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Friday, May 7, 1999

Chess

Deadline over for world title

By Quah Seng Sun

INDIA'S Viswanathan Anand was true to form when he decided to let pass a deadline to respond to a proposal that he play a US$3mil (RM11.4mil) match with Gary Kasparov.

Two weeks ago, I reported that a match between the two highest rated players in the world may be a possibility this October. Gary Kasparov agreed to play this match while Viswanathan was given a deadline to respond. According to the match rules, the winner would get two-thirds of the prize fund.

The match was backed by well-known chess mentors like Bessel Kok (chairman of the now defunct Grandmasters Association) and grandmaster Fridrik Olaksson (a former president of the World Chess Federation).

Kasparov had agreed to put his personal version of the world championship title at stake, meaning that if Viswanathan wins, he could call himself a world champion. Anand had once before refused to be a part of Kasparov's plans.

The Indian newspaper, Indian Express, reported after the deadline that the Indian grandmaster is still considering whether or not to play this match with Kasparov. Viswanathan said his tight schedule for the rest of the year is a deciding factor. When asked again about the match, he said: "Maybe towards the end of the year."

Now Kok has to decide whether to extend the offer.

More tournament results

THE Penang Chess Association (PCA), just like many other chess organisations, is finding it difficult to raise funds for its projects. As such, the association has to use its own resources to keep some of its projects going, said Penang state executive councillor and PCA president Dr Toh Kin Woon.

Toh appealed to corporations not to withhold their sponsorship programmes altogether as this would stifle the development of healthy games like chess in the state.

He was speaking at the close of the sixth leg of the national allegro chess circuit which was played at the Kolej Damansara Utama campus in Penang. The tournament which attracted 87 participants, including many from outstation, was won by Lim Chuin Hoong who obtained 5 1/2 points.

Tied with second-placed Chuah Heng Meng on five points were Lim Cheng Teik, Khor Shihong and Ng Tze Han. The other main prize winners were Teng Wei Hong, Beh Chong Chin, Ahmad Iskandar, Eoh Thean Keat and Fikrul Saifuddin.

The prizes were sponsored by Bank Pertanian Malaysia while Kolej Damansara Utama allowed its premises to be used for the tournament.

Early last month, University Multimedia Telekom's (UMT) chess club organised the Rakan Muda Unitele Chess Extreme in conjunction with the Rakan Muda programme. Eleven university teams and 21 teams from Malacca secondary schools played in the four-day event.

The tournament was played under three categories. In the university men's category, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) was the winner of the round-robin contest, scoring 15 points. The UTM team comprised Mak Weng Yee, Teng Wei Hong, Wong Kim Kuan, Toh Chin Kok and Lau Kar Hoe. Second was UMT "A" which obtained 13 points, and third was Universiti Islam Antarabangsa with 12 points.

In the women's category, the winner was UMT "A" with 11 points. In second place was Universiti Islam Antarabangsa with nine points, while UTM was third with five points. The UMT team comprised Roslina Marmono, Eliza Hanim Ibrahim and Adiratna.

UMT, which collected a total of 24 points from both the men's and women's categories, was awarded a challenge trophy for being the best university contingent in the tournament.

At the secondary school level, sharing the lead at the end of the tournament were the Sek Men Kebangsaan Gajah Berang "A" and "C" teams which collected 14 1/2 points each. However, the "C" team was adjudged the winner on a better tie-break. Third was the Malacca High School "A" team with 14 points. SMK Gajah Berang showed its chess prowess with its "D" team finishing fourth and its "B" team fifth.

In Kuala Kangsar last month, the Kelab Catur PHS held a six-round tournament at the Perak Hanjoong Simen premises. The event, which attracted 88 participants from Perak schools, was won by Muhamad Ridzuan Kamarudin who scored six points. Among the five pointers were Mohd Izzuddin Mohd Zawawi who was second followed by Fahimy Kamaruddin, Ammar Zakaria, Mohd Razief Hakim, Ansar Masuri, Mohd Mazran Ibrahim, Mior Mohd Hilmi, Al-Farabi Marasid and Lee Choon Haur.

Endah Parade challenge

THE four-day Endah Parade Chess Challenge, jointly organised by the Malaysian Chess Federation and Endah Parade, starts next weekend in Bandar Baru Sri Petaling.

On May 15, the 11-round Endah Parade blitz tournament begins at 2pm. The registration of players will start one hour earlier. There will be five cash prizes with the champion receiving RM200 and a trophy. Entry fee is RM10.

