First, read Peter Long's article today.
I can confirm that a part of Peter's accusations at MCF is true.
The MCF President and his men are trying to keep those affiliates who are known to be "unfriendly" away from the coming elections and according to Peter, one of the tactics will be to suspend these affiliates thereby preventing them from voting at the coming AGM.
I know at least one affiliate which is eager to pay up whatever is outstanding. The MCF President and Secretary thwarts this by just refusing to issue any invoice. Attempts to contact them are just ignored.
At the last election in 2013, the President and his entire committee were allowed to vote. This is unprecedented and unheard off. The normal practice is for all MCF council and committee to be discharged from their positions at the start of election process. They thus have no further roles to play in the proceedings unless they are also the official delegate for an affiliate.
The votes from the President's men helped to beat off his challenger at that AGM. The big mistake by the challenger and his supporters were to allow this illegal voting to happen. They should have just walked out even though it meant the incumbent would retain his presidency. That way they could have challenged the election process in court.
It is a fact that the majority of the committee will support the incumbent as they either owe their positions to him or stand to benefit from their positions and wants to continue in office. This explains why the recent appointments and shuffling in positions. It is merely to beef up their vote bank. If you are appointed to your position by the President it is likely that you will want to see that same President in place for the next two years, so you will vote accordingly.
Showing posts with label future of malaysian chess. Show all posts
Showing posts with label future of malaysian chess. Show all posts
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Saving Malaysian Chess
My favourite TV series is Game of Thrones which is based on the books written by George R. R. Martin. One often repeated saying in the series is “Winter is coming”, a reference
to the dark and difficult times that will come after summer ends. In this fantasy world, seasons lasts years not months.
This is Sam, one of the main characters in GOT, I kind of taken a liking to his character, though Mr. Martin keeps killing off characters whom the viewers starts identifying with , with startling regularity. It is quite annoying. Thankfully, Sam has survived till the end of season five.
Anyway, winter may be coming in Season 6 for Game of Thrones but Malaysian chess has already been entrenched in this “winter” for many years.
A few years ago I wrote a piece on the future of Malaysian chess.
That was five years ago. Till today I see nothing has changed, Malaysian chess is still floundering and regressing. In my post above I argued that the Malaysian Chess Federation is to be blamed and its
leadership should be held accountable.
What has the current MCF President done to promote the game? The answer is Nothing. So why does one so desperately cling on to this post that does not come with any obvious benefit
other than the title of President? He is not a chess lover nor a chess player as far as we know.
What contributions did he make to Malaysian chess since becoming President? The federation’s finances are still in a mess. For a while our players were even taken off the FIDE
Elo Rating List due to our federation being in arrears (this has since been rectified). Every two years MCF have to go hat in hand looking for someone to pick up the tab for sending a team to the Chess Olympiads. In 2014 MCF
only managed to get enough money to send a men’s team. Our women’s team which had participated in 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk and 2012 Istanbul were left out.
The federation has effectively been running on auto-pilot for many years. Recently I read a interesting piece of news here.
If I remember correctly, only the posts of Treasurer, Secretary and Auditors are appointed positions. The rest are elected during the AGM every two years. Basically the MCF committee
has now started electing themselves to different positions without holding any EGM. I am unsure if this is constitutional but this year is an election year so why start shuffling positions when we are just a few months short
of an AGM in an election year.
The reason I am writing this post is that I have been informed that Dato’ Tan Chin Nam, who has stayed out of the Malaysian Chess Federation since stepping down in
2005 in favor of the current incumbent, Tan Sri Ramli bin Ngah Talib, has decided to return as MCF President. When I heard this news I did a double-take. I had to check with my source that I had heard him correctly.
My first thoughts. Why is Dato’ Tan making a comeback to the President post? And what will he bring with him to the table?
It cannot be denied that the man has very deep pockets but this is not his most best qualification for the post of President. He has a deep love of the game. It is common for
him to play at least one game daily. He makes it a point to be updated on what is going on in the world of chess locally as well as internationally. He is genuinely trying to promote the game not only amongst chessplayers
but also others who depends on chess part-time or full-time like arbiters and coaches.
