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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.