WHEN KING AND QUEEN LEAVE THE THRONE...

Introduction
This game is the first chess game that left such an impact to me. How 2 knights ‘dancing and prancing- Chernev’ and at the same time dethrone king and queen is simply amazing. Final position in which, I quote Chernev again “…King and Queen have fled, and the white knights occupy their thrones” is picturesque!


Just look at this diagram. Those lovely knights occupying black's throne that force immediate resignation!

I first encountered this game on my first chess book titled ‘Main Catur’. It was written by Esa bin Abdul Rahman and published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in 1978. My late mother bought this book for me in 1985 from one of those book shop at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and I literally read this book from cover to cover, self-taught myself the notation…in Malay! Like if the move is 1.f4 the notation is 1.B-GR4 (Bidak Gajah Raja 4)

The Game
W:Khylober
B:Nagy
Budapest, 1942

From the final position it is mate in four.

The Impact
This game made such a strong impact on me and for a self taught kid I have come to a conclusion that:
1. Knight is stronger than bishop and rook. Maybe slightly weaker than queen.
2. Sicilian is not a good opening. Black is slow in developing its pieces.
3. Khylober (who played white) must be a super strong player. Is he a world champ in 1942?
Now, 27 years younger…I think I know better…

The History
Ok, I first encounter this game via my above mentioned ‘Main Catur’ book in 1985.

13 years later, when I first started working at KL, I bought a second hand Chernev’s 1000 Best Short Games of Chess from at then the happening Yaohan The Mall for RM25. Perusing the book from my rented room I discovered
1. The previous owner of this book is Dr Foo Lum Choon, Singapore.
2. And above game (Game number 150) under grouping ‘Knight Gallopings’

Few years back I again encountered this game at chessgames.com but the player of the game is not Khylober vs Nagy 1942 but Walter Arpad Foldeak vs Nagy, Budapest 1942...but honestly who cares, a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.

So yesterday i revisit this game again and discovered under the game's comment it is actually same person. Until 1948 his name is knight Khloyber Walter, after it Földeák Árpád...

Ah, even better! A wonderful knight's galloping game by knight Khloyber!

PASSING THE BATON MOMENT?

Introduction
When Mas meet Li Tian tomorrow, are we going to witness a history (passing the baton moment) when Malaysia’s great player lost to his young opponent who eventually become even greater player?

Should it happen tomorrow, i bet it is going to be violent, cruel even. The young one is eager to prove that he is worthy successor while the number one is to show that why he is number one. No one is going to give a favour, an inch, to their rival.

All i can say is good luck to both gladiators! May better player won.

History
Let’s look some of the passing the baton moment in world chess. For passing the baton moment in local scene...here.

Sammy Reshevsky for a long time, a very long time is the number one player in the US. Suddenly in 1958 there is this boy, aged 15 who played a good chess. This boy’s name is Fischer so when they met in 1958, Reshevsky who found himself lost after 12 moves, refused to resign and continue playing in losing position...Fischer later become Fischer that we know...GM, World Champion, Legend.

In 1977 Tony Miles, Britain’s first GM lost to Nigel Short (14 years old teenager), Short later in 1994 became a challenger to World’s crown.

In 1994 Kasparov lost to Kramnik in a violent King Indian defence’s game. Kramnik eventually replaced Kasparov as World Champion.

Prediction
Actually tomorrow’s result is insignificant in what will be a long rivalry between them. After the game Mas will still be de-facto Malaysia number one (even though now he is number two) But I have a feeling that YLT will eventually, before he started shaving, become an undisputed Malaysia’s number one...and in 2018 Li Tian will become Malaysia’s first GM, as vaguely predicted by yours truly. Here

Anyway just for the heck of it, i think Li Tian will win tomorrow...Mas take a gamble in a drawn position and its backfired.

WILL YOU STILL WINNING TOMORROW?

Day One

Brunei Open...Malaysian contingent leads by IM MasHafizulhelmi put up a strong performance on day one and Fong Yit Ho even beat a GM (GM Richard Bitoon) with black pieces! A truly amazing performance!

Big question is whether Malaysian Contingent can continue their strong performance tomorrow...




Today you win completely
You play your move so sweetly
Today the light of hope is in your games
But will you still winning tomorrow?

Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure?
Can I believe the magic of your moves?
Will you still winning tomorrow?...

All the best Team Malaysia.

NOW LET'S COUNT THE PIECES...

Saturday morning...my duty as a human guardian of two angels that few years back descending from heaven is sending them for their earthly music lesson at Wangsa Walk Mall...(Ah, how i hope they trade their music notation with chess notation..)

At its main lobby, Wangsa Walk Mall's is currently organizing a knockout chess tournament for kids ( Jax Tham, they must be borrowing your idea...) when suddenly there is announcement from a deejay (yeap, shopping mall's deejay, not an arbiter) "Stop! Stop playing!...now let's count the pieces to determine the winner!"

Hmm, chess game decided by counting chess pieces...an old, primitive, orthodox ways to determine winner that somehow survive and still exist in 21st century...

It sure bring back memories...

MALAY OPEN 1985

Tonight while surfing the internet i stumble on an old News Straits Times article about 1985 Malay Open wrote by Peter Long

Here

I like this article. It is factual, frank and author did not hesitate to pen down what he actually thoughts or knows or especially on what he feels. Well, in simple words... a no holds barred...a vintage Peter!

Some of the interesting points are:
Peter began by mentioning PCMM as “...a strange but not uncommon example of an association which was formed simply to organise one tournament”...ouch! :)

Malaysian Airlines System donated plane tickets as prizes and organisational costs were largely taken care of by Konsortium Serbaguna Sdn Bhd and Wearne Brothers Sdn Bhd.

On Ghalam’s play “Ghalam Sani Datuk Abdul Rashid is young and ambitious, but is afraid of taking risks”

Peter touched on then recently married Mohd Noor Yahya's poor (chess) performance"...biggest disappointment...has been indifferent form...etc"

Peter actually comment on most player worthy of comments, as a reader we could feel Peter know his colleague well.

Dinner and prize giving ceremony is held at Putra World Trade Centre where Datuk Khalil Yaacob, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, was at hand to give away the prizes.

Peter concluded the article by presenting few games played at the tournament.

Hope
How i wish today chess tournaments are to be cover like this... in almost full page of major newspaper, honestly/frankly written by author without any hidden agendas, with historical facts and is well researched...too bad if chess tourney is not written this way because, a'la Yuna's tagline... there is story in every tournament!

WHICH ONE IS A HOAX ?

One, out of four articles published at www.chessbase.com on 1st April 2012 is a hoax, an April fool joke, a chessbase tradition...but the big question here is which one?

1.European Championship: Jakovenko is champion with last round victory
This is real since it is also reported at other chess site.

2.Capablanca's Chess + Billiards match
Never heard of this but that beautiful game...an evidence..50-50 chances it's hoax. Lets evaluate others.

3.The 'Let's Check' Crystal Ball
I know Fritz has this ability and i don't think Chessbase is going to trick or make fun of something that they sell..open to sue...ok, this is real.

4.Chess Match of the Century table up for sale
I think i have heard about this table few years back...i think this one is April Fool's article...:)

Chessbase, my final answer is..Chess Match of the Century table up for sale is this year April Fool's joke!

Ok, now lets wait for the result...:)

DEAR DATCC...

As someone who moonlight as a chess player, and someone who considered DATCC as his third house and who is interested to see DATCC as a chess hub for the nation, I have below suggestions/question, which I personally like to believe, for the betterment of DATCC.

ADVERTISEMENT
Few years after DATCC acquired space previously taken by William Restaurant, William Restaurant‘s sign board is still being proudly displayed outside DATCC. If I am not a chess player, with tables, chairs and Restaurant signage and a weird language being spoken by its patronage (en passant, zugzwang, bulchoz break …) I will believe DATCC is a restaurant serving some exotic European cuisine.

Maybe it is time for DATCC to bring down William’s signboard, replace it with big, bright DATCC signage. I believed every day at least 100 cars passes through DATCC’s front, definitely this will be a great advertisement for DATCC.

Even better if DATCC signboard could be display outside Kompleks Wilayah alongside all those Dangduts and Karaoke signage. Everyday thousands of people passed through Jalan Dang Wangi, got stuck inside their car with nothing to do but cursing the traffic jem. It is to DATCC's advantage if there is awareness among those stranded afternoon travellers (and morning too) that there exist a chess center inside Kompleks Wilayah.

In a world we live in which every company is fighting for eye balls exposure, not wrong if DATCC do the same.

No doubt it is costly but i think in the long run will bring benefit to DATCC and Malaysian chess.

REPLACE THE CHAIR
Chairs at DATCC is a folded type but in my opinion is not very durable. If your weight is above ‘healthy and wealthy’ level i.e 88.88 kgs, be very careful. I have seen many players that crashed down to floor due to this chair unable to support their weight. Yes, there is maybe one or two non folded chair around but I think it is not enough. Before someone suing DATCC for injury sustained at DATCC, maybe DATCC could prevent it…in chess terms, doing prophylaxis to avoid checkmate.

For beginning maybe get 10 plastic chair non folded type that parents can double it up for use of their 7 years old son/daughter to make it more easily to make a move deep inside opponent’s territory.

SELL CHESS MERCHANDISE
It is a win win situation if DATCC could sell some chess goods such as chess pieces, boards, score books etc or even premier items such as chess software, chess clocks, chess books etc.

Of course DATCC could also sell non chess items such as pens, tissues, soft drinks ( I think already did) for the convenience of players…and extra income for DATCC.

MEMBERSHIP
During Insofar tournament, Jax Tham mentioned to me about a knock out chess tournament that he planned to do every Tuesday night and from that kertas kerja I noticed there is DATCC membership being mention…honestly I am neutral about this membership thingy but I am curious about few things.

· Is membership open to all or is it via invitation?

· What is the privilege in being DATCC member?

· Is member entitled to vote, access to account etc?

Some clarification from DATCC is most welcome!