Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands was also highlighted by the article. It has some of the big names in chess with three groups (A, B, C)  of 14 grandmasters competing in a single round robin format chess tournament.

To read more of the newspaper article at The Star Online portal, please click here.

You may read more of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2011 at its official website or click here. Or you may see it on this blog, please click here to see the Tata Steel Chess posts.

Malaysia Brings Back The Trophy In Chess Duel

7 January 2011, Kuala Lumpur – In the StarOnline portal, SS Quah discusses the events leading to Malaysia’s first upset win over 10 years with a 77.5 points to Singapore’s 74.5 points during the Malaysia-Singapore annual chess friendly held in Singapore recently.

To read more, please visit TheStar Online portal or click here.

Many chess enthusiasts felt elated at this good piece of news from our Malaysian chess team who gave their all to get this victory. Well done, team Malaysia!

With chess featuring in this year’s SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, later this year, maybe, just maybe, the Malaysian chess team could sneak-in to reach one of the three podium finish. A dream is just a dream until someone puts it into action!

To read similar posts on the Malaysia-Singapore chess duel, please click here.

Top Efforts Of Olympiad Chess Teams Recognized

15 October 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In the StarOnline today, SS Quah’s gave due credit and recognition to all of the Malaysian men’s and women’s chess teams for their individual and collective efforts as a team for Malaysia. They did us proud for trying their level best at Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, Russia.

SS Quah also mentions that Alia Anin Bakri may be awarded the Women International Master (WIM) title for her gallant efforts with a 63.6% score. While Malaysia’s current national woman champion, Fong Mi Yen, may be awarded the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title for her olympiad efforts with a 61.1% score.

A game from Alia’s chess game against Ecuadorian player, IM Baquero Martha Fierro which Alia won.

White: Alia Anin Bakri (Malaysia)

Black: IM Baquero Martha Fierro (Ecuador)

1. d4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. e4 d6 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Be2 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. Be3 Ng4 9. Bg5 f6 10. Bd2 c6 11. Ne1 Nh6 12. d5 f5 13. dxc6 bxc6 14. Bxh6 Bxh6 15. Qxd6 Rf6 16. Qd1 Qe7 17. Qc2 Nc5 18. Rd1 a5 19. Bf3 Ne6 20. Ne2 Ng5 21. Ng3 f4 22. Ne2 Nxf3+ 23. Nxf3 g5 24. Qd3 Bg4 25. h3 Bh5 26. Qd7 Re8 27. Qxe7 Rxe7 28. Rd8+ Bf8 29. Ra8 g4 30. hxg4 Bxg4 31. Rd1 Rg7 32. Kf1 Rh6 33. Neg1 Bxf3 34. Nxf3 Rh1+ 35. Ke2 Rxd1 36. Kxd1 Rxg2 37. Ke2 Kg7 38. Rxa5 Kf6 39. Rxe5 Bd6 40. Rf5+ Ke7 41. Rh5 Rg7 42. Nd4 Kd7 43. Kf3 Re7 44. Ne2 Ke8 45. Nxf4 Rf7 46. Rf5 Ra7 47. a3 Ra4 48. c5 Bxf4 49. Kxf4 Rc4 50. f3 Rc2 51. b4 Rc3 52. Rh5 1-0

To read more of the StarOnline article, please click here.

Summary Of Malaysia’s Chess Fest

3 September 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In today’s The Star Online, Quah Seng Sun discusses the recent happenings of the Malaysian Chess Festival that had begun since 28th August 2010. Two main events have officially finished by the afternoon of the 31st August 2010 – ASTRO Merdeka Individual Rapid and ASTRO Merdeka Team Rapid events.

The Individual event was won by GM Saidali of Uzbekistan with FM Nicholas Chan in third spot, while the team event was won by Chesskidz Men’s Team. SMS GOLD was the best Malaysian chess team which had IM Mok and FM Nicholas Chan on the team.

Three more events are on-going concurrently with an Age-Group event on Sunday, an upcoming chess lecture, also on Sunday, a simultaneous chess event today and blitz chess to be announced, Tuesday. At the same time, Quah joins the current Tan Sri Lee Loy Seng International Seniors Open. Please follow on http://chess-results.com or click here.

