Peter Long on Chess

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/kids-national-selection-and-representation

I rarely do this but recently I have been working late every night and so it was a no brainer to keep one of the many live game links to Tata Steel open in my browser. My analysis/review of chess in 2014 (see http://chessasia.com/chess-highlights-of-2014/ ) was a litle different from most others, not only because I took the trouble to try and identify the underlying challenges for the world of chess and offer solutions (or at least materials for debate) but I also did not consider some things that others raved about to be such a big deal. As expected, Magnus Carlsen started slowly in Tata Steel but once he started winning it was clear that he would, baring his now usual drop in level towards the end, emerge as the champion. But to me it was also once again the case of no one quite able to do more rather than Carlsen being dominant and I did expect Wesley So to do as well as he did and even believing that with some luck he could finish on top! No, its not that I think So is

Sometimes you don't know whether to laugh or to cry... for me it is now always the former with MCF. Today I found some time and dropped by GACC (Grand Asian Chess Challenge?) being held at Universiti Malaya (MU) to fulfil an appointment made with some foreign friends participating and I was well and truly shocked how bad the event was. Yes, it is a long standing competition started by chess enthusiasts at MU but now as my friends there put it, a dying event having been reduced to a mixed swiss tournament? I don't blame the students organising, from what I saw they were hardly chess players and clearly lacked not only guidance but despite the MCF President apparently recently named as its Pro Chancellor (how low MU has now fallen!) there has been clearly no effort on his part to help this event but then again that is what he has always been all about. (For the record I thanked GACC for but declined an invitation to the official closing dinner) Then by accident I cli

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/live-chess-helps-to-win-the-game-more-fans

Earlier I had already posted on the 15th Bangkok Open from 12-19 April 2015 in Pattaya (see http://www.thefidetrainer.com/2014/12/15th-bangkok-chess-club-open-thailand.html ) and now I have read that Thailand will also be hosting the World Schools Championships from 6-15 May 2015 and this will also be in Pattaya! For full details please go to http://www.fide.com/images/stories/NEWS_2014/FIDE_news/world_schools/Invitation_Official_v2.pdf What surprised me is that the venue is the same as the now home of the Bangkok Open, the well appointed five (arguably six) star Dusit Thani Pattaya, and the rates reflect this even if it is still a bargain all things all and with meals included. It would be chess but I think also sun and sand!

It just got better! After posting about the ASEAN+ Age Group Championships from in  8-17 June 2015 in Singapore I noticed that they are also organising the Asian Schools Championships, from 30 May to 8 June 2015, so just before and also coinciding with the school holidays! http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/8492-11th-asian-schools-chess-championships-2015.html That is a lot of chess! But for many of our chess mad kids, probably not at all a problem should they have the chance to play in both. However it should be noted that the ASEAN+ is played in categories from U-8 to U-20 while Asian Schools is from U-7 to U-17 and so with the National Age Group Championships played from U-8 to U-18 together with minimum national ratings being currently used as the official basis for selection, it is questionable if that system can properly (equitably) apply to determining participation in the Asian Schools. Probably a challenge too far indeed for an MCF with

http://www.chessdom.com/asean-age-group-chess-championships-2015/ http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/8490-16th-asean-age-group-chess-championships-2015.html The 16th ASEAN+ Age Group Championships will be held from 8-17 June 2015 in Singapore. Very good new indeed for our young chessplayers as it is being organised during the school holidays and right next door and apparently very affordable too. So no need this time for a rebate to be given to parents even if pocketed instead by Gregory Lau on top of the administrative fees he charges and which I understand does not go direct into the MCF account (but even if it does it apparently still gets rerouted to the bank account of "his assistant"). I am confident that the arrears due to FIDE will be settled by then and our suspension lifted, after all it is not so much that there is an election AGM due in April (who actually cares?) but Malaysia's participation in youth events i

In a much happier time not so long ago when we were all together in Kazan at the Summer Universiade Games 2013. What is there to say? - Fadzil was a great guy - he got along with everyone, tried to help others the best he could and was completely dedicated to chess. Malaysian chess will miss him, in his short time he had already made his mark in our history with his success in winning the Asian Amateur Championships and had become a full fledged international by being part of the national team at the Tromso Olympiad 2014. I am sure he is playing chess now with a very big smile on his face.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/chess-events-abroad-same-old-faces-but-still-exciting

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/what-to-expect-in-the-next-few-months-in-the-world-of-chess

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/peter-long/article/chess-highlights-of-2014

Federations in Arrears Wednesday, 31 December 2014 09:36 In accordance with decisions of Presidential Board in Sochi FIDE publishes the list of Federation in Arrears. Until the arrears have been paid off, players from these Federations cannot participate in any FIDE events that are under the aegis of a) the World Championship & Olympiad Commission or Events Commission, b) Continental competitions that provide qualifiers to any of the aforesaid competitions. The list will be regularly updated. 1 Azerbaijan 2 Bahrain 3 Bhutan 4 Comoros Islands 5 Congo 6 Cuba 7 Dominican Republic 8 Ecuador 9 El Salvador 10 Estonia 11 Fiji 12 Guatemala 13 Haiti 14 Indonesia 15 Kyrgyzstan 16 Latvia 17 Lebanon 18 Luxembourg 19 Madagascar 20 Malaysia 21 Mauritania 22 Mexico 23 Mongolia 24 Morocco 25 Nepal 26 Nigeria 27 Peru 28 Philippines 29 Puerto Rico 30 Sao Tome & Principe 31 Solomon Isles 32 South Africa 33 Swaziland 34 Tajikistan 35 Uganda 36 Ven