Blindfold
Prior to leaving we had no idea how the blindfold event would be conducted other than that computers will not be used. (The most famous blindfold tournament is the annual Amber. Each players sits in front of a computer with a blank chess board on screen. They enter their moves into the computer which is then sent to the opponent's screen.)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
SEA Games 2011 - Looking back (Part 1)
At the 2005 SEA Games in Tagaytay City, Philippines, Vietnam swept all eight golds available. For the next two Games, chess was excluded. Both Thailand (host in 2007) and Laos (host in 2009) did not have the capability of winning any medals in this sport.
At the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang, chess was re-instated with some stipulations. No player could enter more than 2 events. Even so, Vietnam won 6 golds out of the 9 events contested. In the women's event they took all three golds (Standard, Rapid and Blitz). Such a depth of talent every country should be envious of.
Thailand won their first chess gold in the newly created Asean Chess event. No surprise here as this chess variant is closest to Thai chess ("makruk"). To this day, I still cannot fathom why this new chess variant was created and included in the 2011 Games. I guess that this was created so that chess will again be included in the next Games in Myanmar. But I also heard that Myanmar chess ("sittuyin") is already going to be part of chess there so Myanmar will have chances at a few medals.
At the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang, chess was re-instated with some stipulations. No player could enter more than 2 events. Even so, Vietnam won 6 golds out of the 9 events contested. In the women's event they took all three golds (Standard, Rapid and Blitz). Such a depth of talent every country should be envious of.
Thailand won their first chess gold in the newly created Asean Chess event. No surprise here as this chess variant is closest to Thai chess ("makruk"). To this day, I still cannot fathom why this new chess variant was created and included in the 2011 Games. I guess that this was created so that chess will again be included in the next Games in Myanmar. But I also heard that Myanmar chess ("sittuyin") is already going to be part of chess there so Myanmar will have chances at a few medals.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Hou YiFan wins World Championship
Chinese prodigy, Hou YiFan , won the women's world championship against challenger Humpy Koneru. Yi Fan took a three point lead after drawing the eight game. With only two games left in the ten game match, Yi Fan retains the title. The remaining two games will not be played.
Full report from Chessbase here
Full report from Chessbase here
Monday, November 21, 2011
SEA Games chess over
Today is the last round of the men and women standard event. The women and men's blitz event also starts after the completion of the standard event.
Standard event
There was two quick draws between GM Cao Sang and GM Wesley So which lasted only four moves. GM So has won the silver with this draw. GM Cao Sang ties for third with
The game between Indonesian GM Megaranto Susanto and Myanmar Kway Ling Naing lasted only a little longer , eight moves to be exact. Megaranto wins the gold with this draw. FM Kway and GM Cao Sang had a play-off to determine the bronze. Kway surprisingly won the armageddon and thus takes the bronze.
Standard event
There was two quick draws between GM Cao Sang and GM Wesley So which lasted only four moves. GM So has won the silver with this draw. GM Cao Sang ties for third with
The game between Indonesian GM Megaranto Susanto and Myanmar Kway Ling Naing lasted only a little longer , eight moves to be exact. Megaranto wins the gold with this draw. FM Kway and GM Cao Sang had a play-off to determine the bronze. Kway surprisingly won the armageddon and thus takes the bronze.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
SEA Games - Men and Women Standard chess
The situation in the men's and women's standard chess is more or less clear where the gold is concerned. GM Megaranto agreed a draw with IM Jimmy Liew. Tomorrow he has white pieces against Myanmar player Kyaw Ling Naing and a draw will be sufficient for the gold medal.
FM Kyaw has a chance for a medal after drawing against GM Cao Sang. The final round will decide the bronze and maybe the silver as well.
FM Kyaw has a chance for a medal after drawing against GM Cao Sang. The final round will decide the bronze and maybe the silver as well.
Vietnam takes gold in rapid chess
Vietnamese players snatched gold in both the men's and women's rapid event. GM Le Quang Liem won his second gold and WGM Nguyenn Pham Le Thao won the women's event. Indonesia had a silver through the surprising FM Hamdani Rudin. GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Song took the bronze.
Truong Song needed to win the last game against the lower rated FM Kasmiran. Surprisingly the position reached a Q+B versus Q+B where the Vietnamese could not avoid perpetual check. Since he already had the bronze , he continued to play on and ended up losing a bishop ending.
The following position was reached in GM Barbosa Oliver against Sumant Subramaniam in the final round. Sumant was not having a good tournament and has lost a pawn. However some resourceful play and time pressure and we have the diagram
Truong Song needed to win the last game against the lower rated FM Kasmiran. Surprisingly the position reached a Q+B versus Q+B where the Vietnamese could not avoid perpetual check. Since he already had the bronze , he continued to play on and ended up losing a bishop ending.
The following position was reached in GM Barbosa Oliver against Sumant Subramaniam in the final round. Sumant was not having a good tournament and has lost a pawn. However some resourceful play and time pressure and we have the diagram
Megaranto leads
Indonesian GM Megaranto takes the lead in the SEA Games Men's Standard event. Last night, he created an upset over Philippines GM Wesley So.
The men's standard only has six players and contested over a five round round-robin tournament. A single loss can be the end of the gold medal. Megaranto should now win the gold barring any upset as he needs a single point from the remaining two rounds. A tie with Wesley So will be in the Indonesian's favour due to the personal encounter tie-breaker.
The men's standard only has six players and contested over a five round round-robin tournament. A single loss can be the end of the gold medal. Megaranto should now win the gold barring any upset as he needs a single point from the remaining two rounds. A tie with Wesley So will be in the Indonesian's favour due to the personal encounter tie-breaker.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Yee Weng and Najiha wins bronze!
It was a nerve wrecking final round for the Malaysian contingent. Malaysia needed to tie Indonesia's score today to win the bronze on tie-breaks. While Indonesia had the gold medallists Vietnam, we had the easier match against Myanmar.
Yee Weng drew quickly after reaching an opposite-colored bishop position with all major pieces on the board. He soon regretted the decision as Najiha had pawn advantage in her game but ran very short of time. Even with two extra pawns in a Rook and Bishop versus Rook and Knight ending, things were very difficult as she had less than two minutes at some crucial moments. Nevertheless, Najiha managed to convert the game after more than eighty moves
Vietnam took the gold and Philippines the silver.
In the blindfold event, Vietnam's super GM Le Quang Liem managed to overtake Filipino Paul Gomez to take the gold leaving Gomez the silver. Another Filipino GM , Laylo Darwin was the bronze medallist.
Yee Weng drew quickly after reaching an opposite-colored bishop position with all major pieces on the board. He soon regretted the decision as Najiha had pawn advantage in her game but ran very short of time. Even with two extra pawns in a Rook and Bishop versus Rook and Knight ending, things were very difficult as she had less than two minutes at some crucial moments. Nevertheless, Najiha managed to convert the game after more than eighty moves
Vietnam took the gold and Philippines the silver.
In the blindfold event, Vietnam's super GM Le Quang Liem managed to overtake Filipino Paul Gomez to take the gold leaving Gomez the silver. Another Filipino GM , Laylo Darwin was the bronze medallist.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Malaysia loses to Philippines
In the fourth round of the Mixed event,both IM Lim Yee Weng and WFM Najiha lost their games to the more experienced Filipinos. This means Vietnam will take the gold and Philippines the silver leaving the bronze for the other countries.
Malaysia meets Myanmar in the fifth and last round and needs a win to confirm a bronze medal. As I write, Yee Weng is hard at work , preparing to win tomorrow. Much depends on him as a win will ease the pressure on the young Najiha, though we also expect her to beat her opponent tomorrow.
My fortunes in the blindfold continue to slide downward , losing both seventh and eight rounds. Mok drew both games.
The rest of the team, IM Mas, Sumant Subramaniam, Camilia, Li Ting and Nabila has joined us from Malaysia. They will have a free day tomorrow as their events only starts on the Thursday,17th of November.
Malaysia meets Myanmar in the fifth and last round and needs a win to confirm a bronze medal. As I write, Yee Weng is hard at work , preparing to win tomorrow. Much depends on him as a win will ease the pressure on the young Najiha, though we also expect her to beat her opponent tomorrow.
My fortunes in the blindfold continue to slide downward , losing both seventh and eight rounds. Mok drew both games.
The rest of the team, IM Mas, Sumant Subramaniam, Camilia, Li Ting and Nabila has joined us from Malaysia. They will have a free day tomorrow as their events only starts on the Thursday,17th of November.
SEA Games all results
Below are the current standings of all events currently going on in Palembang, Indonesia. They are blindfold, mixed team and Asean chess.
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