The 7th IGB Malaysian Chess Open is currently into its fourth round this morning and GM Gupta Abijheet, the top seed from India, has won two of his rounds so far and drew his third round. On top board of the fourth round will be IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam against GM Cao Sang, also from Vietnam. Please follow on http://chess-results.com or click here.

Please read more of Quah’s article from The Star Online or click here.

Highlights of Karpov’s Campaign Trail

30 July 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In today’s The Star Living, SS Quah, weekly chess columnist, discusses the campaign trail of Karpov’s Presidential candidate for FIDE upcoming Elections in September 2010 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, Russia. He uncovers the reasons to the sudden rise of Karpov to challenge the current set of FIDE officials in the elections and traces the sudden shortfall in sponsorships for tournaments.

Karpov also argues that instead of taxing the various Federations with heavy fees, instead FIDE should be assisting the various Federations with funding or help to get sponsors to come forward. To reverse this trend, a different approach to the current scenario in chess needs to be used and the new Karpov’s Presidential team offers this opportunity to the Federations.

To read more, please click here.

Looming FIDE Elections

17 July 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In yesterday’s news of The Star Online, Living, SS Quah discusses the parties involved in the upcoming Presidential FIDE Elections to be held in Khanty Mansiysk, Siberia, Russia in September 2010. The two main candidates are Ilyumzanov and Karpov, the 12th World Chess Champion.

Issues relating to the process of nomination by the Russian Chess Federation for the Presidential candidate was discussed and the chronology of the main events leading to an intervention by the Russian Government.

Of national interest to Malaysians is that our very own Abdul Hamid b Majid of Malaysia in on the Karpov’s team of Presidential candidature for the FIDE Elections.

Please read more on the FIDE Elections at The Star Online, Living by SS Quah or click here.

Training Of Chess Players

9 July 2010, Kuala Lumpur – Today’s copy of The Star online discusses about the serious business of training and grooming chess players for the future under the guidance of the resident grandmaster from Bangladesh, GM Ziaur Rahman.

In order to improve one’s chess skills, it is important that the chess player be guided in a systematic way and to know where to make breakthroughs to break the boundaries. What better way than to have a knowledgeable grandmaster to drill in the skills needed and the proper approach to the game to reach heights of improvement unknown to the young talented chess player.

Please read more at The Star Online news portal or click here.

Exhumation Of Bobby Fischer!

25 June 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In the Star Online today, SS Quah discusses the ramifications of the estate of the late Bobby Fischer who died an Icelandic citizen but born as an American.

The significance of all this is that Bobby Fischer was once the World Chess Champion and had a child out of wedlock with Miyoko Watai, a Japanese citizen, whom Fischer had developed a relationship. You can read more of the discussion of the legalities of estate planning or ownership of his estate from today’s The Star Online, Living or click here

The Next National Champion Please Step Forward!

19 June 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In yesterday’s copy of The Star, our regular weekly chess columnist, SS Quah, discusses about the next National Chess Champion.

Quah speculates it might come from among the teens as in the past three years, it has been our juniors who have become Malaysian National Champions.

Among the names mentioned were Edward Lee Kim Han, Yeoh Li Tian, Sumant Subramaniam and Lim Zhou Ren.

Even though he has his own opinion, I wish to add Mohd Nabil b Azman Hisham (pix below) also has the potential to win the national title.

Let’s wait and see who wins, then.
To read more of the news article – Will History Repeat Itself? of the The Star, Living, please visit TheStar online of the newspaper dated 18th June 2010 or click here.

Russian Factor In FIDE Elections

11 June 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In today’s The Star, Living, SS Quah discusses the happenings to the run-up of the FIDE Presidential elections in Khanty- Mansiysk. Now that both Karpov and Kasparov are in the same camp and both are former World Chess Champions and both are from Russia. It would be interesting how these chain of events will end in September in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, Russia.

However the main event in Siberia will be the Chess Olympiad which will have teams from every country in the world that plays chess.

Please read more from the The Star, Living, Russian Roulette by SS Quah or click here.

