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	Johor Open 2025 (RM)	Johor Challenger 2025 (RM)	Penang Open 2024 (RM)	Penang Challenger 2024 (RM)
1st Place	10,000	1,300	10,000	1,300
2nd Place	6,000	1,000	6,000	1,000
3rd Place	4,000	800	4,000	800
4th Place	3,000	700	3,000	700
5th Place	2,000	500	2,000	500
6th Place	1,200	400	1,200	400
7th Place	1,000	300	1,000	300
8th Place	800	300	800	300
9th Place	700	300	700	300
10th Place	600	300	600	300
11th-12th Place each	500	300	500	300
13th-20th Place each	500	-	-	-
Best Lady 1	300	-	300	200
Best Lady 2	300	-	300	200
Best Veteran (>65)	300	-	300	200
Best Veteran (>50)	300	-	300	200
Best PCA 1	-	-	300	200
Best PCA 2	-	-	300	200
Best PCA 3	-	-	200	200
Best PCA 4	-	-	200	200
Best PCA 5	-	-	200	200
Best JCA1	300	200	-	-
Best JCA2	250	200	-	-
Best JCA3	200	200	-	-
Best JCA4	200	200	-	-
Best JCA5	200	200	-	-
Total	31,550	6,400	31,400	6,400

The 11th Johor Open Rapid 2025 spiced things up as part of the larger Johor Open 2025 chess extravaganza! Held between rounds of the main Open Classical event, it was organized by the Johor Chess Association and was FIDE-rated. The event used a Swiss-System format with 7 rounds, each featuring a time control of 20 minutes per game. Players from far and wide gathered at Fairview International School in Johor on January 19th, 2025, for this thrilling contest. The tournament saw an average player rating of 1592 and an average age of 19. Richard Tan Wuu Chyau, the Johor Chess Association's President (who also moonlights in the Malaysian Ministry of Housing and Local Government), was there to award the prizes.

Unique Context and Unexpected Participation

Held in the afternoon and evening between rounds 2 and 3 of the main Johor Open Classical and Challenger sections, the Rapid tournament was a roller-coaster ride for participants. Usually, players would rest between such intense rounds, but not this time! Defying the tiring schedule and expectations, a record-breaking 185 players took part, surprising even the organizers. This included 36 players from the total of 84 in the Open section and 46 players from the total of 105 in the Challengers section.

Top Finishers and Prizes

Overall Winners

1. GMPriasmoro Novendra (INA) - RM 1,200

   • "Priasmoro Novendra faced his wife WIM Dita Karenza. With a Centre Counter defense, the game seemed balanced until move 20, but Dita blundered at move 22, losing the exchange and resigning immediately."

2. CM Kamalsyah Muhammad (INA) - RM 800

3. IM Polschikov Alexey (RUS) - RM 600

4. FM Cahaya Satria Duta (INA) - RM 250

5. FM Rudin Hamdani (INA) - RM 250

Other top ten finishers included: FM Kakavand Ramtin (IRI), GM Iniyan Pa (IND), WIM Karenza Dita (INA), Lasama Claudio Vargues Vasco (INA), and GM Nguyen Van Huy (VIE). The prize money for positions 6th-10th ranged from RM 120 to RM 200.

Special Achievements

1. Best Lady: WIM Karenza Dita (INA) - RM 200

2. Best Rating Prizes:

   • Rating <1800: 1st Simanihuruk Nathanael Dieudonne B (INA) - RM 200, 2nd Yu Shi (CHN) - RM 150, 3rd Lau Sau Ching (MAS) - RM 100

   • Rating <1700: 1st Muraley Rittesh (MAS) - RM 200, 2nd Wong Ming Yau (MAS) - RM 150, 3rd Mohd Shohod Shahrulnizam (MAS) - RM 100

   • Rating <1600: 1st Lim Kian Guan (MAS) - RM 200, 2nd AIM Saajid (SGP) - RM 150, 3rd Imanuel Martogi (INA) - RM 100

