PERFECT IM MAS HAFIZUL

The Tournament

IM Mas Hafizulhilmi is still dodging from playing against me in a tournament. No, no. Actually, I should say that I am still not 'up there' to play against such a complete player like him. Last year in Kelantan Closed, I wasn't paired against him although I managed to finish fourth. This year in Kelantan Open, unfortunately, I still did not cross path with him on my way to finish seventh. He was such a celebrity that day; signing autographs for his fans who were mainly under aged players. Winning all 9 games showed exactly why he was rated 2354 FIDE, almost 300 points away from me who was second highest rated player with my 2068 FIDE. Calmly, he sprinted away and left the second place winner with a mere 7.5 points.

TWO RED KNIGHTS

The Kelantan Closed 2012 had successfully ended. Nik Ahmad Farouqi had defended his title brilliantly, which include a win against our IM Mas Hafizulhelmi and of course, against Yours Truly. Our game was the highlight of Round 6, where most of the games had already finished.

Kelantan Closed 2012
Date: 28.01.2012
Round 6

White: Nik Ahmad Farouqi
Black: Yours Truly

1.e4 d6

I took 5 minutes to register this move, merely because I wanted to surprise Nik Ahmad Farouqi (NAF). It was not prepared specially for him, just that I nearly lost many of my games in this 45-minutes-to-the-finish tournament that I chose The Pirc to test his attacking ability.

2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6

Not a true Pirc with a Kingside Bishop fianchetto, where NAF would probably storm my castled position with his foot soldiers like many of his wins in this tournament.

4.h3 Nbd7 5.Nf3 e5 6.Be2 Be7 7.O-O O-O

Both sides had castled. The centre was still fluid as White did not state his intention of either to close the position or to open it up, yet.

8.Be3 Qc7 9.Re1 Rd8 10.Bf1 Nf8 11.a3 Ng6 12.Qc1 Nh5 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.g3

White stopped Black from infiltrating with a Knight at f4 square.

14... Be6 15.Rd1 f6 16.Rxd8+ Rxd8 17.Qe1 b6 18.Rd1

It was clear that White's intention was to simplify the game by exchanging the heavy pieces. Therefore, I tried to find something to play with the minor pieces after the imminent exchanges.

18... Bf8 19.Rd2 Ne7 20.Qd1 Rxd2 21.Bxd2 g6 22.Kh2 Nc8 23.Be3 Nd6

My plan was easy. Exchange as many pieces as I could, starting with the Bishops. This Knight jump was to exchange a pair of Bishops at c4 square.

24.Nd2 Nf7 25.Bc4 Qd7 26.Bxe6 Qxe6 27.Qe2 Bh6 28.Nc4 Bxe3 29.Nxe3 Ng5

After swapping all the Bishops, Black started the attack with his Queen and Knights. However, this plan was short lived as the King position was dreadful where White managed to tame the attacking Queen.

30.Qc4 Ng7 31.Kg2 Kf7 32.h4 Qxc4 33.Nxc4 N5e6 34.Nd6+ Kf8 35.Nc8 Ke8

NAF told me after the game that he did not want to calculate the consequence of taking a pawn at a7 where his marauding Knight might be trapped.

36.Nd6+ Kd7 37.Nc4 Nd4 38.Ne3 Nge6

Black Knights started to take centre positions to influence the game.

39.Na2 h5 40.Nc1 Nc5 41.f3 Kd6 42.Kf2 b5 43.c3 Nde6

44.g4 Nf4 45.gxh5 Nxh5 46.b4 Na4 47.c4 a6 48.Nb3 Nf4 49.c5+ Ke6 50.Na5 Kd7 51.Ng4 Nh5 52.f4

NAF started to play aggressively after seeing that I had not much time left. True enough, this move forced me to pause and think even though I was already in severe time trouble.

52... exf4 53.e5 fxe5 54.Nxe5+ Ke6 55.Nxg6 Kd5 56.Ne7+ Kd4 57.Naxc6+ Ke4 1-0

The game actually went on for some more moves before my flag was up.

