SEA Games - Starting Rank List For Rapid Event

Rapid is one of the events for Chess in the 26th SEA Games. Two GOLD medals are vied by six countries which participated. Surprisingly, Singapore does not take part.

Vietnam is the hot favourite in this event. The players from this country dominate the starting rank list. In the men's category, Vietnam is represented by one "super" GM and "very strong" GM. Le With Elo ratings of 2714, Quang Liem is the hot favourite to win the Gold medal. He will be challenged by his country man, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son who is at the second rank and the only 2600-rated player in the list. 

Men Rapid Chess

The Philippines' chess wonder boy, Wesley So, does not take part in this event. The country is represented by IM Oliver Barbosa and GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. While Indonesia, the host country, is represented by two FMs - Kasmiran and Hamdani Rudin.

How about Malaysia? The Malaysian top player, IM Mas Hafizulhelmi who has Elo ratings of 2398, is ranked fifth. He is Malaysia's best hope to grab a medal in this event. IM Mas is accompanied by Sumant Subramaniam who is the second last in the starting list with Elo ratings of 2083. GiLoCatur hopes Sumant will play his best and has strong will and determination to make an upset. 

Women Rapid Chess

In the Women event, only 10 players take part. Both Myanmar and Thailand has only one player taking part. Two WGMs from Vietnam who have 2300s Elo ratings are the top seeds followed by two Indonesian players. The Philippines players are right above both the Malaysian players.

In the Women Rapid Chess, Malaysia is represented by WCM Nur Nabila Azman Hisham and WNM Tan Li Ting who are among the bottom three in the starting rank list. But GiLoCatur believes both of them have a chance to be on the podium. They must believe in themselves and be proud to play for the country. DON'T BE AFRAID! BE CONFIDENT!

For this event, nine rounds will be played starting on 17th November and ending on 20th November. YAKIN BOLEH to all the four Malaysian chess players. MAKE MALAYSIA AND ITS CHESS COMMUNITY STAND TALL AND PROUD.

Good Bye 2010, Welcome 2011!

The year 2010 had left us. Today is the first day of the new 2011 year. The above numbers are very symbolic especially for an IT guy like GiLoCatur. Why? Because 010111 looks like a BINARY number, just short two to make it a meaningful one.

What is a BINARY number? GiLoCatur does not want to explain it here. Just check it out with Mr Google. For all chess enthusiasts, check out this link for a story that links between the power of a binary number and chess.

So, what we had achieved during 2010? What we had not achieved in the whole year from what had been planned, visioned, targeted and wished? We have to make a post-mortem, muhasabah, and kajiselidik the reasons or root causes that resulted in the failures. Surely, we need to plan, strategize, and make targets for the new 2011 year including chess development and advancement.

How about for GiLoCatur and family? Ofcourse, the year 2010 had given GiLoCatur and family both sweet and bad memories, both achievements and failures. GiLoCatur will write about them later.

SELAMAT TINGGAL 2010, SELAMAT DATANG 2011!

GiLoCatur would like to wish a very blessed and successful 2011 year!

Chess in the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia

While surfing at fireyrook blogspot, GiLoCatur noticed something that attracts GiLoCatur's eyes.

fireyrook Berita TV3 umumkan permainan catur dimasukkan dalam acara temasya sukan SEA di Indonesia pada tahun 2011!

So, GiLoCatur "googled" and found below BERNAMA news. Yes, it is confirmed that CHESS will be included in the 26th SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. So, it is a good news for the Malaysian chess players. GiLoCatur hopes it will motivate them especially the young players to work hard to be among the top Malaysian chess players to be able to represent the country in SEA games. Hopefully, MCF will announce its selection criteria so that the Malaysian chess players can work hard to compete for the slots. Or MCF can check from the SEA games committee about chess participants. Like for soccer, the players must be Under 23.

Daripada Zulhilmi Supaat VIENTIANE, 7 Dis (Bernama) -- Tuan rumah Sukan SEA ke-26, Indonesia akan menganjurkan 37 acara termasuk dua acara sukan extrem dan dua acara baru pada temasya yang akan diadakan di empat wilayah pada 2011.

Wakil Malaysia pada mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Persekutuan Sukan SEA (SGF) Datuk Sieh Kok Chi berkata Indonesia juga akan menggugurkan empat acara yang dipertandingkan pada temasya ke-25 di sini iaitu acara petanque, renang sirip, muay thai dan timang bulu ayam.

"Dua acara sukan extrem yang dimasukkan ialah mendaki tembok dan kasut roda," katanya kepada Bernama, di sini, Isnin.

Sieh yang juga setiausaha kehormat Majlis Olimpik Malasia (MOM) sebelum itu menghadiri mesyuarat berkenaan yang diadakan di sebuah hotel di sini.

Beliau berkata Indonesia akan menawarkan acara badminton, angkat berat, akuatik, bola sepak, memanah, menembak, silat, taekwando, olahraga, skuasy, hoki, billiard & snuker, tinju, bola tampar, bola keranjang, golf, judo, sepak takraw, ping-pong, wushu dan berbasikal.

Acara lain yang tidak dipertandingkan di Vientiane tetapi ditawarkan di Indonesia ialah tenpin boling, ekuestrian, gimnastik, lawan pedang, catur, lumba bot tradisional, kayak, mendayung, pelayaran, bola lisut dan besbol.

Indonesia juga buat pertama kalinya dalam sejarah Sukan SEA menawar acara Kempo, sejenis sukan lawan pedang menggunakan buluh, yang berasal dari Jepun.

Selain itu, negara itu juga menawarkan acara powerlifting bagi atlet normal. Acara itu sebenarnya adalah acara bagi atlet paralimpik.

Sieh berkata Singapura telah menarik diri daripada menganjurkan Sukan SEA ke-27 pada 2013.

Vietnam, tuan rumah Sukan SEA ke-23 bagaimanapun telah menawar diri untuk menganjurkannya jika tiada negara Asean lain yang berminat.

Sieh berkata mengikut giliran yang ditetapkan SGF, Singapura sepatutnya menganjurkan temasya dwi-tahunan itu pada 2013, diikuti Kemboja, Myanmar, Brunei, Malaysia dan Vietnam.

-- BERNAMA

Source :

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/bm/newssport.php?id=460599

http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/12/8/sports/5257451&sec=sports