New Year Resolution

The last three years since I returned to chess has been a wild adventure - for sure one that I wished I never started - and I suppose New Year's Eve is as good as any a time to take stock even though to be absolutely honest with myself I do know what I need to do for some 6 months now!

1. FIDE, ACC, MCF? Well, I won't presume to tar everyone involved with the same brush but fundamentally it is the "Koya" culture and I am no great man like India's D.V. Sundar at national level to bring things around like he has with sheer force of will together with incredible energy and talent, and of course while I am still hopefully of change regionally as the leadership is absolutely without credibility, I can say from experience (now!) that it is an even more thankless task at the biggest stage of all without loads of money. So as I understood so well 20 years ago, good luck to the stakeholders. It is your fight! And I salute you....

2. KLCA! Well I intend that to be my sole focus in 2010, from organising a KL Open that will get better with every year, starting new and holistic activities for our membership (and the local chess community as a whole) that when put together would showcase what would I hope to be then leading chess club locally (and even regionally) and in doing so I would most certainly offer an alternative vision for the organisation and promotion of chess. It can be done. Educate by making a success!

3. FA? FT! Well, in the last few months my dabbling in teaching chess has escalated somewhat from taking the occasional class to doing it more regularly and even accepting assignments locally so maybe it is also time that I did this very seriously with a long term view in my own country. I will now be a trainer too! But I believe that the student has to do the work to progress.

So dear reader, a very Happy New Year to you (and do enjoy making your own resolutions too!). Whatever we think of 2009, if we want it to happen and am prepared to do what is needed, then 2010 will be a great year for you as I know it will be for me!