Sting of a veteran

IN THESE days when we keep hearing of young players winning local chess tournaments, it comes as a pleasant surprise to see the trend being bucked by our foremost veteran chess player, international master Jimmy Liew. Earlier this month at the Royal Selangor open tournament, Liew demonstrated how senior players like him could still deliver a vicious sting when the occasion warranted it.

In this tournament, which was the Chess Association of Selangor's (CAS) showcase event, Liew emerged as the champion with a score of seven points from nine games. Actually, Liew had tied with two other players, Wong Zi Jing and Fikrul Saifuddin, but he had by far the best tie-break owing to a fantastic start to this tournament.

Among his victims were Ismail Ahmad, Julian Navaratnam, Ng Ee Vern and Khor Shihong, while players like Mok Tze Meng and Wong Zi Jing could get no more than a draw from him. Unfortunately, Liew's good performance in his first eight games was spoilt by a loss to Fikrul Saifuddin in the final round. But then, of course, it did not really matter any more because the first prize of RM1,200 was already his to take.

Wong Zi Jing won the second prize of RM800 as well as the special prize of RM300 for being the best CAS player in the 50-player field. Fikrul Saifuddin won the RM600 third prize.

Four players finished with a score of 6.5 points each. Julian Navaratnam collected RM450 as the fourth prize and RM200 as the second-best CAS player, Mok Tze Meng won the RM350 fifth prize and RM100 as the third-best CAS player, Ng Ee Vern collected RM300 as the sixth prize and RM50 as the fourth-best CAS player, and Gerald Soh took home the RM200 seventh prize and RM50 as the fifth-best CAS player. In addition, Soh also won the best under-16 prize.

Ismail Ahmad and Agus Salim scored six points, and they won RM100 each.

Uzbekistan Fide woman master Angela Khegai, who stopped by in Kuala Lumpur while enroute to Singapore, scored 5.5 points to take the RM100 10th prize and the best women's prize. Five other players - Khor Shihong, Sergey Kaymov of Uzbekistan, Jonathan Chuah, Mustafa Kamal and Cheah Eu Gene - also scored 5.5 points and they were each given RM50. Tan Kiat Tat was the only unlucky 5.5 pointer to miss a prize.

The best veteran's prize was given to Ramli Bahari, and the best under-12 prize went to Wong Zi Chuang.

Chung Ling in the lead

AFTER two rounds of the ninth Bayview Chess League which began two Sundays ago, Chung Ling High School "A" has taken a significant lead in the Premier Division with 6.5 points. In the first round, CLHS "A" whitewashed its "B" team 4-0 while in the second round, CLHS "A" chalked a narrow 2.5-1.5 victory over Penang Free School "B".

Its two nearest rivals are Penang Free School "A" and Chung Ling Old Boys Association which have five points each. Old Frees Association has four points, Chung Ling High School "B" three points, St Xavier's Institution, Pessca and Penang Free School "B" 2.5 points each, and International College one point. International College, led by Ooi Chern Ee who is back on holidays from the United States, has played one match less because of a bye in the first round.

The Division One results saw Penang Free School "C" taking a big lead after it followed up a 3.5-0.5 win over its "D" team in the first round by thrashing Hewlett-Packard 4-0 in last Sunday's games. The Penang Development Corporation has 5.5 points and Dell Computer "A" five points.

Closely bunched together are Hitachi, Chung Ling High School "D", the MSSPP Girls, Penang Chess Association Novices and Chung Ling High School "C" which have four points each. Both Hewlett-Packard and Penang Free School "D" are languishing at the bottom with one point each.

In Division Two, Chung Ling High School "E" is in the lead after handing Penang Free School "E" a 4-0 drubbing in the second round. Union High School is in second place with five points following a 4-0 victory over the Penang Free School "E" team. The Penang Chinese Girls High School and Dell "B" are jointly in third place with 3.5 points, while PFS "E", MSSPP Juniors and Chung Hwa Confucian School have three points each. The Penang Free School "F" has one point.

The third round of the chess league will be played this Sunday at The City Bayview Hotel's revolving restaurant after the official opening ceremony at 9.45am. The hotel is sponsoring the use of its premises for the weekly games.

 

Up Next

National allegro circuit

THE Bank Pertanian Malaysia-sponsored national allegro chess circuit continues with two more legs to be staged early next month. The first will be the Kedah leg which will be played at the Kolej Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Utara Malaysia in Sintok on July 3 while the second will be the Perlis leg which is scheduled to be held at the Sekolah Menegah Putra in Kangar on July 4.