National Chess Close At UKM

4 June 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In today’s The Star, Living, SS Quah talks about the National Closed Championship being organised at the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM) over 16-20th June 2010. At the same time, encouraging former champions like Marcus Chan, Nicholas Chan, Zarul Shazwan to come back and participate in this National Chess Championship again, even though they are already champions.

Please read more from the website of The Star Online under Living, Lifestyle or click here.

Selangor Open In Danger Of Disappearing

28 May 2010, Kuala Lumpur – In today’s copy of the Star, Living, SS Quah discusses the future of the Selangor Open under the care of the Chess Association of Selangor (CAS), which happens to be one of the longest run chess tournament in the country.

With the sponsorship of this year’s Selangor Open withdrawn, CAS went on its own to sponsor the chess tournament from its own internal funds. To keep the tournament alive for the future, sponsorships should be sought from potential sponsors by CAS.

Efforts towards this direction should already have begun or should continue in earnest for the sake of giving chess a future to grow further. As it is, Malaysia has no grandmasters yet, although it boasts of at least five International Masters. The grind towards increasing the pool of talented chess players and developing them further should continue as a priority.

Please read more from The Star, Living on “Long-running Tourney” by SS Quah or click here.

Draws, Draws And More Draws

21 May 2010 – In today’s Chess Column in The Star, Living, SS Quah discusses the Sofia Rule being employed during the recently concluded World Chess Championship between GM Anand, the reigning world champion and GM Topalov, the challenger at Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Sofia Rule dictates that players could not draw their games by agreement. They could have technical draws through stalemate or three-fold repetition of position or the 50-move rule or through insufficient material, but that was all.

There were no less than 7 draws made during the recent World Chess Championship from the series of 12 games played.

Please read more from The Star, Living or click here.

Anand The Champ

14 May 2010, Kuala Lumpur - In today’s The Star, Living, SS Quah discusses the happenings at the recently concluded World Chess Championship 2010 at Sofia, Bulgaria where the reigning World Champion, GM Anand plays a series of 12 games against the challenger, GM Topalov of Bulgaria.

Here is the running score of each of the 12 games played leading to Anand’s win with 6.5/12.

To read more of the news article, you may go The Star, Living, Still Champ or click here.

The Star On The Passing Of A Chess Leader

8 May 2010 - Yesterday’s The Star – Living – Lifestyle, Quah Seng Sun had touched on the passing of a chess leader, Campomanes from the Philippines. He was once the World Chess Federation (FIDE) President and brought some changes to the game of chess.

Read more from the internet’s The Star – Living or click here.

The Star – Counter Attacks In World Chess Championship 2010

30 April 2010 – Today in The Star - Living by SS Quah, he discusses the drama unfolding at the World Chess Championship between GM Anand and GM Topalov of Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria. SS Quah could only write about the first two games only. Where both players have won a game each. Each player with White appears to be winning. However the games have reached the fourth game on Wednesday, 28th April 2010. At this moment in time, Anand is leading with 2.5 points against 1.5 points for Topalov.

The fifth game will be played tonight, 30th April 2010 and can be followed at the usual websites on the internet.

You may read more at The Star’s website or click here.

The Star’s Girl Power

Today in the Star-The Living, SS Quah discusses about the recently concluded Kuala Lumpur Chess Open 2010 held at the Olympic Sports Hotel, Kuala Lumpur from the 6th-12th April 2010, where GM Hou Yifan from China won the event in convincing style.

To read more, please go to this link here.

At the same time, SS Quah mentions about the upcoming World Chess Championship between Vishy Anand and Veselin Topalov in Sofia, Bulgaria beginning 23rd April 2010.

KL Chess Open In The Star - Living

Today’s weekly column chess by S S Quah talks about the excitement of the Kuala Lumpur Chess Open with many grandmasters entering it and the number of participation has reached to 120 applied participants.

GM Short with a guitar.

Please read more from the The Star – Living - “Great Response” written by SS Quah or click here.

The Star: Chess Heats Up For KL Open

In today’s The Star, 5 March 2010, SS Quah’s article “Game For The KL Open” highlighted the increased participation of grandmasters around the world in the upcoming Kuala Lumpur Chess Open in April 2010.

The latest addition is the GM Hou Yifan from China who has registered herself for the KL Open. Please read more from The Star-Living webpage or please click here.