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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. 

Monkey with Hua Hin in background

 Hua Hin, Thailand will host the 22nd Bangkok Chess Club International Open from April 13th to the 21st, 2025. 

In contrast to last year's stunning setting at the Sheraton Hua Hin on Hua Hin Beach, the 21st BCC Open will take place on the "River of Kings" at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside Hotel in Bangkok.

Sunday, April 13, 2025, will mark the beginning of the first round. Each day leading up to Monday, April 21, 2025, will see a single round.

Additionally, there will be an open blitz championship with a two-night final and qualifying rounds.

By December 15th, the rules of the tournament will be out in the public, and January 1st, registration will be open.

BCC website

Carlsen's Suggested World Chess Championship Format

From Chess.om article aabout Magnus thoughts on the World Championship and his lack of motivation: 

Magnus Carlsen proposes a World Chess Championship format that incorporates shorter time controls and a knockout or multi-game match structure:

• Time Controls:
  Carlsen suggests a time control of 60 minutes per player, or 45 minutes with a 15-second increment per move. He believes shorter time controls lead to more decisive games and lessen the impact of pre-game preparation. This proposal has sparked debate among chess enthusiasts, with some arguing that it diminishes the strategic depth of classical chess.
  
  
• Format:
  Carlsen favors a knockout tournament style for the World Championship. Alternatively, he is open to a format akin to the Champions Chess Tour, which features four-game matches. This preference stems from his belief that the current format, with its emphasis on long matches and potential for a single mistake to be fatal, creates an undesirable type of tension. He finds the dynamism and higher risk-taking opportunities in faster time control games more appealing.

Carlsen's suggestions are rooted in his personal preference for faster-paced chess formats and his diminishing interest in the traditional classical format. While some share his views, others advocate for preserving the traditional long time controls of classical chess, arguing that they represent the purest form of the game.

It is important to note that Carlsen has explicitly stated that his suggestions are not intended to pressure FIDE to change the format, but rather reflect his personal preferences.

This quite rightly splits people who oppose and support Carlsen's idea.

Me? I think the separation of time control is good enough. We should have a clear 

• Classical World Chmpion
  
• Rapid World Champion
• Blitz World Champion
• the same 3 sets for the Chess64