SELANGOR OPEN 2010 (PERSONAL NOTE)

The Decision
So finally after much consideration, i decided to take part in this year Selangor Open. Braving a famous KL's April shower, i arrived at the 'new' DATCC. Bigger and more cosier. Gone are the 'Toiletgate' days of playing a Fide rated game next to the toilet gate. The free disco music (after 11pm) is now also more louder. So Mr Husband, please do not answer your wife call especially at board 1 after 11pm, with all that boom boom boom sound, she will not believe that you are actually in chess tourney!

Before i managed to mentioned to Lim Tse Pin that i want to take part, he immediately begin his CAS selling pitch to recruit new members (apparently CAS is now in really aggresive mode to get new member) The benefits of joining are great, pay less to take part in CAS event, closed tournament for CAS member only etc. But somehow i am still loyal to now no more exist Persatuan Catur Negeri Terengganu (PCNT). Just feel an act of treason to join chess association other than PCNT but then again everything in this world has a price. If CAS is active with lots of tournaments (btw noticed that CAS quarter allegro is now no longer held) then...CAS, here i come!

The Plead
Lim Tse Pin mentioned in his opening speech that Selangor Open is now the longest organized chess tournament in Malaysia (We know that)

Last year CAS suffered a lost of about RM3,000 organizing last year Selangor Open. This year Tse Pin expect a lost will be around RM5,000 and very strong possibility that this year could be the last Selangor Open (We don't know that)

Hence, he plead to all participant to look out for sponsors to sponsor next year Selangor Open. (We will support that)

As such to my dear

1. Wealthy reader, maybe you could consider sponsoring next year event.
2. Well connected reader, maybe you could introduce your wealthy Golf or Mahjong kakis to CAS.
3. Chess player, support this event!

The Aim
My aim in this tournament is simple

1. First, not to lose rating points
2. Second, not to lose money
3. Third, not to lose face (by losing a terrible game)

Well so far after round 7 (and after 4 wins, 1 draw and 2 lost)

1. I definitely will lose rating points :-(
2. Some outside chances i might end up top ten :-)
3. Touch wood, so far i did not suffer single face losing moment (though a lost to Nabila in a drawn rook ending is a close candidate, everybody see the drawing line except me!)

The Seeding

1. Nicholas Chan
2. Jimmy Liew
3. Ian Udani
4. Loo Swee Leong
5. Kamal Arifin
6. Nik Farouqi
7. Kamaluddin Yusof
8. Abdullah Che Hassan
9. Gerald Soh
10. Khair Wahiduddin
11. Jax Tham
12. Abdul Haq
13. Lim Zhuo Ren
14. Nor Ilhamuddin

The Story

Much or less the seeded player performed as expected (with the exception of Kamaluddin and Abdullah Che Hassan who went through a tournament they would rather forget. So far their combined points equal to Nicholas' points)

Worth mentioning is about Li Tian's play. Impressive!. In his game against Gerald Soh, Li Tian's bishop and rook just completely 'lock up' his opponent bishop and rook, long range pieces that suddenly could not move even a single square without being capture!. Instead of winning pawn, Li Tian continue imposing 'day light curfew' on Gerald's pieces forcing Gerald Soh to resign.

Even the blitz specialist, Nicholas Chan took two days (from 7.45pm 29 April 2010 to 12.30 am 30th April 2010) to beat Li Tian. Ofcourse by that time both players already 'drunk' with that irritating 3 decibel free disco beat.

In one of the old photos framed at DATCC, i think there is this picture of a young Yeoh Chin Seng holding an even younger Li Tian under his shoulder while Li Tian's is holding a Malaysian flag.

A future Malaysian chess flag bearer, that what Li Tian is destined to be.