Final top 10 standing (Open Category):

1		Nik Ahmad Farouqi	MAS	2069	7.5	42.5	39.75	35.5
2		IM Mas Hafizulhelmi	MAS	2388	7.0	41.0	34.00	31.0
3		Nik Mohd Nazri	MAS	1835	6.0	43.0	28.50	27.0
4		Yours Truly	MAS	2068	6.0	37.5	25.00	26.0
5		Muhd Al Firdaus Md Nazir	MAS	1505	5.5	39.0	24.75	24.5
6		Mohd Ezmi Mahmood	MAS	1805	5.5	28.0	19.50	22.0
7		Wan Mohamad Amirul	MAS	1435	5.0	38.5	24.00	23.5
8		Mohd Amin Mohd Noor	MAS	1835	5.0	38.0	17.50	29.0
9		Azudin Abdullah	MAS	1466	5.0	35.0	18.00	23.0
10		Norazlin Juarih	MAS	1521	5.0	34.5	17.00	22.0

You can read the full results at PCNK website or chessresults.com

NO GM FOR MAS

IM Mas Hafizulhelmi finished with 5 points from 9 games to end his quest for GM norm without success. He played 2 GMs and lost both of the games. This is yet another failed attempt which Mas must improve on in order for him to get the elusive title and be the first Malaysian GM.

The official site offers no such thing as a free viewer to the games. You must log in as a Platinum member of the Chess.com for you to watch the live games. I had to wait for the result to be keyed in the schedule page before updating it in My Chess Life. Nevertheless, here are Mas' full result:

Round 1 : win vs Adarsh Jayakumar (2177) USA
Round 2 : lost vs GM Micheal Adams (2715) England
Round 3 : draw vs Dereque Kelley (2203) USA
Round 4 : draw vs Eric Rosen (2216) USA
Round 5 : win vs Jeff Phillips (2071) USA
Round 6 : win vs Timothy Taylor (2279) USA
Round 7 : draw vs IM Andranik Matikozyan (2451) Armenia
Round 8 : draw vs Michael Lee (2395) USA
Round 9 : lost vs GM Varuzhan Akobian (2613) USA

Points : 5/9

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!

IM MAS HAFIZUL GM QUEST CONTINUES

Kelantan's top player, IM Mas Hafizulhelmi, will be playing in the 1st Metropolitan International which will be held in Los Angeles, US, alongside illustrious GMs such as GM Micheal Adams (whom he drew in the recent Olympiad), GM Loek van Wely, GM Ilya Smirin, GM Mark Paragua and GM Dmitry Gurevich. The tournament will offer norms for GM, IM, WGM and WIM as there are 50 titled players registered which include 11 Grandmasters. I sure hope that fasting will not deter Mas' games and that he will return with the coveted norm.

The full list of the participants can be read at the official website.

KELANTANESE IN MCF RATING LIST REACHED 100!

Well, according to my knowledge, Kelantanese in MCF rating list have reached 100. I know there are more, but you have to inform me in order for your name (or your friend's name) to be put in my blog's rating list. Here is the list (as of 19th March 2011):

1. 2275 Mas Hafizulhelmi
2. 2126 Azahari Mohd Noor
3. 2112 Ahmad Maliki Mohamed
4. 1914 Nik Ahmad Farouqi Nik Abdul Aziz
5. 1914 Abdul Haq Mohamed
6. 1835 Mohd Irman Ibrahim
   
