 |
Last month's Selayang juniors open tournament at the Selayang Mall in Kepong attracted an unexpected good response from chess players in the Klang Valley.
There were more than 160 participants, but many more were turned away by the organisers when the walk-in players tried to sign up for the tournament at the last minute.
It is an old habit among the local chessplayers and it seems to be a habit that young players are picking up, but somehow Malaysian chessplayers need to learn that organisers do not like last-minute entries.
For one thing, it completely disrupts the smooth running of a tournament. No organiser can ever hope to have an unlimited source of chess equipment to accommodate all late entries and moreover, it is impossible to arrange for a bigger playing hall or more tables and chairs.
In the Selayang tournament, the under-10 section was won by Gerald Soh Han Loong who was undefeated over six rounds. Gerald Soh scored 5 1/2 points to win a computer dictionary worth about RM900.
Hoo Chin Khang also obtained 5 1/2 points but on tie-break, had to be satisfied with the second prize which was also a computer dictionary worth about RM800.
In joint third to sixth places were Jonathan Chuah Jin Hai, Effazuan Mohd Farid, Mohd Asri Kamsah and Nor Syafawati Ishak who each scored five points. Jonathan was leading the 64-player field after five rounds but fell victim to second-placed Chin Khang in the final round.
In the 56-player under-12 section, Kamarul Ariffin Mansoor picked up the RM900 computer dictionary with a score of 5 1/2 points while the RM800 computer dictionary was won by Eric Chua Chee Kiong who had five points. The other players who also finished with five points were Low Kok Wai and Low Chung King.
The under-16 section only attracted 46 players but it was this section which attracted many strong junior players. The winner of the RM900 computer dictionary was Ng Ee Vern who scored 5 1/2 points.
This event was organised by Selayang Mall Sdn Bhd with technical assistance from Total Chess. Whiz Kid Sdn Bhd were the sponsors for the main prizes which included computer games software.
MAS' WINNING STREAK
FIDE Master and national master Mas Hafizul Hilmi chalked up another impressive result in local tournaments when he won the first prize of RM750 in the Primula Beach Resort Terengganu open tournament last month.
He was undefeated in the seven-round event which attracted 48 participants. Among Mas' victims in the first five rounds were 1994 Terengganu open champion Julian Navaratnam, Kamal Ariffin Wahiduddin and Agus Salim.
Mas survived a concerted attack by Ghalam Sani Abdul Rashid to force a draw in the sixth round, and a second draw in the final round of the tournament was enough to bag him his first Terengganu open title.
Joint second to fifth in the open section were Agus Salim, Ghalam Sani, Nor Azmi Mohd Nor and Julian Navaratnam who each obtained 5 1/2 points, while in joint sixth to ninth places with five points each were Suhaimi Asmuni, Mohd Saprin Sabri, Adnan Salleh and Abdul Kadir Othman.
The novice section of the tournament attracted 68 participants. Ahmad Fakruden Mamat won the first prize of RM150 on tie-break ahead of Heng Aik Jiunn. Both players had scored five points each.
The players with four points were Zefri Abdul Kadir, Nazrul Hisham, Mohd Zamri Azali, Abdul Hanan Abdul Aziz, Ahmad Rizal Othman, Zainun Awang, Mohd Hafez Hilmi Harun and Ghani Kadir.
Finally, the winner of the under-12 section was Mohd Salami Ibrahim who scored six points. Second was Azan Abu Bakar with 5 1/2 points and third was Ahmad Fasidi Mamat with five points.
SIGN UP FOR USM OPEN
Readers are reminded that the Universiti Sains Malaysia's Bridge & Chess Club will organise their second USM national open tournament in Penang from Dec 1-3.
This three-day event will be held over eight rounds using a time control of 1 1/2 hours each per player for each game. Ten prizes totalling RM3,250 are lined up for the participants and the winner will receive a RM1,000 cash prize.
Entry fees are RM20 for students and RM30 for the public. To register, contact Ms Chew Siew Imm (04-657-7253) after 8pm. Closing date for entries is Nov 25.