   • Rating <1500: 1st ACM Joseph Samuel Alexander (INA) - RM 200, 2nd Gultom Almagro Hasian (INA) - RM 150, 3rd Goh Jing Hee (MAS) - RM 100

   • Rating <1400: 1st Toh Ding Yu (MAS) - RM 200, 2nd Vivaldy Jonathan Charmian (INA) - RM 150, 3rd Sarawana Kumar Darsvin Kumar (MAS) - RM 100, 4th Khaw Wei Zhe Jayden (MAS) - RM 100, 5th Ruzaidi Muhd Fakhrurozzi (MAS) - RM 100, 6th Wildan Muhammad (INA) - RM 100, 7th Tan Yean Shin (MAS) - RM 100, 8th Sai Jia Chun (MAS) - RM 100.

Age Category Winners

• U12 Boys: Choong Ee Jay (MAS) and Wee Yu Heng Lucas John (SGP)

• U10 Boys: Vishwakarthi Vikram (SGP)

• U10 Girls: Xu Ruixi (CHN)

• U8 Girls: AIM Theng Hillary Rooca (INA)

Key Players & Noteworthy Information

One to watch: FIDE Master Cahaya Satria Duta from Indonesia, the 5th place winner, just 16 years old! A rising star on the chessboard. Interestingly, the top seed in the main Open tournament did not clinch the rapid event, finishing in seventh place—a surprise to many.

Tournament Details

• Organizers: Johor Chess Association, Federation Malaysia (MAS)

• Tournament Director: IA Abd Hamid Bin Abd Majid

• Chief Arbiter: IA Ariff, Syawal Aqmar Shahrir

• Arbiters: Kwan Nam Sang Eddy, Gerijan Dinesh, and others.

• Appeals Committee: Abd Hamid Majid, Leong Ignatius, Bunawan Bong

• FIDE Event ID: 395150

Tie-break Rules

1. Direct Encounter (DE)

2. Buchholz Tie-Break Variable (2023) (Gamepoints, Cut1)

3. Buchholz Tie-Break Variable (2023) (Gamepoints)

Excerpted Quotes of Significance

"The Rapid was held between the Classical Open rounds, which was unusual as the classical is more serious with bigger prize money, so many players were expected to rest."

"However, a surprising 185 players took part in the Rapid—a record and a number unexpected by the organizers."

"That is why many opt not to participate in the Rapid—it’s hectic and tiring. Nonetheless, 46 players from the Open joined the Rapid!"

"FIDE master Cahaya Satria, the 5th place winner, is only 16 years old from Indonesia and a player to watch out for."

Overall Themes

• Unexpected Success: An impressive turnout despite the taxing schedule, showing strong interest in rapid chess.

• International Participation: Diverse players from Indonesia, Russia, China, India, Vietnam, and Singapore.

• Emerging Talent: Young talents like Cahaya Satria Duta hint at promising future chess stars.

• Community & Leadership: With the Johor Chess Association at the helm, the event highlighted great community involvement and leadership. Special shout-out to Richard Tan Wuu Chyau for presenting the awards!

Among the sixteenth Penang Heritage City International Chess Festival 2024 events, the Open section, which took place from December 23–27, Malaysian International Master Poh Yu Tian emerged victorious. A large number of participants from around the world showed up to the tournament, even though it was held at the less-than-ideal time of Christmas. There are four events—the Penang Open, the Challengers, the Penang Team League, and the Blitz—that make up the Penang Chess Festival.

Participation

A total of ninety-one players representing eighteen different nations competed in the nine-round Swiss-System event. Among these nations were the US, China, England, India, Russia, and Singapore. Among the participating countries, 38 came from Malaysia, 21 from Singapore, and 7 from Indonesia. With seventeen titled players competing for the championship title, the competition showcased a varied spectrum of skill capabilities. Three FIDE Masters (FMs), two Woman FIDE Masters (WFMs), two Candidate Masters (CMs), and nine International Masters (IMs) were part of this group.