7. 1800 Mohd Musa Al-Ashaari Mohd Azmi
8. 1789 Nik Mohd Nazri Nik Hasan
   
9. 1788 Syed Azizi Abdul Rahman
10. 1672 Mohd Azizul Mat Daud
11. 1654 Mohd Amin Mohd Noor
12. 1628 Muhd Bakri Jusoh
13. 1608 Nasrul Humaimi Mahmood
14. 1605 Muhd Ariez Azman
15. 1597 Shahril Sulaiman
16. 1589 Izuddin Ahayat
17. 1588 Rosmizal Ibrahim
18. 1579 Marzuki Yaacob
19. 1578 Wan Mahadzir Wan Sulaiman
20. 1572 Ghazali Che Cob
21. 1561 Norazlin Juarih
22. 1559 Mohd Fauzan Ahayat
23. 1553 Mohd Rezal Che Man
24. 1545 Sahadi Ismail
25. 1540 Muhd Nor Khairullah
26. 1538 Noor Hisyam Ahayat
27. 1537 Anuar Ahayat
28. 1533 Baharuddin Hamzah
29. 1529 Mohd Bukhari Yahya
30. 1527 Azmizi Abdullah
31. 1509 Khairul Aznan Mohd Kamal
32. 1506 Mohd Hafidz Mat Daud
33. 1495 Mohd Faizal Hafizie Shukri
34. 1476 Azudin Abdullah
35. 1476 Mohd Hakimi Zohari
36. 1476 Mumtaz Muhammad
37. 1474 Wan Tarmizi Wan Sulaiman
38. 1473 Ahmad Termizi Abdullah
39. 1466 Mohd Zaki Mohd Yusoff
40. 1449 Zainal Abidin Mat Noor
41. 1448 Muhd Bukhari Mohd Sulkifly
42. 1441 Muhd Muhaimin Muhd Tarizi
43. 1440 Mohamad Mat Isa
44. 1440 Ahmad Zulhilmi Sahadi
45. 1423 Mohd Sulkifly Ibrahim
46. 1415 Ahmad Hafiza Yusoff
47. 1405 Alif Omar Mohd Saufi
48. 1401 Nik Zaharuddin Nik Hasan
49. 1398 Mohd Hafiz Mohd Noor
50. 1397 Muhd Zuhari Mohd Sulkifly
51. 1394 Laila Husna Sahadi
52. 1383 Fatih Nor Sahariah Abd Jalil
53. 1372 Nurulhana Syuhada Mohd Sulkifly
54. 1366 Siti Nur Afiqah Mohd Haslam
55. 1358 Wan Muhd Adli Wan Muhd Yusuf
56. 1349 Nor Aifaa Zulkifli
57. 1345 Mohd Lokman Mat Daud
58. 1339 Wan Aemellia Elisha Wan Azzlan
59. 1337 Mohd Syazwan Mohd Zin
60. 1324 Wan Muhd Amirul Wan Muhd Yusuf
61. 1319 Nuraihan Zaidi
62. 1314 Ihab Fitri Ziad
63. 1309 Muhd Nursyafiq Yahya
64. 1305 Muhammad Azmanizam Azmi
65. 1292 Nurul Adlina Mohd Sulkifly
66. 1286 Najihah Mohd Saufi
67. 1283 Mohd Izani Mohd Tarizi
68. 1270 Nurwahida Atira Nordin
69. 1261 Fariz Hakimi Yahya
70. 1261 Norazlisa Ramli
71. 1256 Muhd Faiz Zakaria
72. 1254 Nik Muhd Haziq Najmuddin
73. 1240 Nur Hanis Natasha
74. 1238 Muhd Ahza Daisam Ruslan
75. 1232 Wan Zarif Sofea Sazali
76. 1227 Wan Ainul Basirah
77. 1224 Muhd Zulfikri Mohd Sulkifly
78. 1222 Wan Mohd Alif
79. 1215 Mohd Abhar Akmal Hamid
80. 1214 Wan Mohd Aqli Wan Mohd Yusoff
81. 1200 Nik Zulhisyam Zulkifli
82. 1195 Mohd Noor Al-Maarif
83. 1195 Zulhashime Sulkefli
84. 1177 Hammad Burhanudin
85. 1175 Nur Ain Syahirah
86. 1149 Nor Safura
87. 1146 Nik Syazwan Asyraf Mat
88. 1146 Jamidah Dzurie Nasuhah Yahya
89. 1144 Muhd Alif Fitri Hanipa
90. 1137 Wan Nur Farzana Wan Rozuhan
91. 1135 Nabillah Muhd Najib
92. 1131 Wan Nurul Adibah Wan Tarmizi
93. 1127 Nik Nur Nadzirah Nik Azrihan
94. 1120 Ahmad Wafi Razali
95. 1100 Nor Elisa
96. 1096 Ikmal Hakimi Roeslan
97. 1083 Ahmad Amar Aiman Zulkifli
98. 1068 Mohd Fadhil Mohd Saufi
99. 1046 Mohd Hilmey Rosli
100. 1041 Mohd Afiq Aiman

RATING REVIEW 2011

The January MCF rating has been published. There are several Kelantan players who were active and they either gained points or lost them.