Because the two events will be held on consecutive days, it will enable many outstation players to take part in both tournaments.

Accommodation for the outstation players can be arranged either in Sintok, Changloon or Kangar but the organisers must be informed early.

Entry fees for each event are RM10 for members of the Perlis Chess Association, Kedah Chess Association, Bank Pertanian employees, women, under-12 and veteran players, and RM15 for the others.

The total cash prize for each of the legs is RM1,500. The bulk of this prize fund will go to the main winners while RM500 is set aside for the minor winners. The winner of each leg will qualify automatically for the Grand Prix final in October. To register, contact Abdul Latiff Mohamad ( 013-301 0204) or Aziz Osman ( 04-938 6584).

Perak tournaments

THE Perak International Chess Association will organise the fifth leg of the Perak inter-school team tournament circuit at the Sek Men Kebangsaan St Michael in Ipoh tomorrow. This event is open to all schools in the state. Registration for this event starts at 8am in the school. For enquiries, call Christopher Choong at 05-321 0150.

The final leg of the Perak inter-school series will be held on June 26 at the Sek Men Kebangsaan ACS in Ipoh. For more information on this event, call Chin Kin Wai at 05-242 9592.

Meanwhile, the third leg of the circuit was played on May 22 and it was won by the Sek Men Kebangsaan Sultan Yusoff. The school had emerged second in the first two legs earlier in the year.

Four-day fest

THE Malaysian Chess Federation and the Seremban Parade are jointly organising a four-day chess fest which will be held over two weekends in the Seremban Parade. For those not familiar with the place, the Seremban Parade is located opposite the railway station. All games will be played in the concourse area of the shopping centre. Cash prizes amounting to RM2,000, hampers, trophies and other prizes in kind will be given to the winners.

On July 17, the organisers will hold the Seremban Parade blitz tournament which is an 11-round event. The registration of players will begin at 1pm, and the tournament will run from 2pm to about 7pm. There will be five cash prizes. Entry fee is RM10.

The next day, the six-round Seremban Parade age-group tournament for under-12 and under-16 players will start at 9am. There are three cash prizes for each age-group as well as special prizes for the best girl players. Entry fee is also RM10.

On July 24, the Chess Challenge continues with the Seremban Parade junior (under-20) open tournament beginning at 9am. Cash prizes will be given to the top three winners and the best under-12 and under-16 boys and girls. Entry fee is RM10.

The last event will be the Seremban Parade open tournament on July 25. The top 10 winners and the best under-16, under-14, under-12 and girl players will all receive cash prizes. The entry fee for this final event is RM15 except for under-12 players who need to pay only RM10.

According to the organisers, only a maximum of 100 players will be accepted for each event. For registration or more information, call Jessie or Jay at 06-764 8282 or fax: 06-761 9177.

 

Spain beckons for young talents

THE Bank Rakyat-PWTC national chess championship, organised by the Malaysian Chess Federation, was held at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur last week.

The championship was divided into five age groups--under-10, under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-18, with separate events for the boys and girls.

In the boys' under-10 section, Chan Litt Bin was the winner with 6 1/2 points. Except for a draw with Joshua Tan, Chan won the rest of his games. Ooi Ching Chung and Zarul Shazwan Zulkafli scored six points each, Joshua Tan and Abel Yap 5 1/2 points, and Lim Tao Sheng, Muhammad Kamal Firdaus and Seto Foong Hoi five points.

The girls' under-10 section was won by Nurshazwani Zulkafli who was ahead of the rest in all her seven games. In joint second and third places were Wan Khye Theng and Chia Yoon Yoong who obtained 5 1/2 points each. Effaliana Farid was fourth with five points, while those with four points were Kwan Penz Penz, Koo Shu Leen, Ong Mei Wen and Chong Yu Yan.

The boys' under-12 event saw Effazuwan Farid winning all his seven games to take the top prize. Fariz Shafruddin was second with 5 1/2 points, while Thaw Chee Hou, Low Chung Deng, Wong Zi Chuang, Ragu Ram and Chan Tze Wei scored five points each. On 4 1/2 points were Muaz Nor Azmi, Zarul Shafiq Zulkafli and Muhamad Johan Iskandar.

