MALAYSIAN IN CHESS BOOKS

Few years back when i went for a seminar in Chennai, India, I discovered that books there (chess books especially) is not only cheap, it is dirt cheap! Chess books there got dwi pricing e.g. Modern Endgame Practice by Alexander Beliavsky & Adrian Mikhalchisin, the price is GBP14.99/Rs 175.

Here is the conversion (MYR equivalent in today's rate)

GBP14.99 x 4.8 = RM71.95

Rs175 x 7.2 = RM12.60 ...RM12.60 for a chess book!

I ended up buying like half a dozen chess books there, and paid in Rupees ofcourse, thank you very much! :-)

Modern Endgame Practice

What interesting about this book (other than its cheap price) is on Chapter 18 Endgames in Super Tournament, author has include MasHafizul wins against Hernandez

W:MasHafizul

B:Hernandez

60. ... Ra1?

61. Ke7 a4?

62. Rg3 Kh7

63. e6 a3

64. Rd3! a2

65. Rd2! Kg6

66. Kd7 Kf6

67. e7 Re1

68. Rf2 Kg7

69. Ra2 Rd1

70. Ke8 Kf6

71. Kf8 Rh1

72. Ra6

1-0

On below book (No, this book i did not buy at Chennai) also mentioned about Malaysian player.

Chess:The Search for Mona Lisa

There got that famous simultaneous game in which Gufeld sacrifice his queen against Goh Yoon Wah and about that beautiful chess problems (Mok Tze Meng received the mysterious call) in which Gufeld believed is the proof that chess has been created by alien.

Well, you are right about that Gufeld, Kirsan can verified it!

MALAYSIA WOMAN IN OLYMPIAD (DUBAI 1986)

Dubai 1986. Their male counterpart basking in limelight with the finest performance ever in Olympiad. So how did our ladies performance here?

Here's how.

Malaysian woman team, according to board order (and their performance) is as below:

1. Seto Wai Ling 6/12 P=1909
2. Ong Y.M. 2.5/8 P=1797
3. Ong Hwa Liu 3/9 P=1779
4. Vimalavathy 6.5/10 P=2014

Vimalathy continued to shine in her second Olympiad outing.

Top 5 Olympiad winners and our neighbour performance is as below:

1. Soviet Union (Chiburdanidze, Akhmilovskaya, Gaprindashvili, Alexandria)
2. Hungary (Zsuzsa, Madl, Ivanka, Grosch)
3. Romania (Muresan, Nutu, Polihroniade, Stanciu-Olarasu)
4. China (Shilan, Mingqian, Yangfeng, Tianjian)
5. Yugoslavia (Markovic, Maric, Maksimovic, Nikolin)

25. Indonesia (Lindri, Tamin Darmayanti, Upi tamin, Wijaya Nanik)

30 The Philippines (Fontanilla, Geneciran, Lee, Llantada)

40 Malaysia

Let's take a look at below miniature game by best performer Malaysian player.

I like her 11.g4 move (which my engine also recommend), creating a very violent attack out of calm water.

Next stop, 1988 Thessaloniki Olympiad (men)

SELANGOR OPEN EFFECT TO FIDE RATING

When we (Zaidan, Ng6 and myself) went back to DATCC after our blitz session at Hamid's, in which Zaidan keep on beating us, i asked him whether he took part in any tourneys at Ireland.

He mentioned that there is not many FIDE tournaments at Ireland, most of the time he played at Club. Then he mentioned about my FIDE rating (2040) and how i lost quite a lot of ratings in Selangor Open.

Silently I like Wow!, never know someone memorized my rating! and know about my performance!

Quickly I went to Fide website and discovered the following:

Zaidan had gain 41.25 over the last two months and stood to be at 2039 when July 2010 list come out. He achieved this when he took part in Irish National Club Championship at Dublin. 2039...2040...Aha! :-)

I also discovered that Selangor Open's result has been submitted (and many others that yet to be submitted...) to FIDE resulting in following ELO effect:

Top 10 seeded performance

1. Nicholas Chan -0.8
2. Jimmy Liew -3.9
3. Ian Udani -15.15
4. Loo Swee Leong -9.3
5. Kamal Ariffin 25.5
6. Nik Farouqi -17.25
7. Kamaluddin Yusof -25.95
8. Abdullah Che Hassan -12
9. Gerald Soh -21.3
10. Khair Wahiduddin 8