IM Mas gathered 5 points to still head the pack at 2275.

Nik Ahmad Farouqi lost a point and now stand at 1914, the same rating as the inactive Abdul Haq.

Nik Ahmad Nazri, who is now at 1789, gained 9 points to go above Syed Azizi.

Another active player, Ariez, was down 2 points from previous rating. He is now at 1605.

Izuddin Ahayat gain 10 points from the previous 1579 to overtake Rosmizal

However, nobody can deny that Norazlin Juarih (BadBishop) is the most progressive player in the period of October to January to gain 70 points to become 1561 from his previous 1491.

There is also a new entrant: Mohd Izani Mohd Tarizi starting at 1283.

Nevertheless, our junior players lost so many points, in particular:

Fatih Nor Sahariah lost 67 points from 1410 to stand at 1383.

Norazlisa lost 62 points from 1323 to 1261.

Nik Muhd Haziq lost 52 points from 1306, and

Muhd Faiz Zakaria lost 58 points from 1314 to stand at 1256.

I don't want to speculate, but there must be something wrong with our junior players. The lost of more than 50 rating points in the period of three months is not acceptable. We must address the problems quickly if we do not want to be too far behind of other states where the junior players are challenging the senior players regularly in big tournaments. I think it must be either the attitude of the players themselves who are not very keen to make self improvement, or the training methods which can not get their full potentials out. It is useless to point fingers at anybody in particular, but we must solve this problem together so that Kelantan will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.

GOMO KELATE GOMO!

IM MAS AND NAF AT PENANG OPEN

Two Kelantanese are flying the state flag at the Penang Open held from 8 - 12 December 2010. IM Mas Hafizulhelmi, ranked third in the event, started well with 2 wins out of 2 games by defeating Limono Handjojo (1845) and NM Tan Khai Boon (2126). Tomorrow he will face Ian Udani, a Pinoy who won lots of tournament in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Nik Ahmad Farouqi (picture above) also started well with a win and a draw. Tomorrow he will face a tough test against IM Ranola Yves, also from the Philippine. We hope that both of them will 'bring back the medals' along with our blessings.

The tournament results can be achieved at chess-result.com

MAS ANSWERED MYSTERY DEFEAT

As I had already expected, Mas was defeated by his handphone. I would like to jot here his words since I had asked him at his Facebook right after the result was shown, but he did not answer my question. Nevertheless, his words were on DAT Chess blog:

my phone alarm rang at 12.20, daily alarm for lunch.. unfortunately last game is played in the morning,, fon is off but still the alarm rang.. As Khairunissa Called it the ”Nokia Gambit” Overall i am happy that i have played this olympiad..Gave me the confident that i can work and still go for my GM , Insyaallah

MAS MYSTERIOUS LOST

My previous post talks about Mas potential for a GM norm in this Olympiad. But this mysterious defeat surely left us nothing to shout about. I do not see any forced win for White in this position. Any enlightenment on this, please?

A LOOK AT MAS GM TITLE AMBITION

Mas Hafizulhelmi IM 2422 MAS Rp:2402
Rd.	SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	Rp	Pts.	Res.	Bo.
1	16	GM	Adams Michael	2728	ENG	2687	6,0	w ½	1
2	522		Tsang Hon Ki	2085	HKG	1984	2,5	s 1	1
3	99	GM	Rozentalis Eduardas	2611	LTU	2476	4,0	s 1	1
4	117	GM	Pelletier Yannick	2592	SUI	2411	4,5	w ½	1
5	360	FM	Gemy Jose Daniel	2325	BOL	2216	3,0	s ½	1
6	610		Berardi Giancarlo	0	SMR	1580	0,0	w 1	1
7	242	GM	Gruenfeld Yehuda	2464	ISR	2394	4,5	w 0	1
9	182	GM	De La Riva Aguado Oscar	2521	AND	2665	7,5	s 0	1
10	328	FM	Jones Richard S	2373	WLS	2205	4,0	w 1	1
11	498		Al Sulaiti Ali	2134	BRN	1919	2,5	s	1

