FIDE X-Files

www.fidexfiles.blogspot.com

Today Ignatius Leong has quietly started his blog - clearly a platform of his own to address the many ridiculous allegations, even outright lies, made against him by certain of his misguided salaried and appointed colleagues (as opposed to being actually elected) in FIDE.

I have probably said it before but Kirsan Ilyumzhinov openly admitting to be mixing up FIDE and campaign work is not acceptable and clearly using the organisations funds is another no no. It really is nauseating when everything is now given free for possible votes and his henchmen are running around on FIDE salaries and stipends to win support. 

But perhaps that pales in comparison to a head of an International Sports body having the use of Russia's assets in each country he visits (the Ambassador in attendance no less) together with promises of largesse from same and that is on top of letters informing National Chess Federations he is visiting without warning and agenda that which at the same time actually instructs (demands?) to arrange meetings with their country's political leadership for him!    

Can it be Ilymzhinov's FIDE has reached such standing that we now have to take its instructions from its President in our own countries on non-chess matters? 

It is hilarious that Leong has named his blog the FIDE X-Files given its long time and completely not credible leaders propensity to tell the public of his alien friends when not trying to keep up a pretence of importance by showing off his non existent friends in high places (Russia of course excluded).

And from the first posts in this blog one can see that most certainly "The Truth is in Here" as opposed to the fiction that best describes the working trips the FIDE President posts on the FIDE where he is mostly unwelcome and so meets former leaders, ex-leaders of National Chess Federations, and even more bizarrely even the widow of his predecessor to purportedly discuss his all time favourite topic of chess in schools.

I look forward to reading more in this new blog of this FIDE that is led by a Master of the photo opportunity and Grandmaster of the non executed M.O.U.

14th Thailand & Bangkok Chess Club Open Begins

The Napalai Ballroom at the Dusit Thani Bangkok being set up before Round 1... with the trophies for both the Open and Challengers also on display.

It will be held from 12-19 April 2014 and the pairings and results are being published at http://chess-results.com/tnr130151.aspx?lan=1

End of an Era?

The DYTM Raja Nazrin Shah KL International Open 2014 has come to a successful end... and while probably forever, its was certainly on a high note.

Due to limitations of space there were room for just 88 players from 19 countries, a record 46 of them being titled players including 12 grandmasters, 5 woman grandmasters, 13 international masters, 3 woman international masters, 8 FIDE masters and 3 woman FIDE masters.

Clearly there are few events with the depth of field that is the KL Open as our event is popularly known and over the years so many players have achieved international title norms and even international titles outright.

Our roll of winners are all great champions in their own right and we are proud they have graced our closing ceremonies holding aloft the DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Challenge Trophy and they are Anton Filipov (Uzbekistan), Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Vietnam), Hou Yifan (China), Oliver Barbosa (Philippines), and Sergei Tivikov (Nederlands).

For seven years now we have operated on a tight budget, as little as one fifth that of say an event like the Malaysian Open and in many of them the Olympic Sports Hotel has been our home and year in year out participants have returned to play and so many have become friends.

I am very pleased this year the largest number of players have come from the host country and even better that so many young players asked for the opportunity to take part as this bodies well for their future.

There is too much to be said and too many to thank but it is well known that KLCA President Dato' Sri Dr Edmund Santhara has been the main force behind both KLCA and the KL Open and we are very grateful for support from the Malaysian Intellect Development Foundation, Masterskill Education Group Berhad, Polgar Chess Asia and more recently the Kasparov Chess Foundation Asia-Pacific. 

Managing Tournament Stress

Photos by Kristianus Liem

Capital TV

Together with Chessdom, the Official Media Partner of the DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah Kuala Lumpur International Open Chess Championship 2014.

See http://capitaltv.my/

A Very Busy Month

April 2014 is going to be a very busy month indeed!

First up of course is the KL Open from 4-11 April and that is followed by both the National Age Groups Championships from 12-16 April and the Bangkok Open from 12-19 April.

Unfortunately and despite the Bangkok Open being a long standing and well respected event now for fourteen years and organised at the same time every year, the powers that be in Asian chess sitting in Al Ain (including its Deputy President Toti Abundo who hails from the Philippines), have with hardly any notice and quite suddenly, decided to hold the Asian Continental in Sharjah from 16-26 April and so ensured that several top players had to withdraw.

Sometimes one would imagine that in chess that there are two completely difference places called Asia.

In contrast, another long standing event, JAPFA Chess Festival in Jakarta from 20-25 April, is clearly a case where federations and organisers talk to each other (and work together) to ensure everyone is equally successful, and so all chessplayers benefit.

There is also the World Amateur in Singapore from 25 April-4 May, again cooperation, even if not strictly speaking the same audience, but still no clash given it is around an hour and a half flight from Jakarta.

Unfortunately top Malaysian players are missing out almost all these, the Malaysian Masters being held from 22-27 April, but there is the consolation of the Selangor Open 30 April to 4 May should a players rating be too high for Singapore and we do today have a at least two young players who have for some time now are professional chessplayers.

For Malaysia it is particularly busy, maybe even too much, coming off first the National Closed 12-16 March followed by MSSM Finals 24-28 March and then this very busy April, and yes, there is no April's Fool joke with the tournaments and dates given!

It's Happening with Kasparov Chess Foundation Asia-Pacific!

http://www.kcfasiapacific.com/en/content/27th-south-east-asia-games-11-22-december-2013-myanmar

The Kasparov Chess Foundation Asia-Pacific (KCFAP) was launched by Garry Kasparov in Singapore on 16 November 2013 and as can be seen on its website, KCFAP has been busy, and can be seen from the article above, has already provided technical assistance to the organisers of the 27th SEA Games that was held less than a month later!

During the launch on the occasion of the Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) Awards Dinner, the SCF had received SGD 30,000 (see: http://en.chessbase.com/post/kasparov-visits-singapore-and-thailand), a sum that was apparently given to start a Talent Development program.

Kasparov is going to be making another sweep through the region soon and from what I have heard from my friends in several of the countries he visited earlier, in a very short time he has made major contributions of time, energy (and even provided seed money) to actualise ideas at that are doable, make sense and clear addresses specific local needs, and so big things are happening, beginning with USD 400,000 given by the Macau government for chess in schools!

Countdown to KL Open

We are practically ready to go now, various organising details are now bringing firmed up and the technical team has also now been confirmed and since there is a very limited budget I will have to be the Chief Arbiter, and in return for IO and FA title norms respectively, but also without pay are Amiriul Mohamad as the Tournament Director and Cheong Kok Love serving as a self sponsored Deputy Chief Arbiter!

In what is likely to be the last KL Open (at least not on this scale in the foreseeable future), even without any serious effort to promote the event internationally and with minimal local publicity, the breakdown of participation is as follows:

18 GMs and 18 IMs, 44 titled players, 81 from 86 rated, 20 countries.

The Malaysians include our new National champion and current National Junior champion Fong Yit San, also our first IM Jimmy Liew, nationally third ranked Yeoh Li Tian and National Junior Girls Champion Tan Li Ting.

See more at: http://www.klchess.com/2014_03_01_archive.html#2494868688783252404