TIMMAN STILL TOPS
Who, do you think, is currently the top player in the Netherlands? Jan Timman? Well, for many years, Timman was undisputedly the strongest Dutch player around. Among his many achievements were playing in the 1991 Candidates finals match. In 1993 when Gary Kasparov and Nigel Short refused to contest their world championship match under the auspices of the World Chess Federation, Timman was picked to play Anatoly Karpov in a replacement world championship match.
Since then, however, his tournament results have been rather indifferent and this included a rather ignominous last place in the Biel grandmaster tournament this year. But then he bounced back by winning a strong event in Amsterdam a few months later.
On the other hand, there is Jeroen Piket who is one of the Netherlands' up-and-coming young grandmasters. His star shone brightly last year when he won the Dutch national championship. Furthermore, he also won a very prestigeous tournament in Dortmund.
Little wonder then that a match between these players was eventually arranged to settle the question of who is the best player in the Netherlands. This match was played in Amsterdam last month and despite Piket being the higher rated of the two players,he could not match Timman's vast match experience and succumbed to a 4-6 loss.
Jan Timman - Jeroen Piket, Game 2
1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bb5 a6, 4. Ba4 Nf6, 5. O-O Be7, 6. Re1 b5, 7. Bb3 d6, 8. c3 O-O, 9. h3 Bb7, 10. d4 Re8, 11. Nbd2 Bf8, 12. a4 h6, 13. Bc2 exd4, 14. cxd4 Nb4, 15. Bb1 c5, 16. d5 Nd7, 17. Ra3 f5, 18. Nh2 c4, 19. Rf3 Re5, 20. Rg3 Nf6, 21. b3 c3, 22. Rxc3 fxe4, 23. Nxe4 Nxe4, 24. Bxe4 Rxe4, 25. Rxe4 Nxd5, 26. Rg3 Nc3, 27. Rxc3 Bxe4, 28. Ng4 h5, 29. Nh6+ gxh6, 30. Rg3+ Kf7, 31. Qxh5+ Ke6, 32. Qg4+ Kd5, 33. Re3 Qe7, 34. f3 Bg7, 35. Rxe4 Be5, 36. Re1 Qh7, 37. Rd1+ Kc6, 38. f4 1-0
Jan Timman - Jeroen Piket, Game 4
1. e4 c5, 2. Nf3 e6, 3. d4 cxd4, 4. Nxd4 a6, 5. Nc3 Qc7, 6. g3 Bb4, 7. Ne2 Nf6, 8. Bg2 Be7, 9. O-O Nc6, 10. Nf4 O-O, 11. g4 d6, 12. g5 Nd7, 13. Nd3 b5, 14. f4 b4, 15. Ne2 Bb7, 16. Kh1 Rfc8, 17. Be3 Na5, 18. Rc1 Nc5, 19. Nxc5 dxc5, 20. c4 Rd8, 21. Qc2 Nc6, 22. e5 Rd7, 23. Rcd1 Rad8, 24. Kg1 a5, 25. Kf2 Kh8, 26. Be4 Rxd1, 27. Rxd1 Rxd1, 28. Qxd1 Nxe5, 29. Bxb7 Ng4+, 30. Kf3 Nxe3, 31. Kxe3 Qxb7, 32. Qa4 Qc8, 33. Qxa5 e5, 34. Qa7 exf4+, 35. Nxf4 Qe8, 36. Kf3 Kg8, 37. h4 Bf8, 38. a4 bxa3, 39. bxa3 Qe1, 40. a4 Qf1 1-0
