Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Live Game, Selangor Open 2013

To watch Selangor Open round 7 between Mark Siew and Wong Jianwen on top board, please click link below:-

http://thechessconnections.blogspot.com/p/live-game.html?showComment=1367323208249

Monday, April 29, 2013

Caruana vs Topalov, Round 10, GP Zug 2013

Veselin Topalov, Bulgaria

 

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom

 

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Official website: http://zug2013.fide.com

Wong Jianwen's Game Against Russian GM Fominyh in Round 4, Selangor Open 2013

29 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – Here is the winning round 4 game for Wong Jianwen against GM Alexander Fominyh of Russia during the Selangor Open 2013. The round 4 game was held on Sunday, 28 April 2013 at DAT Chess Connections, Wilayah Complex, Kuala Lumpur.

Wong Jianwen, MAS   GM Alexander Fominyh, RUS 

(Game courtesy of CAS)

Jianwen meets Yit San in Round 6, Selangor Open 2013

29 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur - The 40 th Selangor Open has reached the halfway stage and two youngsters dominate with 4.5 points. One is Wong Jianwen and the other Fong Yit San. They will meet each other on top board during round 6 this evening at 7 pm at Wilayah Complex, Kuala Lumpur.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Anish Giri - Rustam Kasimdzhanov, GrandPrix Zug 2013

Kasimdzhanov Rustam vs Anish Giri, Rd 9, GP Zug 2013

Live chess broadcast powered by ChessBomb and Chessdom

 

Standings After Round 8:

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Official website: http://zug2013.fide.com/en

Youngsters Excel at 40th Selangor Open 2013

Wong Jianwen, MAS

Pix 1. Wong Jianwen, MAS making an impact.

28 April 2013, Kuala LumpurWong Jianwen of Malaysia did the unthinkable by beating GM Fominyh in round 4 on top board of the Selangor Open 2013. Another important win for Jianwen who now has four full points, the same as another youngster, Fong Yit San. Yit San beat Aldrino Pardino on board two.

Meanwhile another Malaysian youngster, Mohd Nabil beat Villanueva of PHI on board 5.

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Results of Round 4:

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To see more results, please visit chess-results.com or click here.

Or visit the official website: http://selangorchess.blogspot.com

Two Youngsters In The Lead After Round 4, Selangor Open

Wong Jianwen, MAS

28 April 2013, Kuala LumpurWong Jianwen did the unthinkable by beating GM Fominyh in round 4 on top board of the Selangor Open 2013. Another important win for Jianwen who now has four full points, the same as another youngster, Fong Yit San.

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Results of Round 4:

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To see more results, please visit chess-results.com or click here.

Or visit the official website: http://selangorchess.blogspot.com

Saturday, April 27, 2013

GM Fominyh Leads With Four Others, 3rd Round Selangor Open

27 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – In the lead are five players with GM Fominyh of Russia, Alberto Muniz Pardino of Hong Kong, Fong Yit San, Nor Ilhamuddin and Wong Jianwen. All scoring the perfect three full points from three rounds.

Wong Jianwen  - MAS

Wong Jianwen overcomed National Master Roshan Singh on board six during round 3. That’s an important win for Jianwen.

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Rank after Round 3 (Top 31):

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To see more results, please visit chess-results.com or click here.

Official website: http://selangorchess.blogspot.com

Fominyh In The Leading Bunch, Selangor Open 2013

27 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – At the end of round two of the 40th Selangor Open 2013, twelve players are in the leading group with two full points. GM Fominyh is still top gun with a win against Mark Siew of Malaysia during round 2. Ian Udani won, IM Jimmy Liew drew with Fairul Yusoff on third board and Villanueva of Philippines drew against youngster WFM Nur Najiha bt Azman Hisham on fourth board.

Nelson Villanueva, PHI 

Results of Round 2, Selangor Open 2013 (top 21 boards):

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Rank after round 2:

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To see more results, please visit chess-results.com or click here.

Official website: http://selangorchess.blogspot.com

Riveting Rivalry In Selangor Open 1983

Riveting Rivalry

by Lim Chong

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Games between Jimmy Liew and Christi Hon have always been fascinating due to their long-standing rivalry. Both made their way up the chess ranks around the same time and for many years were the country’s top two players. This encounter took place at the Selangor Open 1983 and the score then was 6-2 in Liew’s favour.

Bogo-Indian Defence

(White: Jimmy Liew; Black: Christi Hon)

 

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 5. g3 b6

Black commits a subtle opening error. The idea behind 3…Bb4+ is to exchange the black-square bishops as a prelude to staking a claim in the centre. Black’s white-square bishop is better off on c8 where it can support his counterplay, starting with the move f5 after White has played d5.

 

6. Bg2 Bb7 7. 0-0 Bd2 8. Nbd2 0-0 9. Qc2 d6 10. Rad1 Nbd7 11. e4 e5 12. Rfe1 Rfe8?!

This makes it hard for Black to play f5. A better plan is 12…Ne8 with the idea of g6, Ng7 and Ne6, but White could counter this by moving his knight to d5 via b1 and c3.

 

13. b3 a5 14. d5 Nf8 15. Bh3! Bc8 16. Bxc8 Raxc8

In this type of position, Black tries to mount a kingside attack while White opens up the queenside with a3, b4 and c5. In the next few moves, both try to hinder each other’s plans while promoting their own.

 

17. Nf1 N6d7 18. Ne3 g6 19. Kg2 Nc5 20. Nd2 Nfd7 21. a3 Nf6 22. b4 Nb7 23. Nb3?

The knight is better placed on c3 where it defends e4 and can be moved to b5 where it can attack Black’s c-pawn if necessary.

 

23…Ra8

Intending 24…axb4 25. axb4 Ra4 26. Ra1 Rb4! 27. Qc3 Rb3 28. Qxb3 Ne4 and Black has more than adequate compensation for the exchange.

 

24. Ra1 Rf8 25. f3 Nh5

With the idea 26…Qd7, followed by either 27…Qa4 or 27…f5.

 

26. Nd1 f5 27. Nc3 Rf7 28. Qd2 Qf6? 29. Rf1 Kh8 30. Kh1! Qe7 31. Qh6

Threatening to win a piece by 32. exf5 Rxf5 33. g4. This would not be possible if White’s king is on g2 because Black would then play 33…Nf4+.

 

31… Nf6 32. Nd2 Raf8 33. Qh3 f4?

A bad move which closes the kingside while allowing White a free hand on the queenside. Black probably underestimates the strength of White’s next few moves.

 

34. g4 h5 35. Rg1! Rh7 36. g5 Nd7 37. Qe6

White forces the exchange of queens to eliminate Black’s possibility of counterplay on the kingside.

 

37… Qe8 38. Qxe8 Rxe8 39. Nb5 Nf8?

After this, Black finds it hard to stop White’s break on c5. Better is 39…Nb8 40. Nb3 Na6 41. bxa5 bxa5! and Black has some chances of holding on.

 

40. h4 Ra8 41. Nb3 Kg8 42. Rgb1 Re7 43. Nc1 Kf7 44. Nd3 Ke8 45. c5 dxc5 46. bxc5 Nxc5 47. Nxc5 bxc5 48. Rc1 Kd8 49. Rc5 Nd7 50. Rc6 Nf8 51. Rac1 Rb8 52. Nc7 Rb3 53. d6 Rf7 54. Nd5 Ne6 55. Nb6 Rxb6 56. Rxb6 Ra7 57. Kg2 Kd7 58. Rb5 Kd6 59. Rd5+ Ke7 60. Re5 Kf7 61. Rc6 Nd4 62. Rd6 Ne2 63. Kf2 Nc3 64. Rf6+ Kg7 65. Rf4 Rd7 66. Rf6 Black resigns. 1:0.

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White played  66.Rf6 and Black resigned.

(Source: CAS website)

Favourites Win Easily Round 1, Selangor Open 2013

GM Alexander Fominyh, Russia

27 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – Here are the round 1 results of the Selangor Open 2013 held earlier this evening in DAT Chess Connections, Wilayah Complex, Kuala Lumpur. Most of the seeded players won their first round classical games. GM Fominyh Alexander of Russia won his game against Vice President of MCF, Madam Haslindah Ruslan (picture above).

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To see more results, please visit chess-results.com or click here.

Or visit official website: selangorchess.blogspot.com

(picture courtesy of Ahmad Shafruddin, CAS President)

Friday, April 26, 2013

Seeded Players Win Easily Round 1, Selangor Open 2013

27 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – Here are the round 1 results of the Selangor Open 2013 held earlier this evening in DAT Chess Connections, Wilayah Complex, Kuala Lumpur. Most of the seeded players won their first round classical games. GM Fominyh Alexander of Russia won his game against Vice President of MCF, Madam Haslindah Ruslan.

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Selangor Open commences tonight in Kuala Lumpur!

26 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – the first round of the 40th Selangor Open 2013 begins tonight at 7 pm at DAT Chess Connections, Wilayah Complex, Kuala Lumpur. Top seed is Russian, GM Alexander Fominyh and he has 71 other players for company. Thank you to Chessdom.com for promoting Selangor Open.

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First round pairings Selangor Open:

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Please visit chessdom.com to read the article or click here.

Or visit the official website: http://selangorchess.blogspot.com

2nd Smart Kids Chess Tournament, 1st May 2013

26 April 2013, Kuala LumpurHere is one new tournament for age-group 12 and below.

2nd Smart Kids Chess Tournament 2013 is as follows:-

Date : 1st May 2013 / Public Holiday = Labour Day / Wednesday
 
Closing date for registration ( 30 April 2013 / Tuesday)
Time : 8am – 1pm ( half day )
Format : Swiss 6 rounds *
Place : St Andrew Hall, Duta Vista Executive Suite, Jalan Duta, KL
Entry fee : RM 50 ( only entries with fee will be accepted ) **
Categories : 3 categories ( under 8, under 10 & under 12 )
Level : Only unrated player or National Rating below 1500 can play.
Prizes : Top 3 winners will receive trophies and certificates
( all participants will receive certificate of participation )

Contact : FIDE National Instructor Mr. Shamsuddin Mat Isa ( 016-555 4956 )

For a copy of the registration form please click this link:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9k30NdpARLUMk4zUG16RUFfM00/edit?usp=sharing

Monday, April 22, 2013

GM Zhao of Australia wins Bangkok Chess Club 2013


22 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – The 13th Bangkok Chess Club 2013 ended with GM Zhao Zong-Yuan of Australian became the new winner with 7.5 points from nine rounds of classical play at the Dusit Thani Resort in Pattaya, Thailand from 14-21 April 2013.

Second, IM Wan Yunguo of China, third, GM Jan Gustafsson of Germany, 4th, GM Vajda Levente of Romania, 5th, GM Hansen Sune Berg of Denmark.



Official website: http://bangkokchess.com
(photo courtesy of WGM Irene Kharisma Sukander, Indonesia)




Selangor At Its Finest

22 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming Selangor Open 2013, here is another article by the late Lim Chong on his thoughts of the Selangor Open.

Selangor At Its Finest

By Lim Chong

One night after work in December 1978, I decided to go take a look at national individual chess championship which was being held in Petaling Jaya. Late at night, there were few spectators and sometimes they were outnumbered by the players.

Lew Chin Chuan and Laurence How, who were involved in organising the event, were the first two chess officials I met. Though I told them I was not on assignment, they were still pleased to see a reporter showing interest in the game.

The title that year was won by Christi Hon, with Jimmy Liew in second place and Peter Long third and the three of them went on to dominate the chess scene for many years.

From here I was introduced by Lew and How to the Chess Association of Selangor (CAS) and its activities, including its flagship tournament, the Selangor Open, which has the distinction of being the longest running chess event after having started in 1974.

Those who have participated in the Selangor Open would surely have found it an unforgettable experience. Having taken part in five events of the series, with the earliest in 1979 and the latest this year’s edition, they have all provided fond chess memories despite the poor results.

The Selangor Open provided an exciting opportunity for an enthusiast like me to play against top players like Liew, Tony Tay, Ahmad Muzzaffar Mustaffa and Chang Hing Wah, all of whom handed out valuable lessons in chess.

As well as women’s champion Audrey Wong at Selangor Open 1983 through a “surprise introduction” nicely arranged by How, who was the tournament director. I was one of those who lost to Audrey who was making her debut and at the end of the tournament, a star was born when she scored five points from nine rounds.

Audrey’s mother, Jackie Wong, was one of the hardworking officials who helped CAS to rise to the pinnacle. As a longtime secretary, her efficient and frugal approach saw the association having more members, more sponsors and more activities than ever before.

Even during the hard times, CAS somehow was always able to find the resources to carry on with its activities, including its junior training programme, that ensured that new generations of players kept coming up.

Despite difficulties in finding sponsors in recent years, current CAS secretary Lim Tse Pin is among those at the association who have managed to keep things going. He reported that last year’s Selangor Open suffered a loss of RM3,000 and this year’s event, even with 70 participants, is expected to incur a deficit of RM4,000.

The bad news continued with Lim warning that the tournament may be scrapped if CAS is unable to find a sponsor for next year. That would be a terrible loss for chess in this country. Though overshadowed in recent years by events like the Datuk Arthur Tan Malaysia Open and Kuala Lumpur Open in terms of international appeal, the Selangor Open has a unique tradition of its own, which evolved through the long years.

At the latest Selangor Open 2010, the final results saw four generations of players among the top four winners.

Liew, placed second, comes from the veterans, third-placed Kamal Ariffin Wahiddudin was the 1991 national champion, 11-year-old Yeoh Li Tian, who ended fourth, is considered among the most promising juniors, and champion Dr Nicholas Chan is currently the country’s strongest player without the international master title.

Also deserving mention is Penang coach Loo Swee Leong who should be commended for not just playing well to take the fifth spot but also for his effort in bringing down a group of schoolchildren to gain useful exposure in the tournament.

Chan was able to retain the title he had won last year but he still has a long way to catch up with Liew, an eight-time champion. The pivotal moment was in round five when both were paired against each other in their first ever meeting and Chan won with the white pieces.

Throughout the tournament, Chan was hardly troubled except for the eighth round when his opponent Ian Udani of the Philippines had a winning position but failed to convert and the result was a draw. Chan later admitted that he played badly in the opening but he was resourceful enough to fight hard to share the point, maintaining his unbeaten record.

At the rate Chan is progressing, it looks like a matter of time before he joins our small group of international masters if he is able to still find the time to continue playing.

For Liew, being the runner-up showed that he remains a force to be reckoned with. He was the one who ended the foreign domination at the Selangor Open by winning the title in 1980, marking a new era in the country’s chess development.

Liew went on to win the Selangor Open title eight times, a remarkable record that is unlikely to be broken, especially when he has shown that he is still capable of winning more.

The closest challenger is five-time winner Mok Tze Meng but he seems to be less active in tournaments after becoming an international master.

Many of us have gained in many ways from the Selangor Open which represents chess tradition at its finest. It would be surely be an immeasurable loss for all chess enthusiasts if such a tradition is not continued. So, see you at the 38th Selangor Open next year

 (source: Selangor chess website)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Selangor Open Update

21 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur – Here is an important annoucement from Selangor Chess on the upcoming Selangor Open 2013 to be held from 26 April – 1st May 2013.

For those who yet to register but would like to be part of this historical event (40 consecutive years), please send an email with your name, HpNo and ICNo to selangorchess@gmail.com by 23rd April 2013. 

For tournament details, please click here.

For accommodation details, please click here.

The name list for the event as at 20th April (10pm) is listed as below:-

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No. Names FED Status
1 Amier Hamzah Mohd Zuhri  MAS Paid
2 Amir Ghaazi Mohd Saprin MAS Paid
3 Amir Muqqri Mohd Saprin MAS Paid
4 Amir Qayyim Mohd Saprin MAS Paid
5 Azizul Azlan Zainuddin MAS Paid
6 Bausch Koh Sian Kuan MAS Paid
7 Benjamin Koo Wei Jie MAS Paid
8 Bick, Gabriel J USA Paid
9 Dawson Tan Soon Wei  MAS Paid
10 Dilwen Ding Tze How MAS Paid
11 Evan Loo Hsien Rong MAS Paid
12 Fairul Yusoff MAS Paid
13 Fariz Shafruddin MAS Paid
14 Fong Yit Ho MAS Paid
15 Fong Yit San MAS Paid
16 Haslindah Ruslan  MAS Paid
17 Ho Chen Ee MAS Paid
18 IM Jimmy Liew Chee Meng MAS Paid
19 Joel Su Weng Yang MAS Paid
20 Kabir Singh Ajeet Singh MAS Paid
21 Kaushik Panamparampil  IND Paid
22 Liew Ken Yew MAS Paid
23 Looi Ka Loc MAS Paid
24 Low Chee Pang MAS Paid
25 Lye Lik Zang MAS Paid
26 Mark Siew Kit-Tze  MAS Paid
27 Martha Victor Plaintiram MAS Paid
28 Mat Zaki Yeop MAS Paid
29 Maushmi Panamparampil Mahesan IND Paid
30 Muhd Amirul Mohd Rosli MAS Paid
31 Muhd Nabil Azman Hisham MAS Paid
32 Muhd Nurhaffiz Zakaria MAS Paid
33 Muniz Pardino, Alberto HKG Paid
34 Ng Jen Sheng MAS Paid
35 Ng Wei Kiang MAS Paid
36 Nur Nabila Azman Hisham MAS Paid
37 Nur Najiha Azman Hisham  MAS Paid
38 Nur Sabrina Aliya Asman MAS Paid
39 Puteri Rifqah Fahada Azhar  MAS Paid
40 Renitha Narayanan MAS Paid
41 Rosamund Koo Wei Xin MAS Paid
42 Roshan Singh Ajeet Singh MAS Paid
43 Shreyes Subramaniam MAS Paid
44 Sri Kabelen Srimuralitharan MAS Paid
45 Sri Shiva Kumar Narayanan  MAS Paid
46 Sumant Subramaniam MAS Paid
47 Wong Jianwen MAS Paid
48 Zulfikar Zulkifli MAS Paid
49 Ahmad Fadzil Nayan MAS
50 Amir Faiz Amirul MAS
51 Amira Farhana Amirul MAS
52 Amirul Haji Mohd MAS
53 Bustaman Harun MAS
54 Ian Udani PHI
55 Iskandar Danial Adam Adonis MAS
56 Lee Zhi Wei MAS
57 Mahadevan, Aravind HKG
58 Md, Monir Hossain BAN
59 Melanie Koo Wei Wei MAS Paid
60 Muhd Syazwan Zulkifli MAS
61 Nor Ilhamuddin Shaikh Ali MAS
62 Shahrizal Shamsuddin MAS
63 Sofea Aliya Syahril MAS
64 Surindren Radha Krishnan MAS
65 Villanueva, Nelson PHI
(source: Selangor Chess website)