GilaChess Personal blunders
By GilaChess - August 21, 2022
Chess players are familiar with that feeling of seeing in shock the move you made was a horrible mistake. It's a sinking feeling. I made a lot of blunders this year but this one is pretty major. It is seeing the Malaysian Open name list and it's one of the weaker ones compared to the other years.
Quoting Peter Long's blog :
"No player 2500 or more. Only 10 above 2400 and with just 32 with more than 2200. A total of 80 players where arguably at least the 34 under 1800 should be in playing in the Challengers and not in the Open.
Eight GMs, of which two are less than 2400.
Of the Malaysians, only two of the 10 which represented Malaysian at the 44th World Chess Olympiad are playing and where we finished 72nd from the 188 teams that took part."
I blame part of this to the marketing of the festival which I played a big part in. So I take a lot of the responsibility for this.
First of all I knew of the event in May 24th when Hamid called to tell me. It was in the initial stage so could not post anything. Only a month later on the 21st of June the details were firmed up and we could post the entry forms etc.
I had the website set up in a day which was ok. However, I should have posted promotional articles to the big 4 - ChessBase, Chess24, ChessDom and Chess.com right after that. Instead the press release was late, picked up by Bernama only in July 25. The Chessbase article was even later in 4th of August - less than a month before the event started. Chess players need to plan for international tournaments so the weaker turn out is not a surprise. But still it's a disappointment. Will have to strive to be faster in the NEXT chess festival. Work faster as soon as info is given (like chess players in time trouble)!!
Also, I do not agree with Peter Long's title "Descending into mediocrity" as the festival has seen weaker turnouts but have also seen really strong editions where famous personalities like Wang Hao, Alireza Firoujza, Abdusattarov Nordibek, Dinara Saduakassova many more have turned up just in recent years.
I have to admit, the 2022 chess festival is a weaker festival comparatively but is in no way bad or reduce the 'fun' element that it is going to provide to chess enthusiast. The numbers are still there. It will be a festival to be remembered!! I am still looking forward to meeting old chess friends !!
See all of you there.
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