I was reading the FIDE Handbook about title requirements, and boy, I did not understand it at all! What I can take from the handbook which I think are related to IM Mas title ambition:

1.4 The GM, IM, WGM, WIM titles can also be gained by achieving norms in internationally rated tournaments played according to the following regulations.
1.41a The player must play at least 9 games
1.45b For a GM norm at least 1/3 with a minimum 3 of the opponents (MO) must be GMs.
1.46c For the purposes of norms, the minimum rating (adjusted rating floor) for the opponents shall be as follows:

Grandmaster International Master Woman Grandmaster Woman International Master

2200 2050 2000 1850

1.48 Performance Rating (Rp)
In order to achieve a norm, a player must perform at a level at least of that shown below:

	Minimum level prior to rounding	Minimum level after rounding
GM	2599.5	2600
IM	2449.5	2450
WGM	2399.5	2400
WIM	2249.5	2250

1.5	Requirements for award of the title, having achieved norms
	1.50	Two or more norms in events covering at least 27 games.
	1.51	If a norm is sufficient for more than one title, then it may be used as part of the application for both.
	1.52	To have achieved at some time or other a rating as follows: GM IM WGM WIM ≥2500 ≥2400 ≥2300 ≥2200

So, in conclusion, I think Mas will not get a GM norm in this Olympiad because:

1. he only currently perform at Rp 2402 (article 1.48) ,
2. he is not likely to get a rating of 2500 from his current rating 2422 (article 1.52),
3. he had 3 opponents rated below 2200 (article 1.46c) which will reduce his number of games against minimum rating for his opponents (1.41a) to only 7 games.

However, I am still hopeful that my interpretation of these requirements is a flaw, and that Mas will get his GM norm, and Malaysia will get its first Grandmaster.

IM MAS (2422) vs GM OSCAR DE LA RIVA AGUADO (2521)

Mas gets another GM! Thanks to the Malaysian players who played courageously to win during Mas' hibernation. Hopefully Mas emerged from it unscathed tomorrow. As for GM Oscar, he is the highest rated player in Andorra. His performance in this Olympiad has been quite remarkable, losing only once in his first game against the Russian, and drawing twice to Megaranto of Indonesia and Hansen Sune Berg of Denmark. It will be a tough call, but I know Mas can pull off an upset, like he did against GM Rozentalis.

Oscar WILL PUSH 1.e4 to meet Mas' Sicilian Defense. So far in this Olympiad, he won against GM Yehuda's Sicilian by selecting 3.c3 for his third move. We can expect fire on the board tomorrow, because slow maneuvering is Mas' forte. He used 3.c3 again when he won against Ryan Harper of the Trinidad and Tobago. Thus, safely to say, 3.c3 is his pet line against the Sicilian, and Mas should take note of that and prepare properly.

All the best for tomorrow, Mas! (I'm going to sleep now, it's already 2.00 am when this post is published)


I'm following Mas' game LIVE. My prediction did not materialized; GM Oscar did not push 3.c3. However, he did not play the main line either, but retreated his Knight to f3. In the above position, he just moved his knight to e1. He has to reposition his Knight, quite common in this line. Mas let his pawns to be doubled at e6, but the GM refuses. The position is quite balanced, and Mas surely does not stand worst.


After just five moves from previous diagram, we arrive at the endgame phase. Mas has a Bishop compared to his opponent's Knight. Both pieces are now defending the fort for the time being, while the two Rooks are repositioning to premium squares. Personally, I like Mas' position because he has more active Rooks.


Now, Mas just has to activate his King. Neither has a passed pawn yet, but White's b and c pawn are under scrutiny. However, Mas a pawn could be a problem. My prediction, Mas can escape with a draw if he plays correctly.


