NOTES FROM DAT GOLDEN CHESS CONNECTION

Intro

So on 24^th January 2013, 8.30 am, I reached DATCC to take part in DAT Golden Chess Connection Tournament…surprised to see only Najib and Lim Kian Hwa around. Najib informed that if there are less than 10 players then the format of the tournament will be Round Robin instead of SWISS. I replied a diplomatically correct “Ok”…deep in my heart I hope there will be only me and Kian Hwa so the format will be change to 8 games match and I am confirmed to finish at least second (Oh, terrible me!)

Other then noticing that there is only 2 players around, also notice that DATCC is under the middle of massive renovation…smells of paint…the contractor and their tools is everywhere… Najib is now doing a ‘makeover’ to DATCC. Wish him all the best and definitely this is a material for other posting (Najib and his vision for DATCC)

Fast forward one hour later, 19 players finally confirmed taking part with top 5 players are:

1.       Jax Tham

2.       Wong Jianwen

3.       Ilham

4.       Abdul Aziz

5.       Varian Thien

Fast forward 4 days later, top 5 finishers are as below: 
        1.    Wong Jianwen
        2.    Ilham 
        3.    Gabriel Bic
        4.    Zaiasron

              5.    Shreyes

Anecdotes

Varian Thien

Varian Thien pulled out from the tournament after second round. Do not know his reason but hopefully this is not due to his first round loss to Ng Jen Sheng.

Queen sacrifice

I am particularly proud of my 8^th round win against top seeded, Jax Tham. It is a King Indian Attack, and after consulting Mr Fritz, looks like both of us did not really played best moves but what I am really proud is the last move that I played…

Below is the position after black’s 22. … Ne7, preventing 23. Qg8.

I played 23. Qg8! anyway and I could see a puzzlement on Jax’s face before finally he cracked to a laughter and resigned.    

The force variation is 23. …Ng8 and 24. Nh7 checkmate…not everyday you can win a game by sacrificing rook and queen against a formidable opponent!

The last stand.

After executing above checkmate… and finish doing analysis of the game with Jax, Sumant and Jianwen (if I am not mistaken)….i still have like 3 hours before final round. After some thought, I decided to reward myself by going to Capsquare  and watched Swarzenagger’s The Last Stand.

And for the first time in my life I watch the movie at cinema where I am the only person watching it inside the whole cinema!...all alone and the whole movie is being screen just for me!…lucky for me The Last stand is not a ghost movie… unlucky for me, I should make the arrangement with my girlfriend to watch the movie! ;-)

Cameo Appearance

During the tournament several chess personalities dropped by such as Datuk Tan Chin Nam, Hamid Majid, Haq, Rusdi etc

The Fountainhead

Hamid Majid dropped by on second and third day. He lend me a book titled ‘The Fountainhead’, author Arn Ryan, and wants me to give my comment after I have finished reading it.

He said some of my postings (wonder which one?) makes him wants me to read the book…

Ok, I know that The Fountainhead is a good book, can’t wait to read it myself and I plan to start The Fountainhead’s journey immediately after I have finished my currently on going Cloud Atlas’ journey.

The Draw Offer(ssssss)

During the game between  Jianwen and …his young opponent, Jianwen’s opponent could be seen and heard offering draw to Jianwen almost at every time! And every time Jianwen is refusing the draw.

I could see that Jianwen is quite irritate but still keep a smiling face…at one time I could see arbiter (Nik Farouqi-with serious face) came over to the table and ‘explained’ something like should not offer draw so many times.

My advice to Jianwen’s young opponent…do not be afraid to fight. Even if we lose at chess, we are not going to die…so why afraid?

Enjoy the game...enjoy the fight!

Lim Kian Hwa

Before the start of round 1, I had some little chat with Mr Lim Kian Hwa.

So what is your next international tournament after Manila ? I asked.

Oh, next month (and for two months duration), I will be taking parts in various tournaments in Europe…come back the reply.

Good luck and all the best Mr Lim.

…envy you!

I AM IN!...CHESS CONNECTION GOLDEN SPECIAL

I am in!

Najib Wahab is organizing the first FIDE Rated event of the Gregorian Year (...or maybe the last FIDE rated event of the Lunar Year) this coming Thursday at newly renovated DATCC and I am all in!

This event got all the ingredients and recipes, all the tick of good events under my checklist 

1. FIDE Rated...Yes!
2. Relatively cheap entrance fee...Yes!
3. Event near to my house (within 10 km radius)...Yes!
4. Prize money is assured…and not an uncertain ‘gift'...Yes!
5. I don’t have to take leave…or ‘suddenly fall sick’ to take part in this event...Yes!
6. Hot female player took part...err, I hope Yes!

My aim for this tournament is to finish among prize winner (and therefore gain, hopefully with moneylender-like-interest on my RM100 entrance fee), also hopefully to gain at least 7 Elo points (and in process pushing my ratings to above 2000) and last but not least…just to have fun!

So my fellow chess playing reader who has not yet registered to take part, you* are strongly encourage to do so this Thursday morning at DATCC (but please text Najib first, place is limited)

I shall do the write up of the event…(should I am doing well and also should I feel to use the posting on this event as a camouflage to hit at someone I don’t like…guess it is time for me just to follow the current blogging trend)

*preferably someone not so strong, don’t like to face gambit like opening and with welcome habit of offering draw in superior/winning position.                    

NORAZMI MOHD NOOR

Intro

Somewhere in my earlier posting I mentioned how in 90’s Terengganu is blessed with two legends (Ghalam Sani and Norazmi Mohd Noor)…two legends of about the same age and with two totally different styles and personalities.  One positional the other one aggressive, one easy going ‘politician’ the other one is a hardcore sportsman, one jovial, happy go lucky the other one is homely type, one love to sing the other one…well, love to sing too! I know!...:)

I have wrote about Ghalam and it is only natural that now I wrote about Norazmi.

The 90s

Lets put it this way…in a language that today young generations, non chess players able to understand.

Ghalam and Norazmi are the ‘Apple’ and ‘Samsung’ of Terengganu chess in 90s…and this also put players like Hashim, myself, Arshad, gambit etc to mere ‘HTC’, ‘Nokia’, ‘Motorola’ etc. 

The beginning

Like Kasparov, no one can claim he/she taught Norazmi how to play chess since Norazmi knows how to play chess by observing his friends playing this game. This is when Norazmi is in Standard 4 or 5 and stays at Police Quarter.

Unlike today when we can just switch on our PC/ Internet to find chess opponent, in early days Norazmi solved his problems in finding chess opponents by going out from his father’s police quarters and ‘surveyed’ the quarter/flat from afar and normally from this vantage points he can see at which unit there is a chess game being played for normally his neighbors will play chess with fellow neighbors outside of their unit.

Forward to few years later, Norazmi went to US (Wichita University) to study Mathematic and obtained Master in Mathematic and in between study, married and chess, he also actively took part in other sports activities as well. And in these ‘other sports activities’, Norazmi entered not just to make a number, he played to win!

The Sportsman

While most of us considered chess as our main sports/games and other games (if any) that we took is just a hobby…that cannot be said of Norazmi. He played almost ALL sports…and he played it competitively. Basketball, badminton, handball, marathon and God knows what else…Gosh, he even played Scrabble actively and used to be his university Scrabble Champion when he studied at US!

Maybe the only game he did not play is lawn bowl and poker…but then nobody is playing lawn bowl…and on poker, pretty sure Norazmi did not play it, unlike many of fellow chess players.

As such, of no surprise most of the time Norazmi can be seen entering chess tournament wearing sport shoe and track suit!...and on many occasion he quickly needs to finish his last round games “because I needs to represent Dungun in badminton”, "...because i will run marathon tomorrow morning" etc!

With all that sports that he played (and wins most of its), of no surprise that Norazmi ‘the chess player’ brings the aggressive aspect from above physical sports to his chess game.  Norazmi did not hesitate to leave his king ‘naked in centre’ (Arshad’s favourite comment on Norazmi’s games)  if he calculated it is ok to do so when 90% of players prefer to tuck the king into corner.  believe this is due to his strong calculation ability …he is after all one of his University best student in Mathematic. (Master level)

Talk about the aggressive…did you know that in 90s Norazmi is the feared discipline teacher at Kerteh? His reputation as a discipline teacher is legendary. He is like Albert Neri from Puzo’s Godfather novel…feared and respected…by both his student and his colleague.  Of course to those naughty student, Norazmi could be ‘Luca Brasi’ at his worst! :)

In 90’s Merdeka Team tournament, Norazmi once famously slammed down a chair in act of protest against what he believed as unfair last round pairing…Norazmi never shy to express his ‘view’ come what may….

But today Norazmi has mellow down a bit…with ‘Haj’ titled…number of his grandson keeps on increasing…become a lecturer at UITM…I could feel that, off the chess board, he has mellow a bit, no longer a rebel he once was…he now takes it easy…but don’t count on that to bring advantage to you in your chess game against him.

In chess he is still a fighter he once is, he is now and he will continue to be in future…

Success

Among the notable once is he was once Selangor Open Champ and many times represent Malaysia at International events such as Olympiad and Asian Cities etc.

 

Good luck and all the best Haji Norazmi Mohd Noor!