Why do you think he was looking back? Curious to know.
The game.
With all the hype on the World Rapid and Blitz Team, I've completely missed our Malaysian players taking part in the world youth. If not for the headlines I saw in https://catur.org/news, this would have been completely missed.
Malaysia has sent a four-player delegation to the World Youth Chess Championship 2026, which is currently ongoing at the Pala Dean Martin Congress Center in Montesilvano.
Located on the beautiful Adriatic coast in the Abruzzo region (near Pescara), it hosts major conferences, concerts, and international gatherings, such as the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships. The center is clean, spacious, and sits just a short walk away from the beach.
As the tournament crosses the halfway mark (heading into the rest day after Round 6), here is the lineup and their latest available performance data:
There are no Malaysian representatives in the Girls' sections this year.
| Rd. | Bo. | SNo | Name | Rtg | FED | Pts. | Res. | PGN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | 31 | ALIZADA, Pasham | 2296 | AZE | 4 | 0 | PGN |
| 2 | 69 | 145 | HUANG, Da-Xuan | 1545 | TPE | 1,5 | 1 | PGN |
| 3 | 44 | 61 | BENEDIKT, Noah | 2164 | AUT | 4 | 0 | PGN |
| 4 | 47 | 1 | IM DOTZER, Lukas | 2495 | AUT | 3,5 | ½ | PGN |
| 5 | 46 | 11 | FM ROSH, Jain | 2358 | IND | 3 | 0 | PGN |
| 6 | 62 | 131 | ZANGRILLI, Leonardo | 1769 | MLT | 2 | ½ | PGN |
| 7 | 62 | 135 | PIEMONTESE, Enrico | 1713 | ITA | 2 | – | — |
SHEN, Ree Herng (1971) – DOTZER, Lukas (2495)
World Youth Chess Championship 2026 – Open 16 (Montesilvano, ITA), 18.06.2026
🏆 DOUBLE GOLD FOR DRAGON CHILLING! 🐉 FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz 2026 Wraps Up in Hong Kong! 🇭🇰
at the FIDE World Team Rapid Chess Championship 2026
Entering the tournament as the 37th-seeded team with an average rapid rating of 2156.2, the Malaysia Chess Hub completed the 12-round tournament in 36th place overall – a one-rank improvement against the world's best!
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Final Position | 36th (up from 37th seed) |
| Match Points | 11 |
| Olympiad-Sonneborn-Berger Tiebreak | 252 |
🏅 Special Eligibility: Based on their team composition, they were also one of the teams eligible to compete for the special "Under 2400" prize category.
The Malaysia Chess Hub fielded a strong roster of 8 players to tackle the rapid format (15 minutes + 10 seconds increment):
GM Yeoh Li Tian (2421 Rapid Rating)
🇲🇾 Malaysia's top gun led the charge with 5 points in his first 8 games and a stellar 2544 performance rating – outplaying his rating by over 100 points!
FM Kavin Mohan (2240 Rapid Rating)
The young gun reliably secured 4 points in his first 8 games on Board 2, providing a steady anchor for the team.
IM Tan Jun Ying (2123 Rapid Rating)
A seasoned campaigner bringing strategic depth to the core of the lineup.
IM Mas Hafizulhelmi (2201 Rapid Rating)
The experienced IM added grit and stability to the lower boards.
WFM Mohd Afif Ainul Mardhiah (1796 Rapid Rating)
The team's female representative and rising star, anchoring the mandatory women's board with determination.
Jafri Malim Mohd Adam Hafiz
Ready to step up when called upon.
The team also benefited from the momentum of rising talents like WFM Ainul Mardhiah and young CM Chow Yi Chen, who had recently captured the PMX Trophy team championship with the Chess Hub Titans.
Malaysia Chess Hub fought through a rigorous 12-round Swiss-system schedule, finishing with a record of 5 wins, 1 draw, and 6 losses:
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | Chessnut Nova | ❌ Lost 1 – 5 |
| R2 | Kindness On Board Infinite Team | ✅ Won 3.5 – 2.5 |
| R3 | Chess Thulir | ❌ Lost 2 – 4 |
| R4 | Chongqing Kylin Chess Club | ❌ Lost 2.5 – 3.5 |
| R5 | Caissa Hong Kong Chess Club | ✅ Won 3.5 – 2.5 |
| R6 | Davao Chess Eagles | ✅ Won 4 – 2 |
| R7 | Mongolia-Aldar | ❌ Lost 1.5 – 4.5 |
| R8 | The Chess Academy Hong Kong Team A | ❌ Lost 1.5 – 4.5 |
| R9 | The Chess Academy Hong Kong Team B | 🤝 Drew 3 – 3 |
| R10 | Blue Bulldogs | ❌ Lost 1.5 – 4.5 |
| R11 | Street Chess Canberra | ✅ Won 4.5 – 1.5 |
| R12 | C.A. Silla Integrant Col-lectius | ✅ Won 4 – 2 |
By securing back-to-back strong victories in the final two rounds (Rounds 11 and 12), Malaysia Chess Hub managed to successfully improve upon their starting rank to close out the tournament.
From 37th seed to 36th place, a team of Malaysian warriors fought tooth and nail against the world's best.
With a legendary GM leading the charge, young guns stepping up, and a strong finish to remember, the Malaysia Chess Hub proved that Malaysia Boleh! 🇲🇾💪
For pictures visit Catur Seri Menanti FB page
📍 Playing right out of the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong 🏟️🇭🇰, the Malaysia Chess Hub team is holding their ground after 8 intense rounds of 15+10 rapid chess! ⏱️♟️
Starting the tournament as the 37th seed with an average team rating of 2102 📉➡️📈, they have fought hard to climb up slightly to the 36th rank overall 🆙👏
GM Yeoh Li Tian is leading the charge on Board 1 with 5 points from 8 games, performing well above his rating with a strong 2544 performance rating 📊💥
FM Kavin Mohan has been reliable on Board 2 with 4 points from 8 games 🛡️, while IM Tan Jun Ying and IM Mas Hafizulhelmi have chipped in with valuable points when it matters most! 💪🧠
The team also features rising talents like WFM Ainul Mardhiah 🌟 and young CM Chow Yi Chen 🧒♟️, who recently won the PMX Trophy team championship with Chess Hub Titans just weeks ago 🔥🏆
Looking at their overall team performance, Malaysia Chess Hub has secured 6 Matchpoints ✅ and a total of 19.5 game points so far 📊📌
Their notable 4-2 win against the Davao Chess Eagles (DC Eagles) was a highlight from Round 6 🦅💥⚔️. On top of that, they have also clinched two other crucial 3.5-2.5 victories against the Kindness On Board Infinite Team in Round 2 🤝✨ and the Qingdao Wanyun Chess Club in Round 5 🌊🏛️! 💪
With 10 total Malaysian players proudly representing their federation at this massive event 🇲🇾👥, the Malaysia Chess Hub continues to show they can compete with the best 🏅🔥. Let's cheer them on for the final rounds! 📣♟️💙
Like a caveman I arrived at Cititel last month for the #MYchessFestival meeting confused about where the hotel parking space has gone. As ...
