The first time that the national closed was played, there were only four chess state associations – Penang, Selangor, Penang and Johor – and 18 players were basically playing a small six-round event at the old FAS building in Kuala Lumpur. Choo Min Wang won this inaugural event, with Dr Foo Lum Choon finishing as the runners-up.
But from that modest start, the national closed championship has grown to the stage where it is today: a very competitive event with representations from almost all parts of the country, including Sarawak and Sabah.
Unfortunately, the national closed championship suffers from one drawback: the prize money is really nothing to shout about. The winner gets only a small token sum. If you are not from the Klang Valley, the sum may come useful for your lodging needs but that will be the extent of its usefulness.
Yet, players come from near and far to play in this tournament. It is not so much about the prize but the opportunity to win the title and call himself the national champion with a national master title thrown in as a reward.
In addition, the winner will normally get the opportunity to be called up by the Malaysian Chess Federation to play in selected overseas team tournaments such as the Chess Olympads.
So who are our national champions? Apart from Choo, we have 21 other players who have won this title in the 30 years of the national closed chess championship. Some, obviously, have won the title more than once.
A common thread that runs through this championship series is that the average winner has always been young. There have been players winning this event when they are in their 30s, but by and large, our champions tend to be young, not more than 25 years old. This is perhaps a reflection of the continuing popularity of the game among school-age children.
In all the years of the national closed championship, there do exist a handful of occasions when ranked outsiders suddenly overcame the odds to become the champions. But apart from these odd occasions, each of the other winners has certainly left their mark permanently on Malaysian chess. By acquitting themselves when playing on the world stage, they have shown themselves to be worthy holders of the title.
This year, the national closed chess championship will be played from May 28 to Jun 1. The state chess associations are eligible to enter four men and four women players officially to the championships.
Other players are also able to take part but they shall need to pay RM50 to the Malaysian Chess Federation if they have a Fide rating or RM150 if they are not rated. For more information, contact Hamid Majid (tel: 019.3158098).
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Tebrau open
The Johor Bahru District Chess Association will hold their 16th Tebrau open chess tournament at the Plaza Pelangi in Johor Bahru this Sunday. The event will be held in three sections: the open, under-16 and under-12 with 10 prizes on offer in each section.
Entry fees are RM20 for the open section, RM8 for the under-16 and RM6 for the under-12. Closing date is today. For more information, contact Narayanan Krishnan (tel: 07.3338215, email: naraa@tm.net.my.
CAS second quarter allegro
The Chess Association of Selangor (CAS) will organise their second quarter allegro chess competition at The Chess Network, Wilayah Complex, in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
This one-day event is limited to 70 players in two categories. The first category is open to chess players with a national rating of 1400 and above, as well as non-rated adult players. Under-18 players and players with a national rating of below 1400 may join the second category event.
Entry fees for the first category event are RM15 for CAS members and RM25 for non-members. For the second category event, the entry fees are RM10 for CAS members and RM20 for non-members. To register, email your particulars and choice of category to chessmate@cas.com.kg
Sri Aman junior chess
The Sek Keb Sri Aman in Penang will hold a junior open tournament at their school on May 30. The seven-round event will constitute the second leg of Penang’s junior chess circuit for this year.
Entry fees for members of the Penang Chess Association are RM10 for under-16 players and RM8 for under-10 players. Non-members are required to pay RM15 and RM13 respectively. According to the organisers, this event will have five age-group categories: under-16, under-14, under-12, under-10 and under-8.
For inquiries, contact Eoh Hook Kim (tel: 04.8260196) or Eoh Thean Keat (tel: 016.4540070).
Chess workshop
The Penang Chess Association (PCA) will organize a one-day workshop at the PCA clubhouse in Bayan Baru on Jun 12 for boys under the age of 12 and girls below 15 years old.
There will be three local instructors to cater to players of different levels: the starters, beginners and intermediate players. Fees are RM30 for PCA members and RM40 for non-members, with discounts of RM5 for groups of five children who register together.
For more details or to register, contact Tan Eng Seong (tel: 012.4299517 email: estan64@streamyx.com), Marcus Yeoh (tel: 012.4723873, email: marcusypl@yahoo.com), Khor Bean Hwa (tel: 016.4281096, email: beanhwak@yahoo.co.uk) or Lim Poay Sim (tel: 012.4901822, email: pslim159@hotmail.com).
