Selangor wins Inter-State

Inter-state competitions in Malaysia have not been held for quite a long time. This year the event is held in Sabah and has just completed today. Selangor and W.P. Kuala Lumpur both scored 20 match points. The former emerged champion based on higher board points.

Selangor had the strongest line-up with Nicholas Chan, Yeoh Li Tian, Sumant Subramaniam and Roshan Singh. It was hard to think that there could be any team that could challenge them. However in Round Five, the Kuala Lumpur team beat them decisively. Selangor could not even win a game in the match. The score :

Selangor 1 - Kuala Lumpur 3
Nicholas Chan - Mas Hafizul  0.5-0.5
Yeoh Li Tian - Zaidan Zulkifli 0 - 1
Sumant Subramaniam -  Camilia Johari 0.5-0.5
Roshan Singh - Lye Lik Zang  0 - 1

I have already written about Lik Zang in a previous post. He is one of our most talented junior after Li Tian and Aron Teh. Here he collected his biggest scalp in the form of a previous National Champion.

Roshan Singh - Lye Lik Zang after 1f4

White has just played 1. f4 and Black was quick to pounce.

1... Bxf4 2. exf4 Nxf4 3. Qe3 Qg5 0-1

 This is a familiar position in any tactical manuals; with the black queen on g5, knight on e3 and opponent's queen on e3. The twin threats of Qxg2 mate and Nxh3+ discovering attack on the queen on e3 is a standard tactical motif. In this position the defence 2. Qd2 is not possible because of the exposed bishop on d3 (2...Rxd3). Roshan resigned in this position.

However there is a saving tactic for white. He can take advantage of black's weakness on the back rank with 4. Be4! Nxh3+ 5. Kf1 Rxd1+ 6. Rxd1 and thewhite queen is immune from capture (6...Qxe3 7. Rd8 mate) so 6...Rf4+ 7. Bf3 Bxf3 8. gxf3. Black has three pawns for the piece and it is still unclear who will win.



Li Tian seems quite vulnerable to tactical combinations especially in time trouble. This is how he lost to Zaidan.

Yeoh Li Tian - Zaidan Zulkifli

Black's king-side is open but he has two passed pawns on the a-file and white does not have a dark square bishop which means it is not easy at all to take advantage of the situation. White should play slowly with Rg3 and h3 to free the white bishop to take part in the conflict. Instead Li Tian became too optimistic and began attacking operations straight away.

1. Rb7  Rd1 2. Rxf7 $4 Rxf1+ 3. Kxf1 Rc1+ 4. Ke2 Qe8+ 

 Now 5. Re3 Qb5+ 5. Re3 Qb5+ 6. Kf3 Qxf5+ 7. Kg3 Qg5+ is a perpetual. Instead white blundered




5. Qe3 ?? Qb5+ 6. Qd3

6. Kf3 Qxf5+ 7. Ke2 Qg4+ 8. Rf3 (8.Kd2 Qd1#)

8... Qc4+ 9. Qd3 Qxf7) 6... Qb2+ 7. Kf3 Rc3 0-1