28-04-2006 chess
From Malaysia Encyclopedia
Top player
CHESS by QUAH SENG SUN
HE IS a former national chess champion but today, Wong Zijing, 24, is to be feted as Malaysia’s third International Master. Not only that, he is Malaysia’s top ranking player in the World Chess Federation’s latest rating list released early this month.
According to the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF), all paperwork pertaining to Wong’s title application has been completed. The application will be submitted to the World Chess Federation (Fide) next month. Barring any unforeseen development, the International Master title is expected to be ratified when Fide meets in Turin, Italy, at its annual Chess Congress.
But much more than this title, Wong is due for another recognition, this time from Datuk Tan Chin Nam, the MCF founding president.
Wong Ziying is set to become Malaysia’s Third International Master. “I am very pleased for Wong,” Tan said when he was contacted earlier this week. “All our international titled players have been good role models for our local players and I am sure that Wong, our third IM, will be too.”
In 1974, the year that Tan founded the MCF, he announced a personal incentive scheme to local chess players that anyone who becomes an international master would be given RM5,000 while a grandmaster title would be worth RM30,000. Wong will be the latest recipient of this incentive, Tan said.
For any chess player to qualify for an international chess title, the player must have played and achieved certain expected results at international titled tournaments.
Wong, who is now pursuing his post-graduate studies in aeronautical engineering in South Korea, has attained all that.
His first International Master title norm was obtained at the Goodrich international open tournament in Kolkata, India, in 2002.
Wong’s results in this event: beat WIM Ghader Pour (Iran), FM Hossain Enamul (Bangladesh), IM Ramesh (India) and IM Al-Sayed Mohamad (Qatar); drawn with GM Lalic Bogdan (England), GM Abhijit Kunte (India) and Satyap Ragyan (India); lost to IM Prakash (India), GM Alexandrov (Belarus), WGM Humpy Koneru (India) and GM Barua (India).
His second International Master title norm came a year later at the SEA Games in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
There, Wong beat Kyaw Kyaw Soe (Myanmar), FM Bao Quang (Vietnam) and GM Wong Meng Kong (Singapore); drawn with GM Cerdas Barus (Indonesia), IM Mark Paragua (Philippines), Wynn Zaw Htun (Myanmar), IM Phan Minh Hoang (Vietnam) and IM Susanto Megaranto; and lost to GM Wu Shaobin (China, but representing Singapore).
He had to wait for another two years before another spate of good results netted him his third International Master title norm. Again, it was at another SEA Games, this time in Tagaytay, the Philippines.
Wong’s results comprised victories over IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (Malaysia) and FM Tirto (Indonesia); draws with IM Jason Goh (Singapore), FM Lim Yee Weng (Malaysia), GM Wu Shaobin (China), IM Wynn Zaw Htun (Myanmar) and FM Dinh Duc Trong (Vietnam); and only one loss to FM Goh Wei Ming (Singapore).
But despite having achieved all the three required title norms, there was still one last hurdle. The Fide rules require that a player must attain a rating of at least 2400 at some point after the first title result was achieved.
Throughout his chess-playing career which began during his primary school days, Wong had never gone higher than 2349 in the rating list and prior to the SEA Games in the Philippines, his rating had dropped to 2312. However, he regained 30 points after the SEA Games.
Recognising that he needed to raise his rating points to beyond 2400 before the title could be his, Wong chose the Winter Cup in Yangon, Myanmar, as his immediate target. Here, he gained a further 79 points to boost his new rating to 2421.
Interestingly, the 109-point increase in Wong’s rating has also propelled him to become the new Malaysian number one, pipping Mas Hafizulhelmi by a mere nine points.
UP NEXT
Taylor’s College open
The Taylor’s College will be organising its annual chess tournament at the Level 10 food court of Berjaya Times Square tomorrow.
Entry fees are RM10 for Taylor College students, RM12 for other students and RM18 for other players. For inquiries, contact Ronald (017-2949604, Elvin (016-2341015) or Steven (012-5211894).
CAS under-12, under-15
Concurrently with the 33rd Royal Selangor open tournament, the Chess Association of Selangor (CAS) is holding a separate tournament on April 30 and May 1 for the under-12 and under-15 age group players. Venue: The Chess Network at the Wilayah Complex in Kuala Lumpur. Entry fees are RM15 for CAS members and RM20 for non-members.
To register, e-mail selangorchess @gmail.com, stating your name, identity card number and category of event.
MBSSKL open
The Methodist Boys’ Secondary School in Kuala Lumpur will hold 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 First World Hotel, Genting.
Entry fees are RM10 for students of the Methodist Boy’s Secondary School and the Methodist Boys’ Primary School and RM15 for all other students.
For registration and inquiries, contact G.K. Saw (016-2008 797 between 3pm and 7pm), S. Selvarani (016-2008 796 between 8am and 12pm) or N.K. Chin and S.P. Gan (03-2078 2293 between 8.30am and 1pm). Closing date for entries is May 5. Alternatively, visit www.mbsskl.comfor the online details.
- Quah Seng Sun can be contacted at ssquah@gmail.com Join Malaysia’s biggest chess mailing list by registering yourself at groups.yahoo.com/group/chess-malaysia
