NORWAY vs MALAYSIA, 41st OLYMPIAD, NORWAY

This has been truly a remarkable journey the team has endured throughout the tournament. 2 consecutive draws against higher rated team has put our flag way up there on the third board. What equally sensational is that Malaysia has been drawn to play against the home team which has a certain Super Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, the highest ever rating player in the world of chess! I believe not many of us have envisaged this a fortnight ago, but here we are now, punching which I believe what is not really above our weight. 

Regardless of the result would be, this Malaysia chess team will be remembered for a long time to come. The mixture of experienced and new comers has produced wonders. No more fixations with certain individuals because honest selections will bring out the best from our chess talents. 

For tomorrow night, providing that the lineup fits, this is my review: 

Board 1 : GM Magnus Carlsen (2877) vs IM Lim Yee Weng (2311)

This will be really tough for Lim. The 566 rating difference does not lie. However, Lim likes to play simple games, so hopefully he will find a draw somewhat. It will be absolutely hard though, because Lim will be playing black.

Board 2 : Aron Teh Eu Wen (2309) vs GM Simen Agdestein (2630)

The youthful Aron against the experienced Agdestein will be a game to watch. Aron likes to attack, and playing white, he will have the first opportunity. However, the stumbling block will be the fact that Aron has lost two games in the row, which might make him suffer a little in terms of confidence. 

Board 3 : GM Jon Ludvig Hammer (2628) vs Fong Yit San (2143)

GM Jon Ludvig draws a lot in this tournament, so Fong should take note of this. The drive of getting the FIDE Master should be enough to give Fong the motivation he needs in order to tackle this game. Fong played quite impressively in the last 4 games, so this game will be the cream of the crop if he does pull it off.

Board 4 : Ahmad Fadzil Nayan (2121) vs GM Johannessen Leif Erlend (2528)

To my dismay, Ahmad Fadzil Nayan is arguably the best IIUM player ever. He is now representing the country whereas most of us ex-IIUM are at best representing our states. Nonetheless, the champion of Asian Amateur 2011 has to be at his best in order to win against GM Johannessen. I really like to see whether Ahmad Fadzil will accurately calculate his moves tomorrow, leaving the miscalculation of yesterday's game against the Swiss to the back of his mind. He also has the chance to be a FIDE master if he gets at least half a point. 

GOOD LUCK MALAYSIAN CHESS TEAM!

41st CHESS OLYMPIAD IN TROMSO, NORWAY

The Malaysian chess team is currently battling their wits in the land of the reigning World Champion, Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen. As per post, Malaysia male chess team is in 48th placing from the 177 participating countries. This is very impressive considering the team composition which comprises of mostly new faces.

Although there are many sites providing the coverage, I watch their performance every night at chess24.com. Its interactive features are quite good, so you may try it yourself.

Tonight in Round 9 the male team is playing Tajikistan. Hopefully the chess team will get the chance to revenge our football team loss to Tajikistan under the new coach Dollah Salleh.

The team's results can be accessed in the chess-results.com server. Please click here.

picture courtesy of Biro Catur Wanita MCF

Male Team

1. IM Lim Yee-Weng (FIDE 2311)
2. Aron Teh Eu Wen (2309)
3. Fong Yit San (2143)
4. Sumant Subramaniam (2075)
5. Ahmad Fadzil Nayan (2121)


Female Team

1. WFM Alia Anin Azwa Bakri (1964)
2. WCM Tan Li Ting (1945)
3. WCM Nur Nabila Azman Hisham (1916)
4. WFM Nur Najiha Azman Hisham (1886)
5. Puteri Rifqah Fahada Azhar (1860)

MONEY CASH FULUS..

I maybe am a little incensed right now, hence the title of this post, but I think that my anger is justified. The cutback of sponsored quota for state representatives in the upcoming National Closed is demoting Malaysian chess to an all time low. Now I began to think that holding a two-day tournament in order to choose only ONE state representative is a waste of time and energy. I don't want to start on the permissibility of playing chess with the involvement of money in Islam as I had already wrote about it in my earlier post, but I found it difficult to distance Malaysian chess from the word Money, or Cash, or Fulus. Yes, the involvement of money, be it as the prizes or as the maintenance fees, is a must, but surely there are other means to support this need. Where is the federation when we need them the most? What is the privilege of being in a federation if it cannot help those under it?

Now I don't want to put a blame on one side of the argument, and I don't want to post questions without the answers. But bear in mind that these answers are solely my opinions, as everybody is entitled to one:

1. Chess federations, actively do your job. You are expected to take care of your members, not oppress them.

2. Chess players, play your part! Dismiss your desire to play for money, and put the stake of representing the states (or the country, for that matter) in front of anything.

3. Send best players to represent the country. Maybe in 3 or 4 years Malaysian chess will climb up the ranking and open the sponsors' eyes. (Note that I don't want to discuss the selection criteria, as long as the reps are the best that the country can offer)

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.

ROUND 4 : MALAYSIA (86) vs SWITZERLAND (47)

Round 4 started at appoximately 5 p.m. this evening (Malaysian time). Click on the image below to go to the live games.

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.

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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.

POOR SHOWING

Ranked 74th in FIDE ranking, Malaysian team finished 96th at recently concluded Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany. A team consisting of IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (2439), FM Lim Yee Weng (2396), FM Mok Tze Meng (2308), IM Jimmy Liew (2306), and Edward Lee however should have performed better, especially against their last round opponent, Guatemala.

Here are the full results for the Malaysian team:

Round 1: Malaysia (74) - Libya (115) 3.5 - 0.5
Round 2: Jersey (143) - Malaysia (74) 1.5 - 2.5
Round 3: Germany 1 (11) - Malaysia (74) 3.5 - 0.5
Round 4: Malaysia (74) - Slovakia (25) 0.5 - 3.5
Round 5: Malaysia (74) - Dominican Republic (76) 2.5 - 1.5
Round 6: Slovenia (28) - Malaysia (74) 3.5 - 0.5
Round 7: Egypt (49) - Malaysia (74) 4 - 0
Round 8: Malaysia (74) - IPCA (77) 1.5 - 2.5
Round 9: Liechtenstein (123) - Malaysia (74) 0.5 - 3.5
Round 10: Equador (65) - Malaysia (74) 2 - 2
Round 11: Malaysia (74) - Guatemala (106) 2 - 2