Poh Yu Tian breaking records


Poh Yu Tian, the tournament's youngest winner at 15 years old, made history by becoming the youngest player to ever win the title. With a performance rating of 2455 and a notable FIDE rating rise of +7.3, he secured first place with a score of 7.5 points, thanks to his remarkable performance. With this victory, Poh Yu Tian cements his place in competition history and perhaps sets a first for Penang. Not only that, but he broke an 18-year drought in 2024 by becoming the second Malaysian and first in 15 years to win the Penang Open. No other Malaysian has ever done it. Also just 3 months back, the youngster also broke another record : becoming the first Malaysian to win the Malaysian Open. No Malaysian has ever won in all the 19 editions of the prestigious event.

Recently, Magnus Carlsen pulling out of the World Blitz and Rapid Championship 2024 and Gukesh becoming the youngest world champion are two of the most different chess stories.

Magnus's failure to follow FIDE dress codes adds to the idea that he is a chess rebel, which makes the establishment look down on him while his fans cheer him on.

The fact that Gukesh Dommaraju just won the World Championship shows how dedicated he is. And it's clear that Gukesh would never have broken any of the managers' rules, not even the most basic ones like the dress code.

So, which is a better example for a young person who wants to become a chess fan: Magnus or Gukesh?

Gukesh is the perfect model of a chess genius who works hard. To get to the top of chess, he had to stay focused and work hard all the time. At the end of his trip, he became the youngest world champion ever. This shows how important it is to keep going. He is very humble and says that it's because he worked hard and learnt from people who came before him. If you want to become a player, Gukesh is the usual way to do it: work hard, respect the game's history, and be quiet determined to do well. He makes his point very clear: to be successful, you need to be humble and work hard.

I especially like Gukesh's mother repeated words to Gukesh that has become his mantra: "“I’ll be very happy to hear that you are a great chess player, but I would be happier to hear that you are an even greater person."

Magnus Carlsen, on the other hand, has broken the rules many times. During his unmatched rule as world champion, he was brave and willing to question the way things were. Recently, he quit the usual World Championship cycle and is now pulling out of other big events. These decisions show how independent he is. Carlsen wants more than just winning titles, as shown by the fact that he often does things that cause trouble. He does what makes him happy and has fun first, even if it's not what most people do.

Bad Publicity equals Good Publicity?

If you're into writing content or creating YouTube videos, you should know that headlines like "Magnus Carlsen pulls out of World Rapid and Blitz" always get ton of clicks. The above thumbnail and headline is one good example but the title is very misleading and untrue as Magnus was not "KICKED OUT" (caps for emphasis) and was given every chance to continue. He chose to withdraw instead but titles like "Magnus WITHDRAWS ..." is boring and brings in less clicks. By the way "Take Take Take" is Magnus' new YouTube supporting his app bearing the same name.

"Chess mavericks" are heroes to some fans and although is bad press -  brings publicity to the game . However this is something that sponsors who pay for and support chess events would NOT want. This is also unfortunate, especially since chess sponsorship money is hard to come by for many chess organisers and promising young players.

As it turns out, Gukesh and Carlsen are the exact opposites of what a role model should be like. Gukesh shows how strong quiet dedication can be, and Carlsen shows how appealing the will to break the rules can be. Young people who play chess have to choose the road that best fits their goals and values. They work hard to be successful in a quiet way. Or do they want to go their own way, even if it means going against the crowd?

  

There are 3 joint leaders after Round 7 of the 16th Penang Heritaage City International Chess Open 2024.

They are:
- IM Poh Yu Tian
- IM Shkapenko Pavel
- IM Polschikov Alexey

All 3 have 6 points out of 7.

Fourth to tenth ranks are:
- FM Chernyavsky Alexander

- IM Sharan Rao
- IM Gunawan Ronny
- IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh
- Mirano Jan Francis
- WIM Wang Chuqiao
- IM Andyka Pitra

A total of 91 players are taking part in this event and there are 2 more rounds to go.