Top 10 ELO Gainer

1. Syazwan Zulkifli 63.25
2. Fong Yit San 62.5
3. Muhammad Syakir Shazmeer 44.25
4. Fadzil Nayan 34.5
5. Tan Ken Wei 27.5
6. Kamal Ariffin 25.5
7. Yeoh Li Tian 24.45
8. Nabila Azman Hisham 12.75
9. Ismail Ahmad 10.35
10. Khair 8

TOP 10 ELO Loser

1. Nor Ilhamuddin 33.15
2. Mark Siew 29.4
3. Kamaluddin Yusoff 25.95
4. Gerald Soh 21.3
5. Sahir Sarifdin 18.75
6. Jax Tham 17.55
7. Nik Farouqi 17.25
8. Low Jun Keat 15.5
9. Ian Udani 15.15
10. Haq 9.15

FACING GM ZIAUR RAHMAN (PART 2)

Arrived at DATCC at about 5 minutes lates. As usual for KLites, I immediately blame it on the weather and traffic jam.

The Line Up
1.ILHAM
2.AZIZ
3.RUSDI
4.RAZALI
5.SIRAJ

The Time Control
GMZR got one hour while we got 30 minutes with 10 seconds increment per move for both players.

The Game
W:GMZR
B:Nor Ilhamuddin

1. e4

GMZR was about to reach for his d pawn, suddenly he stopped and after a few seconds (that seems like eternity to me) reaching for his e pawn. Yes! Open game!
Later after the game he mentioned that he do not want to play 1.d4 since he afraid that i might prepared something (in our first encounter 2 months before he opened with 1.d4)

Wow! a GM afraid of my 'preparation!' :-) Not everyday this happen to me!

1. ... e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. d3 b5
6. Bb3 Be7
7.a4 Rb8

Not a good move. Ivanchuk played 7. ... b4 against Aronian a few years back. Game draw.

8.ab5 ab5
9.Nc3 d6
10.Nd5 Nd5
11.ed5 Nb4

Around here we are being served with Teh Tarik halia. Thank you very much!

12. Qa4 d5
13.c4 Ra8
14.0-0 Ra1
15. Qa1 Nd3
16. Rd1 e4

A pawn up in better position!

17. Nd4 bc4
18. Bc4 0-0
19. Nc6 Bc6
20.dc6 Nb4
21. Qa4 d5
22. g3 Qa8 ?

Time trouble. Around here already left with 10 seconds.

23. Qa8 Ra8
24. Bd5 Nd5
25.Rd5 Bd6
26. Bf4 Bf4
27.gf4 g6
28.b4 Ra1
29.Kg2 Rb1
30. b5 Rb2
31.Kf1 h5
32.h4 Kf8
33. f5 Ke7
34. fg6 fg6
35.Rg5 Kf6


We played on and on, GMZR is always the one who tried to win while i am always defending. After sometimes Aziz, my neighbour resigned so that leave me alone battling it out with GMZR. I was thinking of offering him a draw but since i got 10 seconds whereas he got 50 minutes, furthermore i remember once Kasparov scolded his simultaneous opponent for want of a draw, i rejected that idea. I don't want to be the first being scolded by GMZR for want of a draw in simultaneous match!

Finally after manouevring right and left, up and down, he penetrate my position via Rg3-a3-a7. I resigned a few moves later.

The Analysis
After the game, Rusdi said i missed a win. What? you must be kidding! Rusdi then proceed to set up below position.



White has just played Rg3-a3, threatening Ra7-c7 winning. I played Kg4?losing. Rusdi pointed out that Rf2 should be winning for black.

But back home, i feed this position to engine and the verdict is draw.
The drawing line is as below:
1. ... Rf2
2.Ra7 e3
3.Rc7 Ke6
4.Rc8 Ke7
5.Rc7 draw

There goes my 'missed win'. :(

Below is the game in chess player format. I stopped writing on move 30 something since i was down like 5 seconds.

I would rather die fighting than die writing!



The Result
We lost 0-5. I am not really sure what happen at other board but i know Razali intend to post all game at his website. Right, Li?

The Thank
Thank you for Nusa Mahkota (for inviting me to play for the team) and Mr Siraj (which i suspect is the guy behind all this great idea) and GMZR for friendly advice after the game and others that i may not mentioned here.