The next day, the six-round Endah Parade junior (under-20) open tournament will start at 9am. The winner will receive RM150 and a trophy, first runner-up RM100 and second runner-up RM80. There are seven other main cash prizes and also special prizes for the best girl, under-12, under-14 and under-16 players. Entry fee is RM10.

On May 22, the Chess Challenge continues with the Endah Parade under-12 and under-16 tournaments beginning at 9am. There are six cash prizes for each age group, inclusive of one for the best girl player. The winners of the two categories will each receive RM150 and a trophy. Entry fee is RM10.

The last event will be the Endah Parade open tournament on May 23. The winner will receive RM250 and a trophy. The second prize is RM200 and a medal, the third RM150 and a medal, the fourth and fifth RM100 each, and the sixth to 10th prizes are worth RM50 each.

In addition, RM50 prizes await the best under-16, under-14, under-12 and girl players. Entry fee for this final event is RM15 except for under-12 players who need only pay RM10.

All games will be played in the concourse area on the ground floor of Endah Parade. Cash prizes totalling RM3,250, hampers, trophies and other prizes in kind will be given to the winners.

According to the organisers, only a maximum of 100 players will be accepted for each event. For registration or more information, call Zac, Yvonne or Soo Kee at 03-583 0100 or fax: 03-583 0300.

Up Next

THE seventh leg of the Bank Pertanian Malaysia-sponsored national allegro chess circuit will be held this Sunday at Sunway College in Petaling Jaya. There will be six rounds with a total cash prize of RM1,500. The bulk of this prize fund goes to the main winners.

Entry fees are RM10 for members of the Chess Association of Selangor, Bank Pertanian employees, women, under-12 and veteran players, and RM15 for all other participants. For details, call Jackie Wong at 03-703 8237 or Lim Tse Pin at 03-733 0927.

In Penang, the Penang Chess Association will hold its annual general meeting at the Bayan Baru Residents Association's clubhouse in Bandar Bayan Baru this Sunday at 5.30pm. As usual, there will be a special social tournament for members before the AGM which begins at 4pm.

Meanwhile, the annual national age-group chess championship will be played at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur from May 28 to 30. The event will be hosted by Persatuan Catur Melayu Malaysia on behalf of the Malaysian Chess Federation.

The winners of the boys and girls under-18, under-16, under-14, under-12 and under-10 categories will stand a chance to be picked for the world age-group event later in the year.