In the girls' under-12 section, Lim Han Ying who obtained seven points emerged as the winner. Siti Zulaikha Foudzi, Balgis Restu and Lee Su Lynn obtained five points each, while Hazuin Husain, Nurul Atiqah Che Hassan, Haliana Azmira and Lim Huey Jer scored four points each.

The boys' under-14 event was the first of three categories that required a play-off to determine the winner. In this event, both Jonathan Chuah and Gerald Soh finished with six points each. However, Chuah won the play-off and Soh had to settle for the second prize.

Hazril Husain and Au Yoong Yow Loo scored 5 1/2 points each, while Muhamad Aizuddin Hassan and Aaron Yee obtained five points each. Also among the prize winners were Joel Ng, Lim Choo Seng, Effawira Farid and Yap Chin Keong who scored 4 1/2 points each.

Effalini Farid won the girls' under-14 event with the maximum of seven points. Nishaah Renganathan was second with six points, while Ivy Sim Chui Geok and Ooi Ching Wen obtained four points each.

There was a play-off in the boys' under-16 section when Khor Shihong and Lim Chuin Hoong both finished with six points. Although Khor had won when the two met in an early round, Lim came out tops in the play-off. Deon Moh Teng Keong was third with 5 1/2 points.

The players who obtained five points were Teng Wei Khoon, Abdullah Che Hassan, Foo Chee Sheng, Nanda Kumar and Aaron Chua Kuang Weng. Also among the prize winners were Effahrin Farid and Liong Wei Li who scored four points each.

In the girls' under-16 section, Lim Jeannie was a comfortable winner with seven points. Lee Su Ann was second with six points, and Loh Poh Choo third with five points. Both Lim Kar Mein and Jolene Lim scored four points each.

The third play-off, between Wong Zi Jing and Ng Ee Vern, was in the boys' under-18 section. The two had drawn in an earlier round but in the play-off, Wong emerged as the winner. Ng Tze Han and Ahmad Iskandar Zulkifli obtained five points each, Law Zhe Kang and Tang Ghim Sheng 4 1/2 points each, and Lee Wen Xi, Chew Zi Li, Ng Ban Soon and Mohd Eizuddin Ramli four points each.

The girls' under-18 event was won by Samantha Lee who, with seven points, proved to be a cut above the rest of the field. Marina Soh and Ng Win Win scored 5 1/2 points each.

The three-day championship attracted 232 participants. The Malaysian Chess Federation will consider the winners for qualification to the World Age-Group Chess Championship in Spain in October and November. The prizes were given away by federation president Datuk Seri Sabbaruddin Chik.

Saprin bags first prize

THE highlight of the four-day Endah Parade Chess Challenge in Seri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur, was the open tournament held on May 23. Mohd Saprin Sabri, who scored six points, bagged the first prize of RM250 and a challenge trophy.

Five other players obtained five points each in the tightly contested tournament. Fikrul Saifuddin was awarded the second prize of RM200, and Wong Zi Jing the third prize of RM150. Ismail Ahmad and Julian Navaratnam won RM100 each, and Ng Ee Vern won the fifth prize of RM50.

Among the prize winners were four players--Kamal Ariffin Wahiduddin, Gregory Lau, Rizal Ahmad Kamal and Mohd Zamri--who scored 4 1/2 points. There were special prizes for the best under-16, under-14, under-12 and girl players and these were given to Abdullah Che Hassan, Mohd Aizuddin Hassan, Fariz Shafruddin and Samantha Lee respectively.

A day earlier, two events were run simultaneously at the Endah Parade. The first was the under-16 event while the second was the under-12.

In the under-16 event, the winner was Abdullah Hassan who scored 5 1/2 points from six games. Three players--Muhamad Aizuddin, Gerald Soh and Jonathan Tan--scored five points each to win the second to fourth prizes. The fifth prize winner was Marcus Chan who obtained 4 1/2 points. Lee Su Ann won a prize as the best girl in the tournament.

As for the under-14 event, Effazuwan Farid was the winner with six points from six games. His closest rivals, who obtained five points, were Muhamad Rabani Hassan, Wong Zi Chuang, Fariz Shafruddin and Effaliana Farid. The best girl prize went to Effaliana Farid.

The Endah Parade Chess Challenge was jointly organised by the Malaysian Chess Federation and Endah Parade.

