13-04-2006 chess

From Malaysia Encyclopedia

Notable tournament

CHESS By QUAH SENG SUN

If EVER there is one chess tournament that is worthy of mention in the Malaysian Book of Records, it must surely be the Royal Selangor open chess tournament which is organised by the Chess Association of Selangor (CAS).

As a chess tournament, the Royal Selangor open is the longest running event that is organised by a state chess association.

The CAS has been holding this tournament annually since 1974, which will make this year’s edition at the end of this month the 33rd in a long series. It is a milestone achievement for the CAS.

According to the chess association, the tournament officially assumed its present name in 1983 when pewter manufacturer Royal Selangor stepped in as a sponsor of CAS’ many chess activities.

Today, Royal Selangor remains committed as a major long-term sponsor of CAS events.

Since the tournament’s inception in 1974, the Royal Selangor open has attracted foreign participation from countries like England, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Uzbekistan, New Zealand and Russia.

The first six years of the Selangor open saw foreign chess players winning the event almost at will, brushing aside their less experienced local opponents. Among them was an Indonesian international master, Dr Max Wotulo, who was lecturing in one of the local universities at that time.

It was not until 1980 that this foreign domination was broken by Jimmy Liew who became the first local winner. Liew, soon to be Malaysia’s first international master, was to win the Royal Selangor open title another seven times between 1982 and 1999.

Another local player who shone at the Royal Selangor open was Mok Tze Meng, who won the event five times. Other local winners in the 1980s and 1990s were Peter Long, Nor Azmi, Mohd Kamal Abdullah and Lim Yee Weng. The pedigree of these players was very obvious – all except Nor Azmi later went on to win various national closed chess championships.

In the last few years, other local winners have included Mohd Saprin Sabri, Nicholas Chan and Anas Nazreen Bakri. The latter, by winning the Royal Selangor open last year at age 14, became the youngest ever winner in the history of the tournament.

This year’s Royal Selangor open will be played over five consecutive days from April 27 to May 1 at The Chess Network, Wilayah Complex, Kuala Lumpur. It will be a nine-round event played with international time controls, making this yet another international rated event in the country. RM1,500 will be offered as the first prize; the second and third prizes will be RM800 and RM500. Winners will also receive pewter trophies. There are seven other cash prizes for the top winners, ranging from RM100 to RM300.

Entry fees are RM40 for women, Fide-rated players and CAS members, while other players will be charged RM70.

Together with the Royal Selangor open, the CAS will also organise a non-Fide-rated tournament for under-12 and under-15 players on April 30 and May 1. This is a two-day event, played over seven rounds. The entry fees for this event are RM15 for CAS members and RM20 for non-members. There will be separate prizes for the under-12 and under-15 players, ranging from cash and pewter plaques to chess books and chess sets.

All inquiries should be directed to Shafruddin Ahmad ( 012-385 2420), Lim Tse Pin ( 012-298 4922) or S. Balendran ( 012-354 7011).

To register for these events, e-mail: selangorchess@gmail.com, stating your name, identity card number and the category of the event you are playing.

UP NEXT: Perak rapid open

The Perak International Chess Association (PICA) will organise a one-day, seven-round tournament at the Kolej Syuen in Jalan Kampar, Ipoh, this Sunday. The event will be run in two categories. Category A is an open event for players with a Perak rating of at least 1700, while Category B event caters to players with a Perak rating of 1699 or less, including all new players.

Entry fees are RM5 for players under 12, RM8 for PICA members and RM10 for all other players. For details, contact Yunus Sharif ( 05-545 8453 / 013-390 8129) or Hamisah ( 012-431 3326).

Taylor’s College open

Taylor’s College will be organising its annual chess tournament at Level 10 food court of Berjaya Times Square on April 29.

Entry fees are RM10 for Taylor College students, RM12 for other students and RM18 for other players. Closing date is April 22. For inquiries, contact Ronald ( 017-294 9604, e-mail: ronkhoo88@gmail.com), Elvin ( 016-234 1015, e-mail: elvin4@hotmail.com) or Steven ( 012-521 1894, e-mail: steventyp@gmail.com).

MBSSKL open

The Methodist Boys’ Secondary School in Kuala Lumpur will be holding its first open chess tournament at the school on May 27. This event will be played in six age groups, from under-8 to under-17, with attractive prizes that include a two-day, one-night stay at the First World Hotel, Genting.

Entry fees are RM10 for students of the Methodist Boys’ Secondary School and the Methodist Boys’ Primary School, and RM15 for all other students.

Registration and inquiries: Mdm G.K. Saw (% 016-200 8797 between 3pm and 7pm), Mdm S. Selvarani ( 016-200 8796 between 8am and 12pm) or N.K. Chin and Mdm S.P. Gan (% 03-2078 2293 between 8.30am and 1pm). Closing date for entries is May 5. Alternatively, visit www.mbsskl.com for the online details.