Jeroen Piket - Jan Timman, Game 5
1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e6, 3. Nf3 d5, 4. Nc3 Nbd7, 5. cxd5 exd5, 6. Bg5 c6, 7. e3 Be7, 8. Bd3 Nh5, 9. Nd2 Bxg5, 10. Qxh5 Be7, 11. h3 g6, 12. Qe2 Nb6, 13. a3 Be6, 14. g4 Bd6, 15. f4 Qe7, 16. Nf3 f6, 17. O-O-O O-O-O, 18. Kb1 Kb8, 19. Qg2 Nc4, 20. Bxc4 dxc4, 21. Rhe1 Bc7, 22. Qc2 Bf7, 23. Ka1 g5, 24. fxg5 fxg5, 25. e4 Bg6, 26. d5 Rhf8, 27. Nd4 cxd5, 28. Nf5 Bxf5, 29. exf5 Qc5, 30. Re6 Bf4, 31. b4 cxb3, 32. Qxb3 Rd7, 33. Ne2 d4, 34. Rd3 Rc8, 35. h4 Be3, 36. exe3 dxe3, 37. Rxd7 Qc6, 38. Rd3 gxh4, 39. Rxe3 Qg2, 40. Qd3 Qxg4, 41. f6 a6, 42. Rf3 h3, 43. Rxh3 Qe6, 44. Rf3 Rf8, 45. Nc3 Qe5 1-0
Jan Timman - Jeroen Piket, Game 6
1. e4 c5, 2. Nf3 e6, 3. d4 cxd4, 4. Nxd4 a6, 5. Bd3 Bc5, 6. c3 d6, 7. Nd2 Nf6, 8. N2b3 Ba7, 9. Bg5 h6, 10. Bh4 e5, 11. Nc2 Be6, 12. Qe2 Nbd7, 13. Bc4 Qc7, 14. Bxe6 fxe6, 15. O-O-O O-O, 16. Kb1 b5, 17. f3 Nb6, 18. Bf2 Rfc8, 19. g4 Nc4, 20. Bxa7 Rxa7, 21. g5 hxg5, 22. h4 gxh4, 23. Rxh4 a5, 24. Rdh1 Kf7, 25. Rg1 Qb6, 26. Qg2 Rg8, 27. Rh8 Kf8, 28. Rhh1 b4, 29. cxb4 axb4, 30. Qf1 Qb5, 31. Qe1 Qa4, 32. Nc1 Kf7, 33. b3 Na3+, 34. Nxa3 Qxa3, 35. Rh2 Rc7, 36. Qd2 Qa7, 37. Rhg2 Qd4, 38. Qg5 Rc3, 39. Rd2 Qb6, 40. Nd3 Ke7, 41. R. Qe1 Qa4, 32. Nc1 Kf7, 33. b3 Na3+, 34. Nxa3 Qxa3, 35. Rh2 Rc7, 36. Qd2 Qa7, 37. Rhg2 Qd4, 38. Qg5 Rc3, 39. Rd2 Qb6, 40. Nd3 Ke7, 41. Rgd1 Qb7, 42. Nb2 Rxf3, 43. Rxd6 Qxe4+, 44. Ka1 Qb7, 45. Qxe5 Re8, 46. Rxe6+ Kf8, 47. Rxe8+ Nxe8, 48. Rh1 Qc6, 49. Qd4 Kg8, 50. Qxb4 Nd6, 51. Qh4 Nf7, 52. Qh2 g5, 53. Nc4 g4, 54. Qh5 Qe4, 55. Rd1 g3, 56. Qh3 Qf4, 57. Qe6 g2, 58. Qg6+ Kf8, 59. Qxg2 Rf2, 60. Qa8+ Kg7, 61. Qd5 Qh2, 62. Rd2 Rxd2, 63. Qxd2 Qg1+, 64. Kb2 Ng5, 65. a4 Ne6, 6! 6. Qe3 Qh2+, 67. Ka3 Kf6, 68. a5 h1, 69. Qc3+ Ke7, 70. Nb6 Qf1, 71. b4 Qd1, 72. Qe3 Kf7, 73. Qb3 Qa1+, 74. Qa2 Qf1, 75. Qc4 Qa1+, 76. Qa2 Qf1, 77. Ka4 Ke7, 78. Qc4 Qg1, 79. Kb5 Qg5+, 80. Ka6 Qe5, 81. Qc6 Qb8, 82. Nd5+ 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment