Temerloh Open 2009 - Winners

Nor Azmi Mohd Noor of Terengganu was declared as the champion for the 2009 Temerloh Chess Open. Eventhough he has same 6 points with the first runner up, Ian Udani, after 5 wins and 2 draws, Nor Azmi scored higher tie break, 35 to 33 1/2 (Ian). They both drew in the fifth round when playing againts each other and both also drew in the last round to their respective opponents. Thus, Nor Azmi who was seeded 9th with 1683 rating managed to stop Ian Udani, the top seed with 2097 rating, from grabbing the 1,000 money reward. Congratulation to Nor Azmi for being the champion of the fourth edition Temerloh Open.

Nor Azmi's opponents :

Aidil Othman

Basirun Ramli

Kamaluddin Yusof (4th seed)

Hamidi Taib

Ian Udani (1st seed)

Rusenan Abu Bakar (6th seed)

Fairul Yusof (5th seed)

Top 10 Open Winners

1) Nor Azmi Mohd Nor

2) Ian Udani

3) Ruzenan Abu Bakar

4) Mohd Khair Wahiduddin

5) Kamaluddin Yusof

6) Fairul Yusoff

7) Hamidi Taib

8) Abdullah Che Hassan

9) Abd Khalid Musa

10) Aidil Othman

Top 10 Closed (Temerloh) Winners

1) Aidil Othman

2) Sukur Mustafa

3) Fakhri Ahmad

4) Saharuddin Mohd Said

5) Basirun Ramli

6) Ahmad Ammar Ahmad U12

7) Kasputera Karnaini

8) Nor Azri Abd Malek

9) Muamed Jamal Jamaluddin

10) Abdul Jamil Man

Click here for the final ranking cross table of the 7-round 45-minute 2009 Temerloh Open.

Fazli Zakaria, the tournament director and organizer's pillar, giving his welcome speech during the closing and prize giving ceremony. A tremendous effort from him and his organizing team to make sure the tournament was smooth running and successful. Kudos to him and his team.

The guest of honour for the tournament's closing ceremony and prize giving, YB Dato' Haji Mohd Sharkar Bin Haji Shamsuddin, a Pahang state exco and Lanchang state assemblyman. In his speech :

1) Supports Temerloh to be the center of excellence for chess

2) Promotes Temerloh for its ikan patin (Silver catfish) and the center point of the Peninsular Malaysia.

3) Suggests to have more chess tournaments and circuits in Pahang and neigbouring districts, to increase chess tournament money rewards

4) Contributes 20 chess sets including the clock to Persatuan Catur Temerloh Pahang (PCTP).

GiLoCatur hopes more YBs to support chess in their respective areas as YB Dato' Mohd Sharkar does. Temerloh Open will surely a long annual and reputable event and be in the chess calendar.

YB Dato' Sharkar receiving a symbolic chess board from Mohd Fadzli at the end of the prize giving ceremony.

A quiz for everyone. What is the old name for Temerloh? Check out the answer in this website.

Temerloh Open 2009 - Day 1

Warm up session before the tournament begins. A local veteran folk, Haji Salim (wearing kopiah), is participating again this year.

GiLoCatur and family travelled to Mentakab from Shah Alam this Saturday morning to participate in the two-day Temerloh Open. The tournament is the third edition. GiLoCatur and kids did not play in the first edition in two years ago. We just started to play in this tournament last year. We left home a bit late maybe because we were so tired. GiLoCatur and Fikri were at PKNS last night for Shah Alam Chess League tournament where "GiloCatur Gambir" was thrashed to 3.5 - 0.5 by 17ChessClub. Only our first board player, Roslan, could manage to draw. The rest of the team, Azam, Fikri and the Firey_Rook (Shamsuddin) were defeated by their respective opponents.

While having supper, Fikri and Roslan played one practice game before Roslan made a long drive back home to Sungai Besar. So, GiLoCatur and Fikri arrived home a bit late half-hour past midnite. In the morning, GiLoCatur rushed to settle the routine chores before any travelling like preparing the needs for our cat, Comel and its 8 children.

GiloCatur and family arrived at the tournament venue at around 9.30 am. Settling the registration and the payment fee, we then went to a warung nearby to have breakfast. The first round of the tournament began at 10.30 am.

This year edition attracts only 52 players both local and non-locals. Such low participation numbers may be due to several reasons:

- H1N1 outbreak

- examination week and big exam, UPSR, PMR & SPM is around the corner

- longer tournaments are less preferred

The defending champion and his family is absent this year. Subramaniam family is also missing due to Sumant playing international tournament. Stonemaster also is not around, maybe due his coaching commitment.

But Ian Udani is playing in this year's edition to win the RM 1,000. He is seeded first. Last year he was at the Merdeka tournament. Kamaluddin Yusof and Abdullah Hassan, second and third seed respectively, will try to stop Ian to be the 2009 Temerloh Open champion. Mohd Khair, the younger brother of NM Kamalariffin who is the fourth seed, surely will lead Pahang players to challenge other pro players. Fairul Yusoff, Ruzenan Abu Bakar and Muhammad Arshad of the neighbouring terengganu state will also add more challenge to the tournament.

In the first round, Ian and Kamaluddin were playing againts Sabirin daughters, Siti Aisyah and Siti Khadijah, who are Terengganu MSS state players. Abdullah Che Hassan was paired againts yes GiLoCatur on the third board.

In the first round, all the top 15 seeded players won and cruised to the second round with one point except the 13th seed, Saharuddin Said which was upset by Kasputera Karnaini, what a unique and beautiful name.

Going to round 3, most top 15 seed players scored the perfect two points. The fourth seed however, could manage only a draw againts the 17th seed, Ali Akbar Kuning, who in the third round managed to win againts Fikri, GiLoCatur's eldest son on the seventh board.

The unrated 47th seed, under-16 Muhammad Khairil Roseli, managed to earn the perfect 2 points entering the third round. He played white on the sixth board againts Abdul Rahim Ramli who drew with Fikri in the second round.

As for GiLoCatur,

1st round - lost to the third seed, Abdullah Hassan

2nd round - won againts unrated Muhammad Hafizullah Roslan

3rd round - beaten by the 15th seed, Sulaiman Johari

Fikri,

1st round - won againts Safaruddin Hassan

2nd round - drew with Abdul Rahim Ramli

3rd round - lost to Ali Akbar Kuning

Anis Fariha,

1st round - lost to unrated Shazmie Mohammad Nadziri

2nd round - won againts Mohamad kamal Omar

3rd round - beaten by Muhamad Jamal Jamaluddin

GiLoCatur needs to go to bed now since it is nearly 4.30 am. Had a sleep several hours after having dinner at hotel. Woke up at around 1 o'clock and had a very late supper of few slices of bread with "kuah ikan patin" bought earlier at Temerloh.

GiLoCatur reporting from Room 106, Hotel Jelai, Temerloh, Pahang.

(Just notice that GiLoCatur's blog just reached 15,000 visits.)

Chess Championship Zone 3.3

KEDUDUKAN 10 TERATAS

TAHNIAH! kepada IM Mas yang berjaya menempatkan diri dalam 10 kelompok pemain terbaik bagi Zon 3.3. IM Mas, yang disenaraikan sebagai pilihan ke 18 di awal pertandingan, berjaya mengungguli tempat ke 6. Beliau merupakan International Master (IM) yang mendapat kedudukan terbaik dalam pertandingan yang memilih pemain untuk Kejohanan Dunia 2010.

Dari carta keputusan di atas, tidak dapat disangkal lagi Filipina dan Vietnam merupakan negara yang hebat dalam sukan catur di rantau ASEAN. 3 pemain Filipina dan 4 pemain tuan rumah, Vietnam, mengungguli kedudukan 10 terbaik. Filipina berjaya membolot dua tempat teratas yang bakal mewakili Zon 3.3 ke World Chess Championship 2010. GM Darwin Laylo dan GM Wesley So, seorang "chess prodigy" yang merupakan pemain catur ke 7 termuda mendapat gelaran GM, masing-masing adalah juara dan naib juara Kejohanan Catur Kelayakan Zon 3.3 yang berlansung di Bandaraya Ho Chi Minh. Sudah pasti semua rakyat Filipina akan meraikan kejayaan ini.

Agak malang bagi pemain harapan tuan rumah, GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son yang merupakan pemain ke 14 termuda mendapat gelaran GM, tidak dapat bersama Wesley So ke Kejohanan Catur dunia tahun hadapan.

Malaysia bersama-sama Indonesia dan Singapura boleh berbangga dengan pemain-pemain masing yang berjaya mendapat tempat ke 10 terbaik. GM Zhang Zhong (Singapura) terpaksa berpuashati di tempat ke 8 dari seeded ke 2. Sementara GM Susanto Megaranto berjaya naik setingkat di tempat ke 5 dari seeded ke 6. Justeru itu, IM Mas yang merupakan seeded ke 18 bermain cemerlang dan berjaya mendapat tempat ke 6. Syabas, IM Mas sebenarnya setaraf dan setanding dengan para GM terutamanya dari rantau Asean.

sumber : chess-results.com

Apakan IM Mas berjaya mendapat norma GM yang dicari-carinya? GiLoCatur tidak pasti. Harap-harap beliau berjaya. Malaysia amat mendambakan kejayaan beliau bagi membuka laluan dan memberi motivasi kepada pemain-pemain Malaysia lain untuk mengejar cita-cita itu.

Dalam kejohanan ini, IM Mas berjaya menang 3 dan seri 6 permainan. IM Mas berjaya menewaskan seoarang GM dan seorang IM pemain tuan rumah. Dan beliau juga berjaya seri dengan dua orang GM, seorang veteran dan seorang remaja.

GiLoCatur mengharapkan pemain-pemain muda negara akan menjadikan usaha dan kesungguhan IM Mas untuk mendapatkan gelaran GrandMaster sebagai satu azimat dan motivasi.

HOPE MALAYSIA WILL GET ITS FIRST GM SOON!

Update on Zone 3.3 World Chess Championship Qualifiers

Gambar di atas merupakan statistik prestasi dan keputusan permainan-permainan IM Mas Hafizulhelmi, satu-satunya wakil negara di Kejohanan Catur Dunia Pusingan Kelayakan Zon 3.3 yang sedang berlansung di Bandaraya Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam selepas pusingan ketujuh.

Satu keputusan yang boleh dianggap cemerlang kerana setakat ini IM Mas masih belum tewas. Beliau menang 2 dan seri 5 kali. Dia menang ke atas GM Vietnam, Bui Vinh, yang juga merupakan pilihan ketujuh dengan FIDE rating 2517 di pusingan ketujuh.

Di pusingan kedua dan kelima IM Mas telah seri dengan GM kebanggaan Vietnam, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (pilihan ketiga), dan GM veteran Filipina Eugene Torre (pilihan keempat). Beliau akan menentang pemain tuan rumah CM Nguyen Hoang Nam di papan ketujuh dengan bermain buah hitam. Diharap IM Mas menang pusingan kelapan esok jam 2.00 petang waktu Vietnam.

Setakat pusingan ketujuh, rating performance IM Mas adalah 2466 dan menduduki ranking ke 9. Di awal kejohanan, IM Mas menduduki ranking ke 18.

This Weekend Chess Tournaments Results

In conjuction of Convo Fair at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in Perak, a chess open tournament was held in its Chancellor Hall last Saturday. Nearly 70 players particpated in the Open section. Sumant Subramaniam won the tournament with a single defeat. Among the oppononets he beat were Kamaluddin Yusof and the current NM Evan Timothy Capel from Penang. Congratulation to Sumant!

While at OUG Pearl Shopping Complex, there was KL Young Talent championship organized by KLCA. In Under 11 age-group, the top two seeded made to the Top 3. Aziz Farhan who was ranked second before the game came top with 6 and 1/2 points. He won all his games except a draw with NWM Tan Li Ting in th efourth round. While the current National Woman Master, Tan Li Ting was second with 6 points. He drew with the champion and the fourth placed, Subramaniam Sivanesan, in the fifth round. Subramaniam, the third seed, just managed the fourth place with 5 points. He was edged by Dilwen Ding Tze How by half point. About 40 players played in this age-group category.

In the Under 9 age-group category, Teh De Juan was the champion scoring 6 points. He just lose once to the top seed, Tan Yong Zhao who came third with 5 and 1/2 points. He shared 6 points with the second place, Amier Hamzah Mohd Zuhri, but he won againts Amier in the third round. Danish Hamzah, the second seed, and his sister Maisarrah, the third seed, just managed the fifth and ninth spot respectively.

Congratulation to all the winners!

MISS UNIVERSE CHESS Poll

GiLoCatur dapat satu emel berkenaan satu undian yang diberi nama MISS UNIVERSE CHESS. Sila ke URL http://miss-universe-in-chess.blogspot.com/ untuk membuat undian. Kalau GiLoCatur berlawan catur dengan mereka ini rasa-rasanya pasti akan kalah. Bukan setakat terpesona dengan kejelitaan dan kecantikan mereka, tetapi terpesona dengan kepandaian mereka bermain catur. Siapalah GiLoCatur yang tiada FIDE rating dan national rating yang rendah untuk berlawan catur dengan mereka yang memiliki FIDE rating 2500+, 2400+, 2300+ dan 2200+. Alahai ... Selamat mengundi ...

World Chess Qualifiers Zone 3.3 Update

sumber : chessgames.com

IM Mas telah berjaya menewaskan lawannya dalam pusingan pertama iaitu seorang pemain tuan rumah. Di pusingan kedua beliau bermain buah hitam menentang pemain catur tuan rumah yang hebat iaitu GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (FIDE 2592). Permainan mereka berlansung pada jam 4.30 petang tadi dan seharusnya sudah tamat. Tetapi keputusan bagi kategori lelaki masih belum dipaparkan di chess-results.com.

(11.00pm - IM Mas telah seri dengan GM Son. Satu keputusan yang masih dianggap sangat baik. Di pusingan ketiga, IM Mas akan bermain buah putih melawan IM Vietnam dan pilihan ke 15, Duong The Anh (FIDE 2440) di papan kelapan. Mari kita semua rakyat Malaysia mendoakan semoga beliau menang permainan tersebut yang berlansung esok pada jam 2.00 petang. Setakat dua pusingan dengan 1 kemenangan dan 1 seri, IM Mas telah mengumpul 1.5 mata sama dengan pilihan utama GM Wesley So.)

Berikut adalah salah satu game GM Son yang ditewaskan pemain Indonesia, Irwanto Sadikin, di kejohanan Asian Championship pada bulan Mei yang lepas.

Nguyen Ngoc,Truong Son (2588) - Sadikin,Irwanto (2447) [E05]

Subic, Asian Championship (2.15), 14.05.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Nc3 b5 11.Qd3 b4 12.Nb1 Be4 13.Qd1 c5 14.Nbd2 Bd5 15.dxc5 Nbd7 16.Nb3 Nxc5 17.Nbd4 Rc8 18.a5 Qc7 19.Bd2 Qb7 20.Qe1 Nce4 21.Ra4 Nxd2 22.Qxd2 Rfd8 23.Qf4 h6 24.Bh3 Bxf3 25.Nxf3 Qb5 26.Raa1 g5 27.Qe3 g4 28.Nd4 Qd5 29.Nxe6 Qxe6 30.Qxe6 fxe6 31.Bg2 Rc5 32.Rfc1 Rdc8 33.Rd1 R8c7 34.e3 Rf5 35.Bf1 Rcc5 36.Bxa6 Rxa5 37.Bc4 Kf7 38.Rxa5 Rxa5 39.Kg2 Rf5 40.Rb1 Rc5 41.b3 Ne4 42.Rb2 Bf6 43.Rc2 Bc3 44.Be2 Nd2 45.Ra2 Nxb3 46.Ra7+ Kf6 47.Bxg4 h5 48.Bd1 Na5 49.Rh7 b3 50.Rh6+ Ke7 51.Rxh5 b2 52.Rxc5 b1=Q 53.Bg4 Qb2 54.Rc7+ Kd6 0–1

sumber : http://potretcatur.blogspot.com

Pilihan pertama, GM Wesley So, seri dengan seorang FM tuan rumah di papan utama. Seorang lagi pemain Filipina, IM Richard Bitoon (FIDE 2495) , pilihan ke 9 juga telah seri dengan pemain tuan rumah yang memiliki FIDE 2196.

Dalam kategori wanita pula, salah satu keputusan yang menarik minat GiLoCatur ialah kemenangan "puteri catur" Indonesia, WCM Medina Warda Aulia (FIDE 1945) ke atas pemain Filipina, WFM Cua Shercila, yang memiliki FIDE 2167. Tetapi sayangnya Medina gagal meneruskan kemenangannya di pusingan kedua. (Sila ke laman http://potretcatur.blogspot.com/2009/07/susanto-dan-irene-menang-medina-bikin.html untuk berita dan gambar Medina.)

Selain itu satu upset telah berlaku ke atas WGM Indonesia, Irene Kharisma Sukandar (FIDE 2311), pemain pilihan keempat di pusingan kedua. Beliau ditewaskan oleh pemain WFM Vietnam, Pham Bich Ngoc (FIDE 2105), pilihan ke 15. Irene telah menang di pusingan pertama ke atas seorang pemain Filipina.

GiLoCatur di ASAT 2009

Pada hujung minggu ini, GiLoCatur akan berkampung di Hotel Maluri, Kuala Lumpur. Ini adalah kerana Fikri, anak sulung GiLocatur, akan mewakili negeri Selangor dalam acara catur Sekolah Menengah Lelaki pada Karnival Anugerah Seri Asrama terbilang (ASAT) 2009 yang dijadualkan dari 24hb (Jumaat) hingga 28hb (Selasa). Pertandingan akan diadakan pada hari sabtu dan Ahad. Format untuk acara catur ialah 5 pusingan dengan kawalan masa selama 90 minit seorang. Kepada yang berminat untuk mengikuti berita-berita dan info tentang Karnival ASAT tersebut, GiLoCatur telah memulakan satu projek "coverage" di laman blog http://asat2009.blogspot.com/. Sudi-sudikan melawat laman blog ini.

Maka dengan itu, anak-anak GiLoCatur tidak dapat menyertai KL Young Talent di OUG Shopping complex pada hujung minggu ini. Sementara Anis dan adiknya Fahim pula akan terlibat dengan Pertandingan Catur Tertutup SKBJ pada hari Sabtu. Apatah pula mem GiLoCatur ada aktiviti di sekolah pada hari Sabtu tersebut.

GiLoCatur amat berharap juga jika anak-anak dapat menyertai KL Young Talent tersebut kerana tawaran-tawaran yang amat menarik terutamanya "12 weekend training session throughout the year". Tapi tak mengapa, mungkin anak-anak GiLoCatur boleh sertai di pertandingan-pertandingan akan datang. Bagi GiLoCatur, tawaran seumpama ini sangat penting dan menarik jika inginkan anak-anak lebih maju dan serius dalam catur. Apatah lagi jika ada cita-cita untuk mendapatkan gelaran tertinggi iaitu GM atau Grandmaster.

Sebagai contoh, GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, "chess prodigy" Vietnam telah dihantar belajar dan training selama beberapa tahun di sebuah sekolah catur di Hungary. Sebuah syarikat tempatan Vietnam telah memberi dana dan menaja perbelanjaan GM Son yang merupakan di antara yang termuda mendapat gelaran tersebut. Klik di sini untuk cerita lanjut.

Justeru itu, GiLoCatur berpendapat jika Malaysia ingin melahirkan GM dan WGM, kita juga perlu menghantar "chess prodigy" berlatih di luar negara. Apakah tidak mungkin syarikat-syarikat tempatan seperti TNB, Telekom, dan sebagainya boleh dan mampu menaja mereka. Kita tidak kekurangan "chess prodigy". Sebagai contoh - Yeoh Li Tian yang pernah mendapat tempat keempat Bawah 8 Tahun di Turki, Amier Hamzah dan Subramaniam Sivanesan bagi lelaki dan WFM Najiha, WCM Nabila, NM Tan Li Ting, dan Nithyalaksmi bagi perempuan. (sekadar memberi contoh beberapa nama)

Jika Malaysia mampu untuk menghantar atlit-atlit dari beberapa acara sukan yang lain, sudah pasti Malaysia juga pasti BOLEH menghantar pemain-pemain catur berbakat dan berpotensi untuk berlatih di luar negara seperti di Rusia dan Hungary yang terkenal dengan sekolah caturnya. Justeru itu, kepada semua yang terlibat dalam industri catur harus bersatu dan menggembeling tenaga ke arah usaha tersebut.

