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IM Oleg Badmatsyrenov leads the 47th Selangor Open Chess Tournament 2023 after 8 rounds. He has 7 points out of 8 and  is unbeaten only ceding draws to Genkeswaran Genivan and CM Tan Jun Ying.

After 6 rounds, there are 3 joint leaders for the 47th Selangor Open Chess Tournament. There are International Master Pitra Andyka, International Master Oleg Badmatsyrenov and FM Christopher Castellano. All 3 are tied at 5 points out of 6.

Bo.		Name	Rtg	Result		Name	Rtg
1		Lim, Kian Guan	1516	0 - 1	IM	Badmatsyrenov, Oleg	2446
2		Hiew, Jing Yung	1508	½ - ½	CM	Tan, Jun Ying	2307
3	FM	Sharifov, Mekhriddin	2209	1 - 0		Mahmood, Mohd Ezmi	1508
4		Chen, Yu Kun Austin	1504	0 - 1	IM	Andyka, Pitra	2205
5		Irwandi,	2200	1 - 0		Abd Aziz, A Dira A Ddawiyah	1491
6		Kumar, Aditya Ram	1478	½ - ½	FM	Castellano, Christopher	2188
7	FM	Villanueva, Nelson	2188	1 - 0		Yahaya, Nor Zaiasron	1474
8		Mohana Raj, Dharvindra Raj	1447	0 - 1	FM	Zulkhairi,	2185
9		Kamalsyah, Muhammad	2152	1 - 0		Saw, Lye Guan	1442
10		Suneth, Shyam Keshaav	1438	0 - 1		Looi, Xin Hao	2085
11		Djabri, Zafer M.	2060	½ - ½		Abd Aziz, Aniq Ariffin	1437
12		Fahimi, Danish Zakwan	1432	0 - 1		A.Sultan Abdul Kader, Mohd Ameenudeen	1135
13		Yeoh, Yuan Hui	1948	1 - 0		Syahrul Anuar, Muhd Muaz	1424
14		Ainul Fikri, Afeeq Harith	1420	0 - 1	WCM	Sim, Jia Ru	1944
15		Webber, William	1938	½ - ½		Helmy, Muhammad Adnin Nuaym	1419
16		Tee, Jun Keat	1419	1 - 0		Khandhar, Kaushal	1936
17		Shahar, Uzair	1931	1 - 0		Kumar, Kushaal	1405
18		Romualdez, Davin Sean	1396	½ - ½	AIM	Chua, Chee Sian Sebastien	1892
19		Selvam, Joshua Panir	1892	½ - ½		Mohd Faizal, Emran Ayman	1383
20		Mathan, Priyaen	1382	1 - 0	CM	Nisban, Cyrus	1875
21	FM	Ismail, Ahmad	1874	1 - 0		Ang, Kian Yang	1379
22	AFM	Lee, Xia Sean	1373	0 - 1		Cu, Ivan Travis	1864
23		Teh, Wee Zhun	1861	1 - 0		Sivakumar, Lokesh	1362
24	AFM	Tan, Wei Hom Isaac	1353	0 - 1	CM	Tan, Jun Hao	1858
25	AIM	Muzzaffar, Ahmad	1830	½ - ½		Mohd Ameenudeen, Muhd Fadhlullah	1349
26		Draup, Hj. Abang Azman	1347	0 - 1		Sajjapornthep, Jarunpol	1804
27		Genkeswaran, Genivan	1761	1 - 0		Tee, Yi Siang Isaac Jenson	1342
28		Zamahari, Abang Draup	1335	0 - 1		Siringo-Ringo, Sarmadoli	1747
29		Loo, Pin Xie	1744	1 - 0		Mohd Fadzly, Muhd Haziq Fikri	1318
30		Yong, Je Pin Ian	1316	½ - ½		Masli, Muhd Nur Daie	1739
31	WCM	Chua, Jia-Tien	1719	1 - 0		Gan, Kai Seng	1303
32		Mohd Fadzly, Muhd Hariz Fikri	1300	1 - 0	AIM	Yee, Hao Loong	1716
33		Lim, Wei Sheng	1707	1 - 0		Razali, Radzy	1293
34		Mohd Azamanizam, Azraa Adeline Azman	1291	½ - ½		Chan, Kok Leong	1671
35		Koay, Yu Zhe	1660	1 - 0		Khairul Hakeem, Hafiy Aiman	1280
36		Mok, Jun Ji	1274	1 - 0		Ernest, Yek Zu Yang	1655
37		Tin, Shan Ze	1638	1 - 0		Ainul Fikri, Aqilah Husna	1269
38		Ku, Ee Enn	1263	0 - 1		Abd Aziz, A Qil A Lauddin	1629
39		Kavin, Mohan	1622	1 - 0		Por, Wei Heng Derek	1252
40		Morthi, Roshan	1250	0 - 1		Nizam, Nazhan Syahmi	1622
41	ACM	M Mohd Nur, Megat Muhd Irfan	1612	1 - 0		Arifin, Aisyah Nur Tasnim	1242
42		Aryan, Mehta	1236	½ - ½		Shen, Ree Herng	1601
43		Wee, Yin Lin	1172	0 - 1		Zhao, Chenyu	1600
44		Abdul Hamid, Ahmad Abid	1595	1 - 0		Lim, Jia Yhu	1140
45		Siddharth, Sai	1574	1 - 0		Chong, En Peng	0
46		Pereira, Desirra	1213	1 - 0		Zulkippli, Iskandar Haikal	1564
47		Tharation, Prem Kumar	1559	1 - 0		Law, Dominic	0
48		Lok, Jean Hui	0	½ - ½		Lim, Kian Hwa	1540
49		Chay, Joon Hoong	1535	0 - 1		Wong, Rui Yang	0
50		Zulkifli,	0	0 - 1		Cheah, Zong Ze	1524
51		Muraley, Rittesh	1509	1		bye
52		See, Hooi Chin	1574	0		not paired
53		Chen, Tzi Herng	1377	0		not paired

