Sparring Session on 26th Feb 2010 at McDonalds

Setelah GiLoCatur miss sparring session pada minggu lepas, malam ini GiLoCatur datang bersama kedua-dua anak lelaki - "abang" Fikri dan "adik" Fahim. Kami tiba di McD lebih kurang pada jam 9.30 malam. GiLoCatur sekeluarga keluar berjalan-jalan ke Sunway Pyramid petang tadi at about 4.00 o'clock. Setelah having dinner di Restoran SHAZ di TTDI Jaya, GiLoCatur dan keluarga tiba di rumah pada kira-kira jam 8.30 malam.

Setelah mandi dan solat, GiLoCatur keluar untuk menuju ke McD di Seksyen 3, tempat biasa chess sparring. Pada kali ini, si anak bongsu GiLoCatur turut serta. Kami keluar rumah at about 9.05 pm. Lebih kurang selama setengah jam kami menunggu rakan-rakan sparring yang lain.

Pada sesi sparring pada kali ini, beberapa muka baru telah muncul. Seorang pemain yang dikenali sebagai Zaid dan seorang lagi yang GiLoCatur belum sempat kenal telah menyertai sesi sparring. Maxtal dan Fikri telah berjaya ditewaskan oleh Zaid pada pusingan pertama dan kedua. Diharap lebih ramai muka-muka baru akan muncul di masa hadapan bagi memeriahkan lagi sesi sparring di McD. Di harap sesi sparring sebegini akan dapat mempromosi catur di kalangan masyarakat Shah Alam khususnya dan Selangor umumnya.

"Wak Fauzi dan geng Subang Utarid juga sudah kerap bersparring di McD selain di tempat mereka. Tungguuuuuuuuuuuu ... mereka bakal menyerlah di Kejohanan Catur Amatur Stonemaster 21 Mac nanti!"

GiLoCatur berentap sebanyak tiga kali (game) dengan Wak Fauzi malam ini sebelum mini-tournament. Keputusannya, 2 -1 yang berpihak kepada beliau.

"Relax aje Abg Bro main chess sambil minum. Ni bukan pasal lawannya adalah seorang wanita. Tapi dah memang Abg Bro seorang pemain catur pro yang cool di negara ini. Semangat dan kegilaannya bermain catur memang sangat tinggi. Sebelum bersparring di McD ini, beliau bertanding di Kompleks PKNS dalam Insofar FIDE-rated Tournament. Selepas tamat mini-tournament, Abg Bro sambung sparring lagi. Catur sudah menjadi satu budaya hidup Abg Bro. Mampukah pemain-pemain catur muda Malaysia mencontohi Abg Bro?"

"Tidak sangka boleh bukak 7 papan malam ini yakni seramai 14 pemain." Terima kasih kepada Maxtal di atas set clock dan chess set beliau di samping yang lain.

The final ranking of the fourteen players participated in the mini tournament.

Tahniah dan terima kasih kepada semua yang menjayakan sesi sparring dan mini-tournament ini. Semoga "chess" akan lebih bertapak dan "alive" di Shah Alam seperti suatu ketika dahulu.

McD Mini Blitz Tournament - 15/1/2010

Once again GiLoCatur was the pairings manager for the McD Blitz mini-tournament held last Friday night. Ten players participated including GiLoCatur. The format was 7-minute Blitz of seven rounds. This time around, the mini-tournament were joined by few Subang Suria gang - Fauzi, Jeffri and Sulaiman Abg Bro and Haq as well as Yen Fischer were not coming but Hashim Jusoh was the replacement as the top seed. Even though hailed from Terengganu, "this (Shah Alam) is my second home" said Hashim whom GiLoCatur met during the De Laguna tournament.

The mini-tournament had attracted someone. He and GiLoCatur exchanged contact numbers. He thinks that chess can be included in his rakan muda program in the future. GiLoCatur also hopes that one day we can have a collaboration to promote chess.

Wanna know the results of the mini-tournament? Actually, the results are not really important in this tournament because it is basically a sparring and training session. But as per in normal chess tournaments, all the players were eager whom they will play against every round, who was leading and what's the score.

So, below are the results and pictures of the mini-tournament.

No one had a perfect 7/7 score.

Sulaiman (left) was punching a different kind of chess clock!

Everyone was focus on their boards, eh!

Fauzi, before the game against GiLoCatur, some sort of a personal rivalry.

Who's winning? You can find out in the above results. :)-

Jeff (orange shirt). Who's the guy with white shirt next to him? Look familiar eh ...

Why Ng6 was smiling? Only he knows ... he made a blunder? or no way his opponent was gonna win?

Normally, Sulaiman spar at Subang Suria with his own gang or "homies". His first session with 17ChessClub gang.

What distracted GiLoCatur, what do you think? Can you guess?