So, the Knight goes to battle first while the Bishop still defending. I think Mas made a mistake when he did not push the Knight before White put his Rook at d1. Moreover, Mas could be in a big problem if the b pawn starts rolling.


At last, the Bishop comes to life! By this time, all the other boards already finished. Mok drew, Peter won and Tan lost. It is now up to Mas to take Malaysia to glory, and personally to take his GM ambition a step further.

IM MAS (2422) vs GM YEHUDA GRUENFELD (2464)

After a rest and an eventful run, Mas starts afresh by beating an unrated player. However, will he stroll pass a deaf and mute GM Yehuda Gruenfeld from the Israel? Sadly, Mas will not have the opportunity to play the Gruenfeld Defense against Gruenfeld because he will again play the white pieces. GM Yehuda already won using the Kan variation of the Sicilian against Maxence Murara in this Olympiad, and will surely cherishes the chance to spring it again againts Mas if he pushes 1.e4.

Go, Mas!

This is the current position of IM Mas vs GM Gruenfeld. I am uncomfortable with Mas' position. I hope it is not his first defeat in this Olympiad.

Mas manages to activate his Bishop and creates a passed pawn. But it remains to be seen whether this pawn will ever advance.


Did Mas just made a mistake? GM Yehuda manages to penetrate into Mas second rank, and it appears that his Knight will join the attack too. We are hoping for the best for Mas.


As I said earlier, I did not like Mas' position, and that he made a mistake on move 38. Mas resigns as the team trails 3-0 with only Tan Khai Boon to save its blushes.

IM MAS (2422) vs GM YANNICK PELLETIER (2592) PREVIEW

Mas looked sharp in this tournament so far. His next opponent will be a Grandmaster from Switzerland, GM Yannick Pelletier with FIDE rating of 2592. Mas, who drew against GM Micheal Adams (2728) and won against GM Eduardas Rozentalis (2611), will surely love another scalp in the higher rated GM Pelletier. However, being a GM since 2001, Pelletier is no pushover, having already won his national championship three times.

Mas will play White, which means he will face either a Sicilian or a French if he starts with 1.e4, or a Queen's Indian if he starts with 1.d4. A sample of Pelletier Sicilian game from his recent encounter is here, while a win against GM Granda-Zuniga using the Queen's Indian is here.

Your move, Mas!

ROUND 3: MALAYSIA (86) vs LITHUANIA (39)

I'm following the game live at the official site. So far, IM Mas can still hold with different coloured Bishops, Mok has a Knight to his opponent's Bishop, Tan has to withstand three pawn avalanche amidst his extra Bishop, while Peter is playing with all the minor pieces, i.e. 2 Knights and 2 Bishops.

View Open Section
View Women Section

GOOD LUCK MALAYSIAN OLYMPIAD CHESS TEAM

The Malaysian chess teams are flying the Jalur Gemilang at the 2010 Chess Olympiad. It is held at a little known place of Khanty-Mansiysk from 20th September - 4th October 2010.

Men's Team - seeded 86/148

Board 1 : IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (FIDE 2422)
Board 2 : IM Mok Tze Meng (2416)
Board 3 : NM Tan Khai Boon (2160)
Board 4 : FM Peter Long (2302)
Board 5 : Gregory Lau (2159) - Team captain

Women's Team - seeded 74/114

Board 1 : NWM Alia Anin Azwa Bakri (1904)
Board 2 : WCM Nur Nabila Azman Hisham (1829)
Board 3 : NWM Nurulhuda Wahiduddin (2020)
Board 4 : NWM Roslina Marmono (1933)
Board 5 : NWM Fong Mi Yen (1905)


My hopes for the Malaysian teams are that they will successfully change these numbers for the better - their team seedings and their personal ratings. I am also hoping that IM Mas Hafizulhelmi finally lands his GM title in this tournament. So far, at the time of this writing, he already secured a draw against GM Micheal Adams (2728) from England! Hopefully this draw will be the stepping stone for our country's ambition of a first GM.

