CONGRATULATIONS to the 2014 KL MSSM Team to KUCHING-SARAWAK, 6 Gold Medals!!!

School Holiday today for KL Chess Teachers & Players 
involved in last week's Kejohanan Catur MSSM Kuching 2014 courtesy of Pengarah KL for historic 6 Gold Medals. 

21 out of 36 KL players got gold medals(58.3%). 

8 more got medals for either Team or Individual event (22.22%). 

Hence, 29(80.5%) out of 36 KL players came back with medals.

A few, got 2 medals for Best Board Player as well(13pax).

The KL U-18 Boys & Girls Team were so DOMINANT that even if they did not turn up for the last round, they would still have WON GOLD.

Having said that U-18 Boys Team were the better team as all 4 Players got additional prize for Best Board Player. Kudos.

Amongst Rewards Given/To Be Given:
(1) Celebratory Buffet Dinner in Kuching.
(2) 1 Day School Holiday on Mon.31st March 2014. 
(3) FOC Entrance for KL Age Group on 20th April.
(4) Award Ceremony/Dinner in KL.

15th ASEAN+ AGE GROUP CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2014, Paid.

UPDATE 1, 31/03 @ Contingent Flight Arrangements.

Departure: 3 June, KUL 1210hrs. ETA Macao(MFM) 1605hrs
Return :  12 June, 1640hrs(MFM). ETA KUL, 2030hrs
>>>>>>>
Event INFO

Settled the dues payable for participation in the 15th ASEAN+ Age Group C.C. to MCF via Greg during the afternoon of the 25th Selangor Juniors.

From discussions with some of the parents & teachers during the recent Kejohanan Catur MSSM Kuching & today's 25th Selangor Juniors, Malaysia should at least be able to put up a team for the U-8 Open & U-12 Girls categories.

Hopefully, things works out as planned.

25th SELANGOR JUNIORS 2014, "GOOD Call - BAD Call".

UPDATE 1, 01/04 @ Official Results:
U-8 Open, Check HERE
U-12 Open, Check HERE

Note: IMHO, Based on  Event PROSPECTUS, CP should have been placed 4th rather than 3rd.
>>>>>>>
Back from 2014 Kejohanan Catur MSSM Kuching.....and just in time for the 25th Selangor Juniors.
Event INFO.

Wanted to give CP a rest after the MSSM season but had to secure some NR points in view of  anticipated points loss in next week's 2014 DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah KL International Open C.C. (Read HERE) and taking cognizance of MCF's new Selection Criteria for International Competitions vis-a-vis a player's NR (View 7 Feb.2014 BlogPOST).

Participation was both a "GOOD call - BAD Call".

Why GOOD?
For CP:
With 6 wins in 7 rounds and assuming the MSSM Kuching event is a NR event as mentioned by LTP, should be able to garner 50-100 NR points to off-set anticipated points loss.

For hAnA:
"Restart" her dormant competiton period

Why BAD?
For CP:
Rapid event participation might have affected his long game vis-s-vis next Friday's KL Open.
Should have been "building up" his classical game after MSSM's 1hour time control game.
Furthermore, should have signed him up for the U-12 event to get better/stronger games
(TBC)

2014 MSSM Top Teams Announced ONLY after VIP Left..I Wonder Why!?..

The announcement of the Top 5 MSSM Teams were only announced AFTER the VIP had left......emmmm....I wonder why.

Is it because Sarawak placed 5th?

Anybody care to comment?
>>>>>>>
2014 MSSM Medal Standings

(1)  6  -  0  -  2       WP Kuala Lumpur
(2)  4  -  3  -  2       Selangor
(3)  2  -  5  -  2       Pulau Pinang
(4)  0  -  1  -  1       Johor
(4)  0  -  1  -  1       Kelantan
(6)  0  -  1  -  0       Kedah
(6)  0  -  1  -  0       Terengganu
(8)  0  -  0  -  2       Negeri Sembilan
(9)  0  -  0  -  1       Perak
(9)  0  -  0  -  1       Pahang

CP's Performance @MSSM 2014 & A Comparison.

Performance
Round 1, 24/3 (PM):
W v. Akid Ramli(UR), TERENGGANU
Lost in 52moves.
Note: e4 opening not as per planned. Rook blunder whilst a knight up.

Round 2, 25/3 (AM):
B v. Deepen(UR), NEGERI SEMBILAN
Won in 54moves.
Note: What a relief, he just WON his 1st  ever MSSM Game via checkmate. He's also happy and showing off to people. Aaarggh!

Round 3, 26/3 (AM):
W v. Naim(1221), MELAKA
Lost in 46 moves. A game that he should have won after exchanging his knight for a rook.
All over in less than 1 hour I.e. b4 9AM.
Was scolded, not because he lost but for playing less than 1 hour.

Round 4, 26/3 (PM. 2.16PM Start):
B v. Faris(UR), WP PUTRAJAYA
Won in xxmoves
Note: 2.40pm - Went Restroom, 2.43pm - Back. 3.08pm - C'mate

Round 5, 27/3 (AM)
W v. Wesley Cliff Robert(1270), SABAH
Won in xxmoves


Round 6, 28/3 (PM)
B v. Sabbeq Shaari (1216), WP KUALA LUMPUR
Won in xxmoves

Comparison
I don't know why but a few people made comparisons between  the CP and another KL player I.e. Lik Zang(LLZ). It seemed a couple of years back he'd also made his KL debut during standard 1.

A few parents congratulated me for Faiz's MSSM debut performance. Apparently it seems that CP had broken LLZ debut record. Curiosity piqued, I decided