Peter Long on Chess

Dilwen Ding has overtaken Yeoh Li Tian and Nicholas Chan to top the Malaysian Rating List and in doing so has broken 2400. Dilwen's progress has been extraordinary in the last year or so, jumping from 1814 in December 2014 to 2274 in February 2015 with 40 games played in two months, and now one year later another huge jump to 2420 with 22 games played in one month. Together with an IM norm.

Dr Hsu Li Yang was in his time a strong International Master and national champion who still plays the occasional game for fun and attended the EOGM as a neutral but was so shocked at what transpired that he was moved to write about it in his blog ( https://miphidic.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/scf-eogm-chess/?fb_action_ids=940994475986112&fb_action_types=news.publishes ) The link was posted on FaceBook and after reading it, I asked Li Yang for a clarification about a specific incident and the following is my cut and paste of our conversation in its entirety:  I was surprised (but also unsurprised!) at this account of how the participants at the EOGM conducted themselves, and perhaps we should take the necessary lessons with the Malaysian Chess Federation Annual General Elections coming up (assuming that it is indeed held after almost two years of postponements (isn't that illegal?).

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/is-chess-unislamic

Sadly it takes a scandal for chess to get into the mainstream media and it is no different with the Straits Times in Singapore! See  http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-chess-fed-could-have-new-leaders I put it on FaceBook and it was soon picked up by Anjela Khegay and as happens in social media, we soon had a conversation going which was at some points joined by another person I am not personally acquainted with. (Please excuse my poor cut and paste of the screenshots but it is the content that really matters and I think it is of interest!)

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/outstanding-chess-organising-worldwide

Saw this posted on FaceBook and so went to the Singapore Chess Federation website for details (see http://www.singaporechess.org.sg/images/SCF__ACC_Matters/Notice_of_EOGM.pdf ). It's really quite an impressive list making up a huge majority of the local chess community there, both past and present, but no doubt the incumbents will now have organised fellow parents and their non chess playing friends to have a competitive vote bank! Well, to my friends in Singapore (on both sides?), to each it's own! For me it just shows what a pitiful lot those who want to take over the Malaysian Chess Federation are (and they have been trying for years now) because not only do they not have the courage to raise issues at EXCO meetings so as to cling on to positions and remain part of the problem, but they are not even able to even get organised to be able to requisition an EGM. Looks like win or lose, at least those in Singapore chess, more "boleh"!

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/can-we-have-better-arbiters-please

http://www.chessdom.com/17th-asean-age-group-chess-championships-2016/

Well, I finally get to properly do the HPE Chess Training that I have been talking about - I start with my first group of students this coming Saturday in KL! Last year it was really quite ad hoc, and done mainly through conducting some camps, having a few weekenders, consulting, etc., as my focus was still very much on travelling around the region to look see but I do plan to cut down quite a lot of travel even if I have already agreed to be at no less than four events already (Bangkok Open or Asian Youth, the ASEAN+ Age-Groups, World Chess Olympiad and the Asian Seniors), For now I am only committed to do this on Saturdays, with one group 10 a.m. to 12 noon and another 1 to 3 p.m. followed by group analysis/practical work 4 to 6 p.m. and so I will have time to accept a number of students for one on one sessions. I hope to have time to get the Puchong premises up after Chinese New Year and that could be where I hang out Sundays. Those interested are welcome to join my Saturd

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-at-the-japfa-asean-championships-2015

http://aseanagegroupchess.com/17th-asean-age-group-chess-championships-2016-prospectus/