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Friday, June 4, 1999

Chess

Spain beckons for young talents

By Quah Seng Sun

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.

Quah Seng Sun's chess articles are archived at (http://www.mol.com.my/qss) or (http://come.to/my.internet.page). Readers can write to him at:

Chess
Section 2
Star Publications (M) Bhd
15 Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling
10200 Penang
Fax: 04-262 3433
E-mail: ssquah@schach.pc.my

Copyright © 1999. Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. (Co No. 10894-D)
All rights reserved.


	Friday, June 4, 1999 Chess Spain beckons for young talents By Quah Seng Sun 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.
	Quah Seng Sun's chess articles are archived at (http://www.mol.com.my/qss) or (http://come.to/my.internet.page). Readers can write to him at: Chess Section 2 Star Publications (M) Bhd 15 Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling 10200 Penang Fax: 04-262 3433 E-mail: ssquah@schach.pc.my
	Copyright © 1999. Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. (Co No. 10894-D) All rights reserved.