MAS VS MICHEAL ADAMS, AGAIN

Mas Hafizulhelmi (FIDE 2416), who is currently playing in the 1st Metropolitan Chess, already won his first game against Adarsh Jayakumar (2177) from the USA. For the second round, he played against English GM Micheal Adams, again. He has already drew against Adams in the Olympiad, but this time, he lost. Don't be upset, Mas. We Kelantanese are with you all the way.

GOMO, MAS, GOMO!

WHO WILL BE OUR FIRST GRANDMASTER?

The July 2010 FIDE rating is out. And NO, we still don't have our own Grandmaster. What ever is needed for our highest rated player, IM Mas Hafizulhelmi to become a Grandmaster? Personally, I feel disappointed when none of our four IMs (Mas Hafizulhelmi, Mok Tze Meng, Jimmy Liew and Lim Yee Weng) manages to convert their status to a GM. A look at their rating charts for the past decade indicates that IM Mok looks like the best bet to become our first GM. He steadily increases his rating which now peaks at 2416. Whereas IM Mas now stands at 2422, which is lower than his personal best of 2456 in 2001. While age is not a barrier for most of them (IM Jimmy is the only one who deserve the 'Golden Age' title), but lack of really competitive battle against really good opponents maybe the factor of them not getting the proper experience (and rating points) needed to achieve the eluded title. Once a year Malaysian Open cannot guarantee a steady FIDE rating increase, so they need to compete overseas in order to achieve it. Playing against lower rated opponents only decrease their strengths, especially against Malaysian players who I think most of them are very lazy in studying proper chess, and are focused instead on winning allegros only. But proper funds and time allocation are needed if they are to make this journey, so we will wait for our first GM for a very long time indeed.

THE FIRST GRANDMASTER IN MALAYSIA?

Its been a long while now that IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (picture right) top the Malaysian chess rating chart, but still there is no grandmaster (GM) in Malaysia. He is currently rated at 2439 and is striving to complete his final GM norm. His employer, Petronas, even backs him and gives him 18 months in order to complete his quest. I originally thought that he only has to upgrade his rating to 24++ to achieve his final GM norm, but I am perplexed how he is still to get his title. I played against him once only - during the simultaneous event at the University of Malaya way back in 1998 - and lost. I would like to play against him again though, one-on-one, hopefully after he achieved his GM title and be the first player to beat a Malaysian GM!

Here is the game I played against him in 1998: