The Story of NAG2016 - Part 2

Monday, 14/3/2016

Today is the last day of the NAG2016 chess championship. Waiting Anis and Fahim playing against their respective opponents in the tournament hall, GiLoCatur enters the UTP's library located opposite the hall to write in this blog.

Entering the final two rounds is very crucial to all the participating players especially on the top boards. Winning these two rounds will provide better ranking and give better chance for being on the podium in the prize giving ceremony. 

The results for Boys U6, Boys U8, Girls U6 and Girls U8 categories have been out. Let's look at them.

Under 6 age group category

Boys category

Girls category

The total of five players take part in each Under 6 age group category. Thus, it is a round robin for this group category. In the Boys section, Megat Musa is the leader. He has won all his matches thus far. GiLoCatur believes Megat Musa shall emerge as the champion since he is leading 1.5 point with one more round to play.

In the Girls section, two players have same 3/4 points. They are Afiqah Zahra and Aghalya Tiaana. The former is leading for having better tie-break which is direct encounter. 

Under 8 age group category

Boys category

Girls category

Forty players take part in the Boys section. Up to Round 7, no one has the full point. Leading the pack after Round 7 is the 16th seed, Syed Firdaus Asyraaf. Trailing half-point are three players from Penang. Can Syed Firdaus win his final game and emerge as the champion? Or can Ferris Lim stop Syed Fidaus from winning the championship? 

What a final round game for both of them.

As typical it is the boys age group outnumber the girls age group, only eleven participants in the Girls section for U8 age group category. Farah Liana won all her games accumulating full point ie 7/7. She is leading by two points. Entering her final round, Farah Liana has a huge advantage to win the Girls Under 8 age group title.

Writing in 

Perpustakaan UTP

The Story of NAG 2016 - Part 1

Saturday, 12/3/2016

This morning around quarter to 8:00 AM, my family and I started our journey from home in Shah Alam to University Teknologi Petronas or its acronym UTP. The reason of going to UTP is two of my children - Anis and Fahim, are taking part in the National Age Group (NAG) chess championship.

The first round kicked of at 10:10 AM, ten minutes late that schedule. Due to many vehicles on the PLUS highway, we were a bit late to arrive at UTP. Luckily, we arrived before the 30-minute dateline for a forfeit game. 

Fikri (12-year-old) & Anis (10-year-old) in NAG 2008

How many times each of my children have taken part in the NAG? Mmmmm sorry, GiLoCatur cannot answer straight away. Which edition was the first time GiLoCatur's children took part? This question GiLoCatur can answer after checking on the photo album archive. GiLoCatur would also check the archive of this blog to recall the NAG editions that the three of GiLoCatur's children - Fikri, Anis & Fahim, have participated. This is one of the reasons why GiLoCatur create and write this blog. 

Fikri in Boys U12 age group category

In 2008 NAG edition, only Fikri and Anis were taking part. Aged 12-years old, Fikri was playing in Boys Under 12 age category with national ratings of 1460. He was seeded 8th out of 57 players.

Anis in Girls U10 age group category

Meanwhile, Anis was playing in Girls Under 10 age category. She was nine 10 years old and was seeded 21st out of total 26 players with national ratings of 887.  

How both fared in the NAG chess championship?

Both were not among the winners. In the NAG, the winners are only the Top 10. With 5/8 points, Fikri was ranked 17th. Several players have become Fikri's team mates in later years. Two of them were Fikri's team mates in 2011 MSSM chess championship. Three others were Fikri's team mates in 2013 MSSM chess championship. One other is Fikri's team mate in KARISMA last year.

While Anis was placed 16th. She scored 3.5/8 points. Two of the winners in Girls Under 10 age group category are the Top 3 seeded players this year. This year edition of NAG will be the last participation for Anis.

Who were the champions for each age group category in NAG 2008 edition?

Puteri Rifqah Fahada Mohd Azhar (Girls U8)

Nur Najiha Azman Hisham (Girls U10)

Nur Nabila Azman Hisham (Girls U12)

Renitha Narayanan  (Girls U16)

Tan Yong Zhao (Boys U8)

Yeoh Li Tian (Boys U10)

Tan Wei Hao (Boys U12)

Edward Lee Kim Han (Boys U16)

Surprisingly, GiLoCatur does not have the results for U14 age group categories.

#38 Nur Homestay

Seri Iskandar, Perak

Yeop, GiLoCatur Kena Dikerojekan Di NRCC

GiLoCatur decided to take part in the nationally-rated NRCC (National Rapid Chess Championship) which was held during last weekend at the UTP. In the previous week, GiLoCatur played in one of the Insofar events at DATCC. By participating in the NRCC, GiLoCatur hopes to improve the national ratings. GiLoCatur's ratings stays at 1430 since GiLoCatur had not participated in any rated chess tournament.

So, berjaya ke GiLoCatur nak perbaiki ratings? Moh kite nengok prestasi GiLoCatur di NRCC. First, first round lagi GiLoCatur dah kena pair dengan Selangor state player dan the reigning Woman National Master. Kalau tak silap, ini dah masuk kali keempat GiLoCatur lawan Nabila. Berdasarkan rekod, GiLoCatur belum pernah menang lagi. Nampaknya, GiLoCatur masih belum mampu untuk menandingi kehebatan Nabila. Dengan mudah sahaja GiLoCatur dikerojekan oleh Nabila setelah buat blunder dengan kehilangan satu piece. GiLoCatur menyalahkan keletihan setelah memandu hampir tiga jam dan kurang tidur sebagai penyebab kesilapan tersebut. 

List of GiLoCatur's opponents at 2nd NRCC

Di pusingan kedua, GiLoCatur bertemu dengan pemain unrated. Sayang sekali, permainan tersebut tidak dicapture. Permainan agak seimbang. Permainan berakhir dengan seri setelah GiLoCatur membuat check menggunakan pawn. Russidi Rashid, opponent GiLoCatur, terpaksa capture pawn tersebut. Jika tidak, GiLoCatur boleh queening dengan melarikan pawn jauh dari king.

GiLoCatur mengharapkan agar bertemu lawan yang ratingnya di antara 1500 dan 1600 untuk cuba dapat rating points. Tetapi, lawan GiLoCatur di pusingan ketiga adalah Wong Jian Wen yang memiliki ratings hampir 2000. Beliau merupakan seeded kedua dalam kejohanan ini. Bisik hati GiLoCatur setelah melihat pairing, "alamak, aku bakal dikerojekan lagilah ni .."

R3 - GiLoCatur vs Jian Wen

Lihatlah posisi buah game kami seperti di atas. Sekali lagi, GiLoCatur membuat kesilapan dengan kehilangan satu piece di awal permainan. Selain itu, agak sukar bagi GiLoCatur untuk bertahan apabila pihak lawan ada tiga passing passed pawns.

GiLoCatur agak lega di pusingan keempat kerana lawan tidak hadir. Ini bermakna, GiLoCatur menang walk-over. Walaupun sebenarnya GiLoCatur lebih suka jika dapat bermain, dengan ketiadaan lawan dapatlah GiLoCatur berehat dan juga merakam aksi-aksi pertandingan.

Entry ini akan disambung nanti Insya Allah sebab mata dah mengantuk. Jam menunjukkan waktu hampir menjengah ke angka 4.30 pagi.

The 2nd National Rapid Chess Championship (NRCC) - The Reminder

"Yeop, udah lupe ke mike? 4 hari je lagi. Ade ape? Mike kate nak lawan catur dengan teman. Teman udah bayor yuran sebentor tadi. Hari ni hari terakhir hantor borang dan bayor yuran."

For those who do not understand the above Perak dialogue, actually it says that today is the closing date for the registration and fee payment for the 2nd National Rapid Chess Championship or simply NRCC that will be held in Universiti Teknologi Petronas that is located in Tronoh, Perak. 

The format of the tournament is 8 SWISS rounds of G/25 + 10 secs. What GiLoCatur means by G/25 is a 25 minute per player game. Four rounds each on Saturday, 1st October and Sunday, 2nd October. There would be the Open (17 years old and above) and five age group categories - Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16. The NRCC is a national-rated tournament. Click here for further details and info on the tournament.

The total prize money is RM 2,960 but it is only for the Open category. No money prizes for the age group categories. Only medal prizes for the top three for each boy and girl section. Why not include prize money for the age groups? It will attract more participants for sure. GiLoCatur hopes in the next edition, the age group categories should be given prize money. 

Will Sumant defend his championship in this year edition? The champion will receive one thousand Malaysian Ringgits. Can Fadzil Nayan who was the 1st edition first runner up add his winning cash prizes to be one thousand ringgits richer? Will both of them face each other again like last weekend in the Insofar Elite Final? How about the number of participants in this year edition? Will it be more or less? As listed out in the 1st NRCC blog here, there were 95 participants in the Open category. At DAT Chess Center in Kuala Lumpur, there is another rapid chess tournament held on Sunday, 2nd October 2011. It is Cerdik Catur Semi Pro Tournament. We will know all the answers this weekend, won't we?

Last year, all GiLoCatur's children participated in the event. Fikri, the eldest, scored 6.5/8 points in the Under 14 & 16 category. He was awarded the gold medal winner for the Open-14 age group. This year, Fikri will not take part because his PMR exam is around the corner. Anis Fariha, GiLoCatur's only daughter, won the bronze medal for the Girl-12 age group category. She scored 4 points. Meanwhile, her younger brother Fahim Al-Faqeh who played in Open-8 section received the silver medal with 5.5 points and placed fourth out of the total 15 participants in the U8 section. 

This weekend, Anis who is in the form 1 at Kuala Selangor Science Secondary school (KUSESS) will take part in the U14 section while 9-year-old Fahim will play in U10 age group category. GiLoCatur will also participate in the 2nd NRCC. Hopefully, after winning the Best Under-1500 in the 1st Insofar Open Scholarship tournament last Sunday, GiLoCatur will be motivated to give the best performance this weekend to improve the national ratings.

WILL YOU BE GILOCATUR'S OPPONENT?

NAG 2011 - (Part 2 : Under 8 Category)

Below are the list of players for Under 8 section both Boys and Girls.

No.	Name	NRtg	FED	Club
1	Abriale Goh Wenxin	0	MAS	Penang
2	Afrina Firzana Zainal Ariffin	0	MAS	Perak
3	Aisyah Faqihah	1014	MAS	Kuala Lumpur
4	Asma Umairah Amiluddin	1011	MAS	Perak
5	Chua Jia-Tien	1120	MAS	Penang
6	Goh Jie Yi	1275	MAS	Penang
7	Junoesque Phuah Ji Thien	0	MAS	Penang
8	Nik Nur Nadzirrah Azrihan	1127	MAS	Kelantan
9	Nur Faiqah Aminuddin	1186	MAS	Selangor
10	Nur Iman Hannah Amirruddin	0	MAS	Pahang
11	Raja Bazilah Bot Raja Badli	0	MAS	Selangor
12	Sara Liyana Mohd Nadzli	0	MAS	Kuala Lumpur
13	Tan Jia Jin	996	MAS	Penang
14	Zainoor Ikmal Munirah	1140	MAS	Selangor

Under 8 Girls

No.	Name	NRtg	FED	Club
1	Ahmad Faiz Ishak	0	MAS	Perak
2	Amirul Akktar Shaiful Anuar	0	MAS	Perak
3	Bryan Lee Ewe Chuen	1249	MAS	Penang
4	Cheong Ze Xiang	0	MAS	Penang
5	Chew Zhi Qi	1286	MAS	Kuala Lumpur
6	Ian Tong Yuan Jun	0	MAS	Kuala Lumpur
7	Lim Rui Yi	1185	MAS	Johor
8	Low Hou Jie	0	MAS	Kuala Lumpur
9	Lye Lik Zang	1384	MAS	Kuala Lumpur
10	Muhammad Syakir Mohd Zin	0	MAS	Kelantan
11	Muhd Afsar Mohd Nahu	1263	MAS	N. Sembilan
12	Muhd Faqih Aminuddin	1282	MAS	Selangor
13	Muhd Ilham Qayyum Muhd Najib	1118	MAS	Selangor
14	Ng Shi Yang	1375	MAS	Penang
15	Ryan Chan Yi Meng	1161	MAS	Penang
16	Tan Jun Ying	1347	MAS	Penang
17	Tan Yik Chean	0	MAS	Perak
18	Teh De Yong	1149	MAS	Penang
19	Teo Jun Sim	1117	MAS	Kuala Lumpur
20	Wong Hao Hien	0	MAS	Selangor
21	Yeoh Zi Yuan	0	MAS	Penang

Under 8 Boys

Who would emerge as the champion in this category? It is hard to predict since many of them just make the debut in the NAG. Honestly, just few of them that GiLoCatur is very familiar with.

In the Girls section, GiLoCatur is very familiar with Nik Nur Nadzirrah Azrihan (8), Nur Faiqah Aminuddin (9) and Zainoor Ikmal Munirah (14). All of their parents are teachers. Can their experience in chess tournaments help them to win the category? Or perhaps they have to bow down to the others especially the top seed, Goh Ji Yie, who has the highest rating among them. From the list, only two players were playing in last year edition. They are Ji Yie and Nur Faiqah from SK Bukit Jelutong. [GiLoCatur : Actually not TWO. THREE others also did participate. They are Asma Umairah Amiluddin (4), Chua Jia-Tien (5) and Tan Jia Jin (13). Thanx MR JJ for highlighting it. 10/3/2011, 6.00pm]

In the Boys section, few from the list were among last year participants. And they were among the top 10 winners. Both Tan Jun Ying (16) and Muhd Faqih Aminuddin (12) were third place and fourth place respectively. The latter even played in the World Youth Chess Championship (WYCC) last October held in Greece. Would one of them become the champion for this year edition? Or maybe the second seed from the list and last year 7th place winner, Ng Shi Yang (14) will emerge as the champion? Can the sole representative from Johor, Lim Rui Yi (7) make upset by winning the category? He was placed 8th last year. The top seed from Kuala Lumpur, Lye Lik Zang (9), should be considered also? Mmmm many players can emerge as the winner, right? Let's wait and see who will win.

Who were the past champions?

U8 Girls - Puteri Rifqah Fahada Azhar (2008), Puteri Munajjah AzZahra Azhar (2009), Nur Islamurni Haji Yahaya (2010)

U8 Boys - Tan Yong Zhao (2008), Wong Yin Long (2009, 2010)