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, May 7, 1999 Chess Deadline over for world title By Quah Seng Sun INDIA'S Viswanathan Anand was true to form when he decided to let pass a deadline to respond to a proposal that he play a US$3mil (RM11.4mil) match with Gary Kasparov. Two weeks ago, I reported that a match between the two highest rated players in the world may be a possibility this October. Gary Kasparov agreed to play this match while Viswanathan was given a deadline to respond. According to the match rules, the winner would get two-thirds of the prize fund. The match was backed by well-known chess mentors like Bessel Kok (chairman of the now defunct Grandmasters Association) and grandmaster Fridrik Olaksson (a former president of the World Chess Federation). Kasparov had agreed to put his personal version of the world championship title at stake, meaning that if Viswanathan wins, he could call himself a world champion. Anand had once before refused to be a part of Kasparov's plans. The Indian newspaper, Indian Express, reported after the deadline that the Indian grandmaster is still considering whether or not to play this match with Kasparov. Viswanathan said his tight schedule for the rest of the year is a deciding factor. When asked again about the match, he said: "Maybe towards the end of the year." Now Kok has to decide whether to extend the offer. More tournament results THE Penang Chess Association (PCA), just like many other chess organisations, is finding it difficult to raise funds for its projects. As such, the association has to use its own resources to keep some of its projects going, said Penang state executive councillor and PCA president Dr Toh Kin Woon. Toh appealed to corporations not to withhold their sponsorship programmes altogether as this would stifle the development of healthy games like chess in the state. He was speaking at the close of the sixth leg of the national allegro chess circuit which was played at the Kolej Damansara Utama campus in Penang. The tournament which attracted 87 participants, including many from outstation, was won by Lim Chuin Hoong who obtained 5 1/2 points. Tied with second-placed Chuah Heng Meng on five points were Lim Cheng Teik, Khor Shihong and Ng Tze Han. The other main prize winners were Teng Wei Hong, Beh Chong Chin, Ahmad Iskandar, Eoh Thean Keat and Fikrul Saifuddin. The prizes were sponsored by Bank Pertanian Malaysia while Kolej Damansara Utama allowed its premises to be used for the tournament. Early last month, University Multimedia Telekom's (UMT) chess club organised the Rakan Muda Unitele Chess Extreme in conjunction with the Rakan Muda programme. Eleven university teams and 21 teams from Malacca secondary schools played in the four-day event. The tournament was played under three categories. In the university men's category, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) was the winner of the round-robin contest, scoring 15 points. The UTM team comprised Mak Weng Yee, Teng Wei Hong, Wong Kim Kuan, Toh Chin Kok and Lau Kar Hoe. Second was UMT "A" which obtained 13 points, and third was Universiti Islam Antarabangsa with 12 points. In the women's category, the winner was UMT "A" with 11 points. In second place was Universiti Islam Antarabangsa with nine points, while UTM was third with five points. The UMT team comprised Roslina Marmono, Eliza Hanim Ibrahim and Adiratna. UMT, which collected a total of 24 points from both the men's and women's categories, was awarded a challenge trophy for being the best university contingent in the tournament. At the secondary school level, sharing the lead at the end of the tournament were the Sek Men Kebangsaan Gajah Berang "A" and "C" teams which collected 14 1/2 points each. However, the "C" team was adjudged the winner on a better tie-break. Third was the Malacca High School "A" team with 14 points. SMK Gajah Berang showed its chess prowess with its "D" team finishing fourth and its "B" team fifth. In Kuala Kangsar last month, the Kelab Catur PHS held a six-round tournament at the Perak Hanjoong Simen premises. The event, which attracted 88 participants from Perak schools, was won by Muhamad Ridzuan Kamarudin who scored six points. Among the five pointers were Mohd Izzuddin Mohd Zawawi who was second followed by Fahimy Kamaruddin, Ammar Zakaria, Mohd Razief Hakim, Ansar Masuri, Mohd Mazran Ibrahim, Mior Mohd Hilmi, Al-Farabi Marasid and Lee Choon Haur. Endah Parade challenge THE four-day Endah Parade Chess Challenge, jointly organised by the Malaysian Chess Federation and Endah Parade, starts next weekend in Bandar Baru Sri Petaling. On May 15, the 11-round Endah Parade blitz tournament begins at 2pm. The registration of players will start one hour earlier. There will be five cash prizes with the champion receiving RM200 and a trophy. Entry fee is RM10. The next day, the six-round Endah Parade junior (under-20) open tournament will start at 9am. The winner will receive RM150 and a trophy, first runner-up RM100 and second runner-up RM80. There are seven other main cash prizes and also special prizes for the best girl, under-12, under-14 and under-16 players. Entry fee is RM10. On May 22, the Chess Challenge continues with the Endah Parade under-12 and under-16 tournaments beginning at 9am. There are six cash prizes for each age group, inclusive of one for the best girl player. The winners of the two categories will each receive RM150 and a trophy. Entry fee is RM10. The last event will be the Endah Parade open tournament on May 23. The winner will receive RM250 and a trophy. The second prize is RM200 and a medal, the third RM150 and a medal, the fourth and fifth RM100 each, and the sixth to 10th prizes are worth RM50 each. In addition, RM50 prizes await the best under-16, under-14, under-12 and girl players. Entry fee for this final event is RM15 except for under-12 players who need only pay RM10. All games will be played in the concourse area on the ground floor of Endah Parade. Cash prizes totalling RM3,250, hampers, trophies and other prizes in kind will be given to the winners. According to the organisers, only a maximum of 100 players will be accepted for each event. For registration or more information, call Zac, Yvonne or Soo Kee at 03-583 0100 or fax: 03-583 0300. Up Next THE seventh leg of the Bank Pertanian Malaysia-sponsored national allegro chess circuit will be held this Sunday at Sunway College in Petaling Jaya. There will be six rounds with a total cash prize of RM1,500. The bulk of this prize fund goes to the main winners. Entry fees are RM10 for members of the Chess Association of Selangor, Bank Pertanian employees, women, under-12 and veteran players, and RM15 for all other participants. For details, call Jackie Wong at 03-703 8237 or Lim Tse Pin at 03-733 0927. In Penang, the Penang Chess Association will hold its annual general meeting at the Bayan Baru Residents Association's clubhouse in Bandar Bayan Baru this Sunday at 5.30pm. As usual, there will be a special social tournament for members before the AGM which begins at 4pm. Meanwhile, the annual national age-group chess championship will be played at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur from May 28 to 30. The event will be hosted by Persatuan Catur Melayu Malaysia on behalf of the Malaysian Chess Federation. The winners of the boys and girls under-18, under-16, under-14, under-12 and under-10 categories will stand a chance to be picked for the world age-group event later in the year.
	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.