He has good intentions but what else? MCF like any other organization, cannot function as well without funds. Dato’ Tan understands this very well and has promised not only to ensure that MCF have the necessary finances to function
and promote the game. The state affiliates will not be left out but they will also benefit. I have the privilege of chatting with him on more than a few ocassions and he has shared some of his plans with me over the past year.
In the works are plans to hold nation-wide series of Grand Prix style tournaments and possibly IM/GM tournaments. There are plans to set up a chess center in Mid Valley Megamall which will be
used for chess training and also act as the Malaysian Chess Federation office. It will also be a place for chess lovers to come together to socialise and play chess.
The question is whether there will be a new invigorated Malaysian Chess Federation after the forthcoming elections. A federation that can put forward looking policies in place
and a rejuvenated chess program. Or will we see the same tired faces re-elected and we all continue to wither in this “chess winter”?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
What is the future of Malaysian chess? (Part 3)
Read Part 1 and Part 2
Last month, Dato' Tan invited all interested parties to a meeting at the Dato’ Arthur Tan Chess Centre. Each participant was given an opportunity to talk. Some talked about their frustrations with the local chess scene and difficulties with certain officials, some had suggestions on improving chess.
Here I wish to present as well as expound further on what I said during this meeting.
Chess is very structured organization internationally. We have the world body which is FIDE. Each country have their own national federation which will represent that country as a member of FIDE. Each country can have only one federation recognized by FIDE. Otherwise it will be chaos.
In Malaysia, the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) is the body that represents the country in FIDE. There are other non-national organizations that represent specific interest areas that can be affiliated to FIDE. Examples are the IBCA (International Braille Chess Association) and ICCF (International Correspondence Chess Federation).
Just like FIDE, MCF have affiliates and these are the state bodies such as Chess Association of Selangor and Penang Chess Associations. Individuals are not represented in MCF so for example to attend a meeting, you have to be a representative of one of the state bodies.
It is very clear that Malaysian chess is tied to the MCF.
One can only get ratings, titles through the MCF which makes the applications (and payments) to FIDE. If you hold a rated tournament, you have to depend on MCF (and its officials) to submit your results for ratings and title considerations. If you achieve a title requirement, you have to depend on the MCF (and its officials) to make the application so that you can be conferred the title.
What is less clear is that every chess player, organizer, coach, chess parent, in fact anybody that have anything to do with chess in this country is directly or indirectly affected by the actions or inactions of the MCF.
The Malaysian Chess Federation has the moral responsibility to assist everyone who is involved in chess in this country. If a coach or trainer requires an official letter to enable him/her to approach schools to set up chess classes, they should not be denied unless there is good reason for doing so. This is a good thing for chess, to popularize the game amongs school children. If regulation is required, set up the course/seminars/certification to ensure all coaches/trainers have the proper credentials.
The MCF exists for Malaysian chess's sake not the other way round. It has a duty to see that Malaysian chess flourishes and achieve the heights that it may be capable of. If it cannot or will not do this, then there is no need for a Malaysian Chess Federation.
Last month, Dato' Tan invited all interested parties to a meeting at the Dato’ Arthur Tan Chess Centre. Each participant was given an opportunity to talk. Some talked about their frustrations with the local chess scene and difficulties with certain officials, some had suggestions on improving chess.
Here I wish to present as well as expound further on what I said during this meeting.
Chess is very structured organization internationally. We have the world body which is FIDE. Each country have their own national federation which will represent that country as a member of FIDE. Each country can have only one federation recognized by FIDE. Otherwise it will be chaos.
In Malaysia, the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) is the body that represents the country in FIDE. There are other non-national organizations that represent specific interest areas that can be affiliated to FIDE. Examples are the IBCA (International Braille Chess Association) and ICCF (International Correspondence Chess Federation).
Just like FIDE, MCF have affiliates and these are the state bodies such as Chess Association of Selangor and Penang Chess Associations. Individuals are not represented in MCF so for example to attend a meeting, you have to be a representative of one of the state bodies.