A first for Hashim

THE Terengganu Chess Association held its 21st Terengganu closed championship at the Dewan Jabatan Laut Wilayah Timur in Kuala Terengganu recently. The event, which attracted 144 players, ran for three days.

In the senior category of this tournament, Hashim Jusoh, despite a poor start, knocked off his closest rivals--Abdul Rahim Ramli, Heng Aik Kiat and Muhammad Arshad--in the crucial fifth to seventh rounds to score his first tournament victory after many unsuccessful attempts. Hashim obtained six points from seven games.

Joint second were Muhammad Arshad and Heng Aik Kiat who each collected five points. Abdul Rahim Ramli, Fairul Yusoff, Ruzenan Abu Bakar and Adnan Salleh obtained 4 1/2 points each to finish in fourth to seventh places. The other three prize winners in this category were Senu Md Nor, Suhaidi Mustaffa and Wan Md Fuad Sulaiman.

Two of the top Terengganu players who did not participate were Nur Ilhamuddin and Nor Azmi Mohd Nor, while the defending champion Ghalam Sani posted a disappointing finish with only two points.

In the novice section, the top prizes went to Wan Zulikhsan Zaidan, Nor Haziq Noor Ariff, Md Shakir Zaini and Izuddin Yusoff who each scored six points. Among the winners who scored five points were Muhammad Nor Azmi, Sahril Sidek, Md Ramli Razali, Md Faizal Md Zaini, Khaiol Azhar Madzlan and Hazrul Hisham Ghapor.

The ladies event was won by Wan Norazma Wan Ahmad with six points. Behind her were Nurzuhaili Shamsuddin, Siti Sharina Abd Rashid, Nor Shazaliza Shamsudin and Atika Mustaffa with five points each. Nor Syazani Ahmad scored 4 1/2 points, while Intan Nur Aini Mohktar, Nurul Iffah Che Omar, Anis Akmilah M. Hasan and Noraini Tayek obtained four points each.

In the under-12 section, the winner was Omar Mohktar Che Azani with six points. On five points were Khairul Fahmi Md Nor, Md Ariff Ramli, Abdul Kadir Jailani Ramli and Afif Abdul Fataf Che Omar. Those with four points were Mohd Faizal, Ahmad Zulfaiz Kassim, Wan Mohd Darwish Abdullah, Mohd Hafizuddin Ghazali and Mohd Iqbal Razali.

The association also held its annual general meeting at the same time and Noor Ariff Yusoff was elected president. The posts of vice-president, secretary and treasurer went to Ghalam Sani, Muhammad Arshad and Wan Zid Wan Ismail respectively. Committee members are Heng Aik Kiat, Abdul Rahim Ramli, Ruzenan Abu Bakar, Adnan Salleh and Hashim Jusoh.

 

UP NEXT

THE Johor leg of the Bank Pertanian Malaysia-sponsored national allegro chess circuit will be on this Sunday at the Pelangi Leisure Mall in Johor Baru. Entry fees are RM10 for members of the Johor Chess Association, Bank Pertanian employees, women, under-12 and veteran players, and RM15 for all other participants. The bulk of the prize fund of RM1,500 will go to the main winners while RM500 is set aside for the minor winners. The winner of each leg will qualify automatically for the Grand Prix final.

Entries will close today. To register, contact Cheong ( 016-720 2272), Sumati ( 07-332 4366) or Soh ( 07-354 5418).

ABOUT 27 teams are expected for the ninth annual Penang Bayview Chess League which starts this Sunday at the City Bayview Hotel. The teams will be divided into three divisions. The first and second divisions will comprise teams that have been taking part in previous years while the third division will be made up of teams of mainly novice players.

The winner of the first division will win an 18-inch (46cm) pewter challenge trophy donated by the hotel. The tournament, organised by the Penang Chess Association, is on every Sunday until mid-August.

IN Ipoh, the Perak International Chess Association (Pica) will organise the next leg of its state-level Grand Prix chess circuit next weekend at the Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman library.

Category A is a six-round event with a time control of 60 minutes per player for each game; it will be played on June 12 and 13. It is open to all players who have a Fide (the international chess-governing body), MCF, Perak or Penang rating of 1,700 or more. Entry fees are RM10 for Pica members and RM15 for non-members.

Category B is a one-day event on June 13, open to players without a rating or rated below 1,700. Entry fees are RM5 for Pica members and RM8 for non-members.

For details, call W.K. Wong at 05-366 1692.