Meminjam kata sahabat GiLoCatur Ng6, "MARI KITA CARI GM!"

World Chess Championship Qualifiers Zone 3.3

Pusingan kelayakan Kejohanan Catur Dunia bagi Zon 3.3 akan bermula esok dengan pusingan pertama dijadualkan pada jam 10.00 pagi. Ia akan berlansung di Bandaraya Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Seramai 54 pemain catur dari 8 negara - Malaysia, Vietnam, Phillipine, Indonesia, Singapura, Thailand, Jepun dan Mongolia akan menyertai kategori lelaki sementara 31 pemain catur pula akan bertanding dalam kategori wanita.

Malaysia hanya diwakili seorang peserta iaitu IM Mas Hafizulhelmi yang diletakkan pada ranking ke 18. Sementara Indonesia menghantar seorang pemain bagi kategori lelaki iaitu GM Susanto Megaranto dan 4 pemain wanita. WGM Irine Kharisma Sukandar mengetuai pemain-pemain wanita. Apa yang menarik perhatian GiLoCatur ialah penyertaan WCM Warda Aulia Medina di dalam kejohanan ini di mana beliau sebaya dan dalam age-group yang sama dengan WCM Nabila.

Kategori lelaki diketuai oleh "chess prodigy" dari Phillipine, GM Wesley So, yang pada mulanya tidak bercadang untuk menyertai kelayakan Zon 3.3 ini. "Chess prodigy" Vietnam pula, GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, berada pada ranking ketiga. Bagi kategori wanita pula, WGM dari Monggolia merupakan seeded yang pertama diikuti WGM dari negara tuan rumah, Vietnam.

Pada pusingan pertama nanti, IM Mas akan bermain buah putih pada papan ke-18 menentang pemain tuan rumah, Nguyen Hung Cuon. Mari kita semua rakyat Malaysia mendoakan kejayaan pemain tunggal negara kita dalam kejohanan ini. Selamat berjuang IM Mas!

What are Tie-Breaks?

A visitor asked what are WP, SB and PS as can be seen in the chess results as the above. Surely for someone new to a chess tournament needs to learn a lot like understanding the pairing and the results. GiLoCatur also experienced the same thing before. It is good for chess newbies especially the parents to learn and understand chess terms. Don't be ashamed to ask as a Malay idiom (betul ke?) says "Malu Bertanya Sesat Jalan".

GiLoCatur is not an expert in chess terms but will try to explain them based on what known. So, if my explaination or fact is not right please someone correct me.

SNo. in the above chart is the seeding or starting rank number. Normally, the rank is based on the chess rating. For local chess tournaments, it is often based on the national ratings. The latest national ratings is based on July edition. Click here if you want to check one's national ratings. National ratings can be earned when partipating in a nationally-rated tournament. Beside national rating, there is FIDE-rating which only can be earned when participating FIDE-rated chess tournaments which are not many organized in Malaysia. For players who do not have ratings, they will be ranked (sorted) based on alphabetical order.

SB refers to Sonneborn-Berger. It is a tiebreak system. In simple words, if you win againts a player his or her score will be added, if you draw half of your opponent's score will be added. Therefore, you will get more points in SB if the opponent that you defeats wins more.

PS refers to Progressive Score. It will calculate your points based on a progress table. For example, if your results are - win, loss, win, draw then your progressive scores are 1, 1, 2, 2.5. Thus your PS will be 6.5, the sum of the progressive scores.

rat refers to your ratings (national or FIDE) and TPR refers to Tournament Performance Ratings which is your earned ratings in that particular tournament. So, if you win againts higher rated you will earn higher TPR, but if you lose to lower-rated or unrated it will decrease it.

Hopefully, the above explaination helps and provides better understanding for parents or new players in a chess tournament. You can check this link to learn further.