 

 

Newly crowned Malaysian National Champion FM Lim Zhuo-Ren is leading in the 6th Sharjah Challengers 2023 in the United Arab Emirated at this moment. 3 rounds have concluded and the Lim is sharing the lead with last year's Johor Open Champion, GM Sivuk Vitaly. Both have scored a perfect 3 points from 3 rounds.

Notable results including wins against IM Al Qudaimi, Basheer (ELO 2401) from Yemen and GM Hesham, Abdelrahman (ELO 2409) of Egypt. He will be playing GM Sivuk Vitaly in Round 4. 

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Full results at:: https://chess-results.com/tnr724980.aspx?lan=1&art=9&fed=MAS&flag=NO&snr=32

 

Tie-Breaks

In chess, tie breaks are used to determine the winner in case of a tie at the end of a tournament or match. There are several tie break systems commonly used in different chess events. The specific tie break rules may vary depending on the tournament or match format, but I can provide you with an overview of some common tie break methods.

1) Direct Encounter: 

If two or more players are tied for first place, the tie can be broken by considering the results of their individual games against each other. The player with a better score in their direct encounters is declared the winner.

2)Sonneborn-Berger: 

This tie break system takes into account the scores of the opponents a player has faced throughout the tournament. The players' scores are weighted based on the performance of their opponents, giving more importance to wins against stronger opponents. The player with the highest Sonneborn-Berger score is declared the winner.

3) Buchholz: 

Similar to Sonneborn-Berger, the Buchholz system calculates the total score of a player's opponents, but without considering the opponent's performance. It simply sums up the scores of the opponents faced by each player. The player with the highest Buchholz score is declared the winner.

