NC2011...IN A NUTSHELL

Noise and Crowd Control
I think before every round, Najib informed players and parent not to make noise and emptied the hall after the game (though later this has been relaxed to ok to watch the game but be quiet) but funny thing is i encountered below 2 scenarios.

The first one is one unsatisfied player because according to him, arbiter did not do their best to control the noise.

The second one is one unsatisfied spectator because according to him, arbiter is too strict.

Well, you cannot please everybody!

To me, arbiters in this tournament did an excellent job balancing between strict and controlled ‘openness’. It is never easy to control kids in the candy shops and of course we all are kids in candy shop when surrounded by all thing chess.

Venue
On the last day, Najib is all apologetic about the venue and he hoped that future National Closed could be conducted at better place. This inferior feeling must be felt no doubt because few days prior to NC, NAG was conducted at ‘world class hall’ at UTP and now NC is conducted at ‘run down’ place, as what one blogger called it. I totally disagreed at such chose of degrading word there.

To me the venue is ok. What’s wrong with DATCC that is spacious, fully air condition, near to many eating places, highly accessible, got its own toilet etc ? After all once the game started, you no longer care about your surrounding.

But anyway, should you want to play chess in paradise...wait for my next posting, i will tell you where and when!

Players (Top 5)
Seeded
1.IM Jimmy Liew
2.Edward Lee
3.Tan Khai Boon
4.Loo Swee Leong
5.Yeap Eng Chiam

Finisher
1.Lim Zhuo Ren
2.Sumant Subramaniam
3.IM Jimmy Liew
4.Fong Yit Ho
5.Yeap Eng Chiam

ELO Gainers
1.Eu Wen 68
2.Lim Zhuo Ren 48
3.Tan Jung Feng 47
4.Elgin Lee 38
5.Teh De Juan 38


ELO Losers
1.Johan Jamil -64
2.Abdul Aziz Abdul Shukor -40
3.Eddy Fong -37
4.Tan Khai Boon -29
5.Khair Wahidudin -29
6.Ong Thian Loon -29
7. Lim Kian Hwa -29

Surprise!
There is a cash prize for top 3 winners!

Best Upset
Eu Wen (FIDE 1774) drew with Jimmy (FIDE 2302). Rating difference? 528!

Best Finding
Eu Wen, draw with Jimmy, beat Eddy Fong, Rizal Ahmad Kamal and Lim Kian Hwa. From what i heard, he is still under 12 (or is it under 10?) schooling overseas (at China or India if i am not mistaken, not sure) and got his own chess teacher to teach him chess.

Blitz event
People seems surprised that Jimmy won this event ahead of 2Ms (Mas and Mok, not Mahathir-Musa of 80s). To me no surprise here. I have watch how well Jimmy played bullet chess at chesscube and if you can drive Ferrari well, Kancil should not be a problem!

To improve
I just wished if there is a corner for chess player to analyzed the game but then again i understand on the space constraint.