Those who would like follow their news, kindly visit the official website, or our blogger hairulovchessmaniacs. You can also see the results at chessresults.com.

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.

GUILLOTINE FOR MSSM CHESS? NOT AGAIN!

After the revival of MSSM chess in the not so distance past, it will be heading, yes, HEADing, for the guillotine again. According the romours circulating lately, chess will be chopped off from the MSSM calendar next year. One of our chess bloggers is raving about it, writing concerned post in his blog. To follow suit, I'll be writing a piece in my post.

I'm a teacher in Kelantan, and I'm devoted to any development for chess, especially in Kelantan. That is one of the reason I became a teacher; in order to be involved in the root development of chess in Malaysia. I know in order for us to have a Grandmaster, the kids are the subject matter, not the adults like me who already past their prime, or lost in the daily business of family life. Those kids still to learn aplenty, and chess should be part and parcel in that learning process.

However, to stop this development by scrapping chess from MSSM calendar is inacceptable. I could not even imagine the kids faces if they are told that there will no chess for them next year. Without competitions, there will be no training. No training means no chess players. I can see in the near future there will be no more Mas Hafizulhelmis or Anas Nazreens coming out from the schools.

This is totally against the circular from the Ministry of Education which clearly states in para 2(c) that competitions should be held for the sake of its development. And if the MSSM chess competition is not THE competition, then what is? Not everybody can afford to enter the open tournaments, especially in rural areas where money is a rare commodity. This will result in wasting talents which should be spotted in inter-school tournaments.

Moreover, kids ought to play against those in their level in order for them to become more interested in chess. If they enter the open, got beaten everytime without any chances of winning, the frustration will kill every bit of enthusiasm they have. I know this so after 4 years of training the kids in my school.

I hope that if the rumours are true, it will not be the death of chess.

SMACH RESULTS

The results for SMACH Open is out, and IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (picture right) predictably won all his games easily. I couldn't even think this tournament qualified as a warm-up for his quest for the Grandmaster title, as none of his opponents could even chase his shadow, moreover shake his mantle. The final standing:

1. IM Mas Hafizulhelmi
2. Baharuddin Hamzah
3. Ahmad Rizal Othman
4. Muhammad Arshad
5. Fairul Yusoff
6. Bakri Jusoh
7. M Syazwan Zulkifli
8. Sansubari
9. Hamlee Ismail
10. Ahmad Zulhilmi

See full results here.

Whereas in the under-18, Wan Mohd Adli (picture left) finished unscathed ahead of more fancied opponents such as Izzul Ikhwan, Ahza Daisam and Mohd Abhar Akmal.

For full results, click here. For more pictures, click here.

KELANTAN CHESS IN BRIEF

I recently came across a blog called Bad Bishops and I found it an interesting blog giving information about chess activities in Kelantan. It has been a long time since I tried to find something like this and I applaud the efforts taken by the owner of the blog to promote chess in Kelantan. Here I will jot some interesting notes taken from the blog.

Mas Hafizulhelmi's Wedding
Our national top player currently changed his marital status by wedding a lovely lady Suziana Mohd Rawi (picture right) on October 24th, 2008. As you all know, IM Mas is currently on leave from his Petronas duties to pursue the coveted Grandmaster title. I hope that with the wife at his side, he will become stronger and more focused on the task at hand.

The Demise of Cikgu Rahman
I was shocked to learn that our beloved Cikgu Rahman has died. He was the father of IM Mas Hafizulhelmi and was a keen supporter for his son's blossoming chess career. He was constantly speaking about his chess vision, not only for his son, but to all chess players in Malaysia as a whole. But I am touched as now, he will never had the chance to see Mas gets the GM title.

Kelantan Female Chess Player Turns Deejay

The blogger mentioned several names -- wan syahrina, yusma and mumtaz (one of my chess student at IIUM) which has gone inactive from Malaysian chess scene after gracing the tournaments during their early chess activities. He claimed that one the player, wan syahrina (picture left), had become a deejay at Radio Bernama. I standby corrected if I am wrong because this material is taken directly from the blog.