It is very clear that Malaysian chess is tied to the MCF.
One can only get ratings, titles through the MCF which makes the applications (and payments) to FIDE. If you hold a rated tournament, you have to depend on MCF (and its officials) to submit your results for ratings and title considerations. If you achieve a title requirement, you have to depend on the MCF (and its officials) to make the application so that you can be conferred the title.
What is less clear is that every chess player, organizer, coach, chess parent, in fact anybody that have anything to do with chess in this country is directly or indirectly affected by the actions or inactions of the MCF.
The Malaysian Chess Federation has the moral responsibility to assist everyone who is involved in chess in this country. If a coach or trainer requires an official letter to enable him/her to approach schools to set up chess classes, they should not be denied unless there is good reason for doing so. This is a good thing for chess, to popularize the game amongs school children. If regulation is required, set up the course/seminars/certification to ensure all coaches/trainers have the proper credentials.
The MCF exists for Malaysian chess's sake not the other way round. It has a duty to see that Malaysian chess flourishes and achieve the heights that it may be capable of. If it cannot or will not do this, then there is no need for a Malaysian Chess Federation.
What is the future of Malaysian chess? (Part 2)
Read Part 1 here
In the 1970s, the Penang Chess Association members met every Sunday afternoon at the Hooi Lye Association in Kimberley Street. I remember one afternoon in the year 1974, Mr Gong Wooi Mau (a senior PCA member) coming up to us and announcing that PCA was organizing the very first Asian Team Championship in Penang. He asked for volunteers to assist in the tournament. My hand shot up immediately.
My job was to record the moves played on two boards. This meant I had a ring-side seat just three feet away from the boards. Imagine a sixteen year old boy who just started learning chess and I was in the midst of chess gods. At least that was how I felt. I was so near to the players, I was actually afraid to make any sudden move, in case I distracted them. At that time, the time control was forty moves in two and a half hours. Some games could go the full five hours and I would not move from my seat for the whole time.
Once I was peering at the other games around me, I missed the move being played on the boards I was assigned. I had to stand up and try peeking at the player's scoresheets while trying to remaining inconspicuous. After a while I was a couple of moves behind. On noticing this, one of the players, a New Zealander, offered me his scoresheet with a smile.
I saw some bad behaviour too. I watched as another New Zealander, a boy even younger than me, sweep the pieces off the board after losing a game. This is none other than Murray Chandler, now a British GM and owner of Gambit Publications, a publisher of chess books.
One of the members of the Malaysian team is none other than The Star chess columnist, Quah Seng Sun. I think he is the only one left in the team who still maintains an interest in the game to this day.
Why am I telling all these? In 1974 the participating countries were Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia. China did not participate though they sent an observer. It would take them another 3 years before Chinese players ventured out of China and joined this tournament. Where is Vietnam? It will be another 17 years before Vietnam joins this tournament, interestingly also in Penang in the year 1991.
Altogether, thirty-six years have passed since this event. Vietnam now have a couple of grandmasters. Their top player, GM Le Quang Liem is rated ELO 2647 and probably in the top fifty in the world and rapidly progressing. The other Vietnamese GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son rated 2616 and have not reached his peak yet.
I acquired the international master title in 1985. As of end 2009, we produced another four international masters. If I use simple maths, Malaysia produced one IM every six years since. Hardly a success by any measure.
In the 1970s, the Penang Chess Association members met every Sunday afternoon at the Hooi Lye Association in Kimberley Street. I remember one afternoon in the year 1974, Mr Gong Wooi Mau (a senior PCA member) coming up to us and announcing that PCA was organizing the very first Asian Team Championship in Penang. He asked for volunteers to assist in the tournament. My hand shot up immediately.
My job was to record the moves played on two boards. This meant I had a ring-side seat just three feet away from the boards. Imagine a sixteen year old boy who just started learning chess and I was in the midst of chess gods. At least that was how I felt. I was so near to the players, I was actually afraid to make any sudden move, in case I distracted them. At that time, the time control was forty moves in two and a half hours. Some games could go the full five hours and I would not move from my seat for the whole time.
Once I was peering at the other games around me, I missed the move being played on the boards I was assigned. I had to stand up and try peeking at the player's scoresheets while trying to remaining inconspicuous. After a while I was a couple of moves behind. On noticing this, one of the players, a New Zealander, offered me his scoresheet with a smile.
I saw some bad behaviour too. I watched as another New Zealander, a boy even younger than me, sweep the pieces off the board after losing a game. This is none other than Murray Chandler, now a British GM and owner of Gambit Publications, a publisher of chess books.
One of the members of the Malaysian team is none other than The Star chess columnist, Quah Seng Sun. I think he is the only one left in the team who still maintains an interest in the game to this day.
Why am I telling all these? In 1974 the participating countries were Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia. China did not participate though they sent an observer. It would take them another 3 years before Chinese players ventured out of China and joined this tournament. Where is Vietnam? It will be another 17 years before Vietnam joins this tournament, interestingly also in Penang in the year 1991.
Altogether, thirty-six years have passed since this event. Vietnam now have a couple of grandmasters. Their top player, GM Le Quang Liem is rated ELO 2647 and probably in the top fifty in the world and rapidly progressing. The other Vietnamese GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son rated 2616 and have not reached his peak yet.
I acquired the international master title in 1985. As of end 2009, we produced another four international masters. If I use simple maths, Malaysia produced one IM every six years since. Hardly a success by any measure.
Monday, February 22, 2010
What is the future of Malaysian chess?
Over the last few weeks, I was following the progress of Vietnamese grandmaster Le Quang Liem, Chinese GM Zhou Jianchao and Philipino GM Wesley So in the Aeroflot and Moscow Open.
Zhou has been in the shadows of his more famous compatriots such as Bu Xiangzhi, Wang Yue and Wang Hao. But I think this year he will be emerging out of their shadows so expect to hear more from this 22 year old. He was undefeated in the Aeroflot Open and tied for third with 6/9.
Wesley So finished with a creditable 5.5/9, this is no easy feat considering that the Aeroflot Open is one of the strongest open around.
Le probably had his best performance ever, tying for first in the Moscow Open and coming clear first in the Aeroflot Open which immediately followed.
As I was watching these players on Playchess, I feel kind of sad. Will Malaysia ever have these kind of players who are able to compete with some of the world's best chess players and bring some glory to the nation? And who will these players be? Will it be Sumant Subramaniam, Yeoh Li Tian or Yeap Eng Chiam or some other yet to be discovered talent? Or is it just wishful thinking on my part?
Another thought came to my mind. Besides having monthly meetings, submitting tournament results to FIDE, running annual Nationals and send a team to the chess olympiad every other year, what is the Malaysian Chess Federation doing? Does the MCF have any plans to achieve something that we can be proud of?
Zhou has been in the shadows of his more famous compatriots such as Bu Xiangzhi, Wang Yue and Wang Hao. But I think this year he will be emerging out of their shadows so expect to hear more from this 22 year old. He was undefeated in the Aeroflot Open and tied for third with 6/9.
Wesley So finished with a creditable 5.5/9, this is no easy feat considering that the Aeroflot Open is one of the strongest open around.
Le probably had his best performance ever, tying for first in the Moscow Open and coming clear first in the Aeroflot Open which immediately followed.
As I was watching these players on Playchess, I feel kind of sad. Will Malaysia ever have these kind of players who are able to compete with some of the world's best chess players and bring some glory to the nation? And who will these players be? Will it be Sumant Subramaniam, Yeoh Li Tian or Yeap Eng Chiam or some other yet to be discovered talent? Or is it just wishful thinking on my part?
Another thought came to my mind. Besides having monthly meetings, submitting tournament results to FIDE, running annual Nationals and send a team to the chess olympiad every other year, what is the Malaysian Chess Federation doing? Does the MCF have any plans to achieve something that we can be proud of?
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