5 Malaysians are taking part in the 31^st Abu Dhabi Chess Festival currently held at Radisson Blu Abu Dhabi Corniche Hotel from August 15, 2025, to August 24, 2025.

Online mentions about the 20^th Malaysian Chess Festival

Official and Registration Sites

• datcchesscentre.com (Organiser Site)
• festival.catur.org (Unofficial Festival Blog Site)
• register-datchesscentre.com (Official Registration)

Dedicated Blogs and Announcements

• malaysianchessfestival.blogspot.com
• malaysianchessfestival.com
• app.catur.org

News, Event Portals and Chess Blogs

• ChessBase India
• Catur Malaysian Chess Portal
• Chess Malaysia
• Excel Chess
• chessaurus.com
• Penang Chess Association
• Catur Malaysia
  
• ChessClicks

Chess Federation and Calendar Listings

• FIDE Official Event Calendar
• Malaysian Chess Federation

Social Media

• Instagram Post
• Twitter/X Post from ChessbaseIndia

Just realised that out of 19 Malaysian Chess Festival editions, there were 13 posts in Chessbase and it's sister site Chessbase India covering the festival, mainly written by Edwin Lam and the late Peter Long. Thank you both for the coverage and excellent articles promoting the festival.

Year	ChessBase (English)	ChessBase India
2004	1st Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open	(none)
2005	Selamat Datang ke Malaysia Incredible!! Fantastic!! Sensational!! 2nd Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open (PDF)	(none)
2006	Dao slices his way past Dimakilling Kuala Lumpur: the Scent of a City IGB 3rd Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open (PDF)	(none)
2007	4th Dato' Arthur Tan Open: the “Empire” Strikes Back!	(none)
2008	5th Dato' Arthur Tan Open – Malaysia, truly Asia	(none)
2009	(none)	(none)
2010	(none)	(none)
2011	Chinese dominate at the Malaysian Chess Festival 2011	(none)
2012	Malaysian Chess Festival 2012 in Kuala Lumpur	(none)
2013	(none)	(none)
2014	(none)	(none)
2015	(none)	Padmini joint first at the Malaysian Open
2016	(none)	Malaysia: Swapnil Dhopade champion; Aryan becomes GM No. 45!
2017	(none)	Love for children and respect for veterans in Malaysia
2018	(none)	(none)
2019	(none)	(none)
2020	(none)	(none)
2021	(none)	(none)
2022	17th Malaysian Chess Festival	Novendra Priasmoro wins 17th IGB Dato Arthur Tan Open 2022
2023	(none)	Vitaly Sivuk wins 18th IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysian Open 2023
2024	(none)	Malaysian Chess Festival celebrates its 19th birthday together with Malaysia Day Poh Yu Tian clinches 19th IGB Dato Arthur Tan Malaysian Open 2024
2025	(none)	Malaysian Chess Festival turns 20 next month

Convenient On-Site Lodging at KL Gateway Residence for MYCF Participants

Staying at KL Gateway Residence—located within the same building as the MYCF venue—offers unbeatable convenience for players and families, especially for the 9-day classical events. Just take the lift up to your unit after each round and rest.

Highlights

• 2–3 bedroom units from RM275 per night
• Excellent value when shared: as low as ~RM55 per person per night (based on 5 guests in a 2–3 room unit)
• In-unit amenities: microwave, rice cooker, washing machine
• Facilities: gym and swimming pool
• Ideal for long stays and teams traveling together

How to Book


1. Visit the registration website
2. Click “Lodging”

Note: Availability and rates may vary; early booking is recommended.





































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 The Malaysian Open started in 2004. Here are the list of the champions since then.

Malaysian Chess Open Champions (2004 - 2024)

 

Event	Type	Sponsor	Dates
1	Rapid Team	SMS DEEN	Sep 12th & 13th, 2025
2	Junior (Under-12) Rapid Team	Dato Tan Chin Nam Foundation	Sep 12th & 13th, 2025
3	Blitz	-	Sep 13th, 2025
4	Rapid Age-Group	Dato' Tan Chin Nam Foundation	Sep 14th, 2025
5	Open	Dato' Tan Chin Nam Foundation	Sep 15th - 21st, 2025
6	Challenge (for players below FIDE Rtg 2000)	Dato' Tan Chin Nam Foundation	Sep 15th - 21st, 2025
7	Seniors'	Dato' Tan Chin Nam Foundation	Sep 15th - 21st, 2025
8	Rapid Age-Group	Dato Tan Chin Nam Foundation	Sep 16th, 2025
9	Blitz	-	Sep 21st, 2025

 

Rank	Name	Bullet	Blitz	Rapid	Country	Title
1	Gadir Guseinov	2692	2555	2709	AZE
2	Neuris Delgado Ramirez	2651	2561	2651	BRA
3	Rafael Leitao	2628	2628	2649	BRA
4	Renato Terry	2577	2452	2472	PER	AGM
5	Bogdan Lalic	2569	2569	2424
6	Timur Gareyev	2553	2468	2617	USA
7	Farid Abbasov	2527	2527	2527
8	Alexey Kim	2517	2517	2464
9	Cemil Aghamaliyev	2485	2485	2485	AZE
10	Bernardo Roselli Mailhe	2477	2477	2442
...	...	...	...	...	...	...
50	Dmitry Konenkin	2307	2267	2295	RUS	AGM
100	Cesar Henostroza	2217	2149	2166	PER
150	Alen Yeremyan	2159	2159	2287	ARM
200	Alex Pan	2110	2110	2155	ITA	AGM

Too Pi He and Pi Cheng, Brothers Defying Odds

The buzz is over for the 23rd ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Penang. Over 400 players, lots of action. But among all the noise and excitement, two young brothers have been quietly making a big impression. That's because for most of the event, you'd have to "bump" into them because their seats were right at the entrance of the playing hall. Fixed table numbers.

The two brothers, Too Pi He, who’s 11, and his 13-year-old brother Pi Cheng, are both in wheelchairs,  and this is their story.

Mickey looks on as Pi He waits for his opponent to move

A Life That Took a Turn

Okay, so—both boys were born healthy. Nothing out of the ordinary at first. But then, somewhere around one and a half years old, their muscles started weakening. Mobility went downhill fast. Their spines are now severely curved too. No official diagnosis yet—doctors think it's genetic.

It’s not just them, either. Two of their older sisters have the same condition. Only the eldest sibling seems unaffected. And honestly, what’s amazing is how their aunt, Mickey Too, stepped in. She's been their main caregiver for almost ten years now. That’s a full-time life commitment right there. Major respect.

How Chess Entered the Picture

Obviously, regular sports were out. Mickey thought, Hey, maybe they’ll like chess?. Both boys got into it pretty fast. Mickey started bringing them to tournaments just last year, driving all the way from Kulai, Johor. That’s... not a short drive.

Pi He—he’s in Standard Five at SJKC Lok Yu 2 in Benut, Pontian—already came in second in an Under-12 tourney for physically challenged players. He also got fourth place at a district-level event with more than 200 players. That’s impressive even for a fully able-bodied kid. Pi Cheng’s homeschooled, by the way.

Then Came Coach Jax

In September last year, they were at a tournament in Pekan, Pahang, and that’s where they met Coach Jax Tham. He’s been coaching for 26 years, mostly able-bodied students. This was his first time working with disabled players, and get this—he did it pro bono. Just… offered to help. 

Tham saw they had potential, said they already had the basics. His philosophy? If the kid has passion, just guide them right. Simple. And over the past nine months, he's been helping them improve a lot. Like, they’ve got FIDE ratings now. That’s not easy to get, especially not in less than a year.

Mickey still drives them up to KL about twice a month for coaching. That’s... again, a lot. She doesn’t complain. And just keeps doing it.

More Than Just Chess

What’s really cool is how the boys have changed outside of chess too. Mickey says they used to be super shy—barely talked to people. Now they’re facing off against teens and adults at tournaments like it’s no big deal. Huge confidence boost. 

Coach Jax is in awe of Mickey. "Caring for one physically challenged child is already hard. She’s doing it for two. For years." He’s not wrong. Support like that, makes all the difference.

Looking Ahead

Tham wants to coach them for the next 2–3 years. Long-term plan. He’s hoping they’ll get into Para Sukma, maybe even the Paralympics someday. It’ll depend on their effort, of course. He’s coached players who’ve gone to the Olympics and World Chess Championships, so… he knows what it takes.

And the momentum is there. In March 2025, both brothers did well at the WP Kuala Lumpur Open Circuit 2025 Circuit 3 (FIDE-rated) held at KL Chess Academy. Pi Cheng even won the "Best Para-Athlete" award. That’s a huge deal. Recognition like that means they’re on the radar now.

When asked what advice he’d give to other disabled individuals, Tham said something simple but solid: “If you love something—music, chess, whatever—go all in. Learn it. Be the best you can.”

Final Thought

For me. personally, this story kind of sticks with you. Two boys, facing something most of us can’t even imagine, finding their passion, and chasing it with everything they’ve got. It’s not just about chess. It’s about resilience. And the people behind them—Mickey, Coach Jax—they’re proof that having the right support can move mountains.

Also, amazing is that the brothers played both the standard and rapid event. A gruelling long chess game and the final one was quick chess which is extra challenging. They only skipped the blitz event which is understandable.

Watch these names. Too Pi He. Pi Cheng. You’ll be seeing them again.

Most of the background info was taken from another excellent article about them here:
https://www.buletinmutiara.com/siblings-in-wheelchairs-capture-hearts-at-asean-chess-tournament/