DATCC's Razzmataz Weekend Tournament Official Report

The above is the winners list of the Razzmataz Weekender Tournament held in DAT Chess Center on last weekend. Both Best U12 Boys and Girls, received chess sets donated by stonemaster Fadli.

Below is the official report by the arbiter, Najib Abdul Wahab ...

The DATCC organizes its Razzmatazz Weekend Rapid on 1st of August and the event was well attended by a lot of chess players and enthusiasts. GM Ziaur Rahman headed the list of 52 players who took part in the event which also included CM Fadli Zakaria, Kamaluddin Yusof, Muhd Nabil Azman Hisham and sisters, Nur Najiha and Nur Nabila, and MCF VP Haslindah Ruslan. Despite missing some of the more regular rapid players like Ian Udani and Abdullah Che Hassan, the tournament did not lack the nail biting and intriguing match ups and duels between some of the top ranked players. It was also one of GM Ziaur more challenging outing having to face tough oppositions from the young Puteri Munajjah in the first round of the game, Nur Nabila in the 4th round and Kamaluddin Yusof at the last round. According to Ziaur, this was one of his tougher events in recent outings and he was impressed with the strong showing by some of the junior players notably Tan Jun Feng, Puteri Munajjah, Low Jun Jian, and siblings Nur Nabila and Muhd Nabil Azman Hisham.

After the smoke cleared, GM Ziaur prevailed and came out on top with Low Jin Jian tight at his tail at a close second, followed by Muhd Nabil, Kamaluddin Yusof and Tan Jun Feng rounding up the top 5. CM Fadli Zakaria donated 2 chess sets which were presented to Puteri Munajjah as the best U-12 girls and Amier Hamzah Muhd Zuhri as her counterpart for the boys section.

UPNM (University Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia) showed up in strong support for the event with 12 aspiring players, half of the team whom has never played in a rated event before. At their request, in response to their support, a special prize was allocated for the best UPNM player which went to Mohd Izwan Idris.

Other notable winners were Nur Nabila Azman Hisham as the Best Lady player, Haslindah Ruslan for the best player with a rating below 1600, and Vinton Wong Hsien Loong for the best player below a rating of 1400. Mohd Raimi Rahim bagged the best unrated player.

The event was well managed as it started and ended as per the tournament schedule with the first round at 10:00am and prize giving ceremony started exactly at 6:00pm. DATC will be organizing another Rapid Weekend sometime after Hari Raya i.e. late September, and another one sometime in December with a Rookie Tornado event scheduled in between the two rapid events.

Those who would like to learn more about events and happening at DATCC, including the upcoming Malaysia Chess Festival 2010 scheduled to start on 28 August until 8 September, do contact Najib Wahab at +6016 338 2542, or write to najib.wahab@chess-malaysia.com.

GiLoCatur : A good showing and effort by several MSS Selangor chess players. Keep on participating and improving.

Do You Want A Chess GM To Be Your or Your Kids Coach?

GM Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh

( from chessbase.com )

[ GiLoCatur : What a good opportunity to have a chess Grandmaster to teach and guide you or your children in chess. Since our country has yet to have one, we are lucky to "import" (have one like) him here in Malaysia if you are looking a GM to be your or your kids coach. Or maybe you want to promote chess in your area, book him for a simul or a chess workshop or seminar. How much the cost? You need to check with Najib Wahab. ]

GRANDMASTER IN TOWN!!!! Be on the lookout ...

Come end of February, DAT Chess Center will have a resident Grandmaster (GM Ziaur Rahman) to boost its activities and promote chess learning and teaching to another level. A one year program is currently being prepared which comprises of various events and tournaments featuring GM Ziaur as the “main man”, with chess seminars and classes including out station trips to reach out to all corners of our country, to promote and propel chess onto a higher platform.

Some of the programs that will be available during GM Ziaur presence here in Malaysia and DATCC are:

• Individual chess sessions for serious players who would like to improve their chess understanding and playing skills – personalized tutoring and tips, the ideal way to learn and improve!
• Group classes covering specific topics such as chess preparations, openings, endgames, etc. during the night on weekdays (for those who are working in the daytime) and during the weekends (for those who are from out of the KL)
• Monthly Rapid Events – Get a chance to compete against the GM!
• Quarterly FIDE Rated Event – Improve your rating points by beating the GM (try if you can!)
• Chess Seminars and Trainings (An event for all – players, parents, supporters, officials, organizers, enthusiasts and those who wants to know more about chess)
• SIMUL and Exhibition matches – A kiddie events for our up and coming youngsters!
• For those who love Blitz – a bi monthly event to enjoy chess at lightning speed!!!! And get crushed in the blink of an eye!
• Out station trips – For Chess Affiliates, Clubs and Association, this is your chance to get a GM to visit your state and City/Clubs, and pit the local talent against him

If you are not able to make it to the DAT Chess Center for the classes and would like to get the GM Ziaur to come to your establishments, offices or clubs, or a private tutoring at home, such arrangements will also be considered and can be arranged.

For further information or if you are very eager to make an early bookings for any of the events mentioned above, or just to inquire more information with regards to the rates, dates, events, classes and tournaments that are being prepared, please contact najib.wahab@hotmail.com or +6016 338 2542.

[ GiLoCatur : Ever wonder some facts about Bangladesh? We see many many Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia. In petrol station. In hypermarkets like Mydin and Giants. What is its capital city? answer : Dhaka. How many is its population? answer : about 140 million. In chess, how many GMs it has? answer : 5 compared to none for Malaysia. How many titled players it has? answer : 25 (Malaysia : 18) What is its current FIDE ranking? answer : 57th (Malaysia : 67th) ]