FACING GM ZIAUR RAHMAN

In a few hours time, i will be playing against GM Ziaur Rahman in a clock simultaneous. This is the first time i will be playing in a clock simul and second time i will be playing against GM ZR. The first game ended in disaster for me when i played too passive

What to play?
I assume i will be playing black and it is very hard to prepare against GM ZR. He played all openings! Anyway after studying a few of his games, i can see there is a pattern in his opening. He has abandon 1.e4 long time ago. Most likely he will open with 1.d4, 1.c4 or 1.Nf3. He is most confortable in Slav territory so i have to avoid Slav Republic at all cost. Not easy since i am always a 1. ...d5 player :(

Hopefully he will go for 1.c4 in which i shall reply 1. ... e5! a'la Short when he defeated GM ZR few years back!

Then how about Nf3? Maybe i should try 1. ... b5 (his fav reply facing Nf3 )

Decisions! Decisions!

Type of play?
GMZR is a solid positional player. Guess in that case i will have to steer the game into something tactical (and at the same time risking losing in less than 20 moves!)

Partners in crime
The line up today will be

1. ILHAM
2. AZIZ
3. RAZALI
4. RUSDI

Though honestly Aziz shuld be on board 1 since his rating is higher than me.

Overall strategy

1. To play slowly ( so that he will become tired and started making mistakes- wishful thinking!)
2. Avoid Slav (Slavic countries considered GMZR is their adopted son!)
3. To play anti positional chess (easier said than done)

Trivia

1. He once drew with Magnus Carlsen at Olympiad 2008!
2. Was born in year 1974 (same as myself-at least we have something in common) though initially i though he is 40 something. No not that he looks old but because he started playing international chess since mid 80s!
3. He once beat Saprin in 14 moves.
4. In 1988 he took part in World under 20 and finished at respectable number 32 fom 52 players. Winner is Ivanchuk and...and...and, our own Ng Ek Teong finished at number 29! beating the likes of GM Patrick Wolff along the way! Bravo!

ME AND MSSM

Since the flavour of the month (June) is junior chess ( We have ASEAN, Junior Tournament in India and MSSM), it is only appropriate if i write something within this scope.

Some 20 years ago, junior chess tournament mean MSSM. Simple. There are not many under age tournament around and junior chess activities (school, district, state) are always heading towards MSSM.

All in all, I have a good fortune in entering 4 MSSMs.

• 1988 Seremban
• 1989 Pulau Langkawi
• 1990 Kota Kinabalu
• 1991 Dungun

MSSMs to me always mean travelling and meeting new friends.


My first MSSM game.
It was 1988 and Terengganu was paired against Kelantan. Facing me is 7 years old boy named Mas Hafizulhelmi. Ok, a 14 years old boy against 7 years old boy. It will be a short game...

W:Mas Hafizulhelmi
B:Nor Ilhamuddin
MSSM 1988 (Seremban)
1. e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.e5 c5
4.c3 Nc6
5.Nf3 Qb6
6.Bd3

I know the trick! Capturing d4 pawn will lead to a loss of material after Bb5 check. No way i am going to allow that.

6. ... cd4
7.cd4 Bb4
8.Nc3 Nge7
9.0-0 0-0

Now there is no more Bb5 check! (so i thought...)

10.Re1 Nd4
11.Nd4 Qd4
12.Bh7 check!

Ouch! I resigned a few moves later.

True enough. It is a short game! (albeit, different outcome!)


My worst MSSM moment
It was during 1991 MSSM Dungun, Terengganu. Honor for 1st board prize (team event) is between me and Selangor's Hoy Weng Keung. Our score is something like this:
Me (6/7) = 85.7%
Hoy Weng Keung (5.5/6) = 91.7%

Top board prize should go to HYK ofcourse based on the percentage but somehow officials decide that i am the winner (maybe based on i scored more points). I know there is error in this but i chose to remain silent. Selangor team verbally protested but still officials decide that i am the winner.

Looking back, i should do the right thing by declining the top board medal.

Some of my MSSM memories.

1. During a game between Saprin and Terengganu's Lim Sim Leong, Lim Sim Leong offered a draw to his famous opponent once every 2 or 3 moves! Saprin (being Saprin) just smiled and dutifully beat his nervous opponent.
2. During 1991 MSSM Dungun, i was given the honor to 'baca ikrar' since i am the top Terengganu player and it was played at my school. Unfortunately, I was too shy to do that and later my team mate, Hardy Jamel is the one who 'baca ikrar'.
3. Notice that if MSSM was played at exotic holiday place like Langkawi or Kota Kinabalu, suddenly everybody shows interest to be part of contingent! Ofcourse once we have reached the destination, all of this 'interested officials' are nowhere to be seen!