4) Performance Rating: 

This tie break method involves calculating the performance rating of each player based on their individual game results throughout the tournament. The performance rating is a measure of a player's performance against their expected performance based on their opponents' ratings. The player with the highest performance rating is declared the winner.

5) Rapid/Blitz Playoff: 

In some cases, when tie breaks are required, a rapid or blitz playoff may be conducted to determine the winner. The tied players play a mini-match or a series of games with faster time controls to determine the champion.

6) Shared champions:

It is possible for players to be declared co-champions if they finish with the same score at the end of a tournament. In such cases, there is no need for tie breaks, and both players are awarded the title or prize associated with the championship. Co-champions can occur in situations where multiple players have the same score and no clear tie break rules are in place or have failed to produce a decisive winner.

Of course, the specific tie break rules or the possibility of shared champions depend on the tournament or event regulations and the organizers' decisions.

For me, I am partial to option no. 6. Tie-breaks seems unfair particularly when the players scored the same point and some technicality is given to the other fortunate player. Other than that, I prefer increasing the rounds to lessen the chances of players getting the same points at the top but of course this is rarely practical in a real tournament. Failing that, I want to have a play off between the two players who are tied.

So what about you? Which option do you prefer?

This is a snapshot of the player's list. 

 

Mohd Afif Ainul Mardhiah emerged champion of the 2023 Malaysian Chess Championship (Women) scoring 7 points from 9 rounds.
Mohd Afif Ainul Mardhiah had 6 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss.
Wins include games against

• Loganathan Divyadarrshini

• Mohd Azman Farihah Nur Aisyah
• WFM Chong Kai Ni Agnes
• Ainul Fikri Aqilah Husna
• Nurul Akma Quzaina Khairolhisal
• Mohd Izham Nur Balqis Sofea

and draws against

According to Selangor Open blog, Malaysia's newest National Master FM Lim Zhuo Ren has earned a direct entry to the Selangor Open.

Many young ones today don't know him but Christi Hon was Malaysia's first Fide Master after earning a rating from the World Chess Federation (FIDE). He also boast of having beaten Anand Viswanathan, a former  world champion from India, in an IM tournament in New Delhi in 1985. 

Besides holding the distinction of 5 times Malaysian Champion, Christi has represented Malaysia in the World Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Lucerne (Switzerland), Thessaloniki (Greece) and Dubai.

• Christi Hon -5 times (1978,1981, 1982, 1983, 1987) 
• Goh Yoon Wah - 2 times (1976,1981) 
• Jimmy Liew- 2 times (1980, 1984) 
• Peter Long - 2 times (1985,1986) 
• Francis Chin - 2 times (1985,1986) 
• Kamal Abdullah - 3 times (1988,1989,2019) 
• Mas Hafizulhelmi - 2 times (1994,1995) 
• Lim Yee Weng - 2 times (1996,1997) 
• Jonathan Chuah - 2 times (1999,2006) 
• Nicholas Chan - 2 times (2003,2004) 
• Fong Yit San- 2 times (2014, 2018) 
• Yeoh Li Tian -2 times (2015,2016) 

 Lim Zhuo-Ren is a name that should be known by all Malaysians, not just chess enthusiasts. He has not only brought pride to our country by becoming the Malaysian Chess Champion twice, but he has also overcome incredible obstacles that make him an inspiration to all.

In 2011, at the young age of 19, Lim Zhuo-Ren won his first Malaysian Chess Championship title making him National Master. It was a remarkable achievement for someone so young and it showed his potential as a chess player. He was not they youngest however, as CM Jonathan Chuah also 2 times National Champ got the title when he was 12 years old. However many National champions become inactive in their adult years due to study, family and/or work commitments but not Lim Zhuo-Ren who kept playing on and off after his first success as National Master.

In 2019, Lim suffered from a right muscle hematoma that left him in a wheelchair temporarily. Most people would have put chess on hold, but Lim Zhuo-Ren is not most people. Despite the setback, he went to Vietnam to play in the HD Banks Tournament. It was an incredible display of determination and strength of character.

Lim Zhuo-Ren's story is an inspiration to all Malaysians. He has shown us that no matter what obstacles we face, we should never give up on our dreams. His determination to continue playing chess even when faced with physical limitations should serve as a reminder that anything is possible if we set our minds to it.

As mentioned before many past Malaysian chess champions have left chess to focus on other areas of life, not Lim Zhuo-Ren. He has shown chess and other aspects of life can co-exist, even getting married a couple of years ago.

 FM Lim Zhuo-Ren joins the prestigious list of champions who have won the National Master twice.

Others who have got the title multiple times are:

• Christi Hon - 4 times (1978, 1981, 1982, 1983)
• Goh Yoon Wah - 2 times (1976, 1981)
• Jimmy Liew - 2 times (1980, 1984)
• Peter Long - 2 times (1985, 1986)
• Francis Chin - 2 times (1985, 1986)
• Kamal Abdullah - 3 times (1988, 1989, 2019)
• Mas Hafizulhelmi - 2 times (1994, 1995)
• Lim Yee Weng - 2 times (1996, 1997)
• Jonathan Chuah - 2 times (1999, 2006)
• Nicholas Chan - 2 times (2003, 2004)
• Fong Yit San - 2 times (2014, 2018)
• Yeoh Li Tian - 2 times (2015, 2016)

Interactive results here

 Note: The championship was known for a long time as the National Closed and then changed to National Chess Championship and finally to the present Malaysian Chess Championship. Regardless, the function of the tournament is the same - to determine the National Champion for Malaysia. As is common in other countries, the champion will automatically gain the title NM (National Master)

Year	Champion
1974	Choo Min Wang
1975	Chan Swee Loon
1976	Goh Yoon Wah
1977	Tan Bian Huat
1978	Christi Hon
1979	Tay Chong Thai
1980	Jimmy Liew
1981	Christi Hon, Goh Yoon Wah
1982	Christi Hon
1983	Christi Hon
1984	Jimmy Liew
1985	Peter Long, Francis Chin
1986	Peter Long, Francis Chin
1987	Christi Hon, Lee Soi Hock
1988	Kamal Abdullah
1989	Kamal Abdullah
1990	Ng Ek Leong
1991	Kamal Ariffin Wahiddudin
1992	Mok Tze Meng
1993	Yeoh Chin Seng
1994	Mas Hafizulhelmi
1995	Mas Hafizulhelmi
1996	Lim Yee Weng
1997	Lim Yee Weng
1998	Ng Ee Vern
1999	Jonathan Chuah
2000	Ng Tze Han
2001	Lim Chuin Hoong (Ronnie Lim)
2002	Wong Zi Jing
2003	Nicholas Chan
2004	Nicholas Chan
2005	Marcus Chan
2006	Jonathan Chuah
2007	Zarul Shazwan Zullkafli
2008	Lee Kim Han (Edward Lee)
2009	Evan Timothy Capel
2010	Tan Khai Boon
2011	Lim Zhuo Ren
2012	Roshan Ajeet Singh
2013	Aron Teh
2014	Fong Yit San
2015	Yeoh Li Tian
2016	Yeoh Li Tian
2017	Wong Yinn Long
2018	Fong Yit San
2019	Kamal Abdullah
2022	Tan Jun Ying

Ding Liren embodies the perfect blend of ambition, humility, and perseverance, making him a World Champion everyone can admire. His innovative gameplay, close friendships, honesty, and resilience are qualities that have inspired countless chess players and enthusiasts alike. As we celebrate the reign of this extraordinary champion, we invite you to share your thoughts on what makes Ding Liren such a unique and beloved figure in the world of chess.

In an exciting final match, Ding Liren defeated Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi. Magnus Carlsen of Norway loses his world championship title to him.