CAS (CHESS AND SAUNA) ALLEGRO

8.30am (Sunday, 24 March 2013)
Arrived at DATCC and noticed there are lots of people, unusually lots of people, gather outside DATCC.

This could be two things, i think, either an overwhelming good response to CAS Rapid or a disaster, a crime scene,and we Malaysian are famously like to stick glued at any disaster scene. Which scenario is the correct one i wondered...

Actually, both scenarios are correct...overwhelming response to CAS Rapid and a disaster, a crime scene...(someone with key has obviously wake up late hence DATCC is still closed as at 8.30 am!) Ah, cannot blame DATCC, weekend chess is always played in early morning after Saturday Night Fever...Ah, ha, ha, ha stayin' alive, stayin' alive, ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' aliveeeeee, ha ha....

At the door Tse Pin can be seen standing and collecting entrance fee money...ticking name on a sheet of paper etc. The scene reminds me of that movie scene in which bookie collecting money before the big fight...sorry Tse Pin...could not help it! :)

I quickly approach the sweating Tse Pin and paid him RM30, placing a bet on Nor Ilhamuddin aka myself! my odd to win is 6 out of 32...

Tournament Proper
Top 5 seeding
1. Kamaluddin Yusof
2. Jianwen
3. Syazwan
4. Ismail Ahmad
5. Nabil

Top 5 finishing
1. Jianwen
2. Syazwan
3. Fariz
4. Mohd Diya
5. Kamaluddin Yusof

I finished 8..oklah i guess

Anecdotes
1.Cameo appearance...Hairulov, Saprin, Farouqi, Jax Tham and few others...i think i saw Khairunisha and Nurul Huda at carpark after the prize giving ceremony.

2.Poor Nabil...in his last round game against Mohd Diya, he is just completely winning...a rook up, an exchange up, maybe few pawns up also (who cares about pawns in such a winning position)...but somehow overlook a knight fork...he lost. Of no surprise when his name is being called as number 10 winner, he is nowhere to be seen...cabut already (and must surely thought he did not win anything).

3.3 most popular topics that are being discussed are Magnus Carlsen's lucky escape against Radja (Hairulov can be seen recalling this game from memory!) and about National Closed (as a tickets to Malaysian Master) and about Li Tian's performance at Vietnam.

4. There are more than 100 players at DATCC (plus parents, CAS officials and spectators) temperature inside DATCC is warm. Good! Paid RM30 and you got 7 rounds of chess and free sauna session...

5. Player that received loudest, very loudest in fact, clapping when receiving prize is Janet Chan Choi Po...

6. Everybody is talking about new MCF..Tse Pin, in between rounds and Encik Safruddin during prize giving ceremony...could sense their optimist view! 

Of New Ruling...
1. Each player will be registered with only one state/ association (and cannot be change at will). Quickly i registered myself as Terengganu player!

2. CAS can be seen collecting IC number from players for rating purposes.

3. No walk in for National Closed. Each states can only send 4 players (There is also a minumum rating that could play at National Closed).

4....and most surprising, according to CAS, under new COS ruling, state association should not have individual member. Example for Selangor Chess Association, they could have a member such as Klang Chess Association or Shah Aalam Chess Association but they could not have say Ali bin Abu as a member. Ali bin Abu however can become member at Klang Chess Association...wow,make sense but i still puzzled...only a month ago i registered myself as a member for Terengganu Chess Association...

For Selangor Open, players that registered themselves as Selangor players are entitled for discount.