NOTES BEFORE NATIONAL CLOSED...

The Introduction
In a few weeks from now we, Malaysian chess player will decide who is the champion among us and worthy carrier of a title, National Master (NM), for their whole life.

The tournament i am referring to is National Closed...the ‘Wimbledon’ of a local chess tournament.

So far 75 players have put forward their name to try their luck and skills to be a new NM

The seeded
The top ten contenders based from FIDE Rating is as below
1.Loo Swee Loong 2141
2.Saprin 2139
3.Yeoh Li Tian 2115
4.Khair Wahiduddin 2089
5.Lim Zhuo Ren 2074
6.Sumant 2065
7.Ong Thian Loon 2059
8.Nik Farouqi 2057
9.Abdul Aziz Shukor 2046
10.Nabil Azman H 2044

Ok, some would say, why used FIDE when we have our own barangan tempatan? National Rating? Oklah, here is top 10 players based from National Rating...we get quite a different picture...
1.Yeoh Li Tian 1985
2.Sumant 1980
3.Cheah Cheok Fung 1955
4.Saprin 1950
5.Lim Zhuo Ren 1925
6.Tan Ken Wei 1925
7.Loo Swee Loong 1914
8.Nik farouqi 1914
9.Ismail Ahmad 1900
10.Nabil Azman H 1893

To be fair why don’t we kahwin the list to get the average? Oklah, here is the Kahwin (FIDE + Nat rating) list...not much different and Nabil still seeded number 10.
1.Yeoh Li Tian 4100
2.Saprin 4089
3.Loo Swee Loong 4055
4.Sumant 4045
5.Lim Zhou Ren 3999
6.Khair 3977
7.Cheah Cheok Fung 3975
8.Nik Farouqi 3971
9.Tan Ken Wei 3947
10.Nabil 3937

But still, no matter how we twist... and turn...and shake...and upside down the list of the player in a tournament dubbed as Wimbledon of Malaysian Chess...the Nadal, the Federer, the Djokovic of local chess sadly still did not appear in the list...

The Pledge
Why don’t all National player, former NM for once took part in National Closed once again...take a break from never ending office work and go to a place where people know who you are...appreciate who you are...and glad to see you around...aptly worded in Cheers intro below.

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME (CHEERS THEME)

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.

Well, even though currently none of former NM register their name and our chance to see them take part in this Nat Closed looks dim...I hope they would do a Vanessa William...Save the best for last!

Sometimes the snow comes down in June
sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon
just when I thought our chance had passed
you'd go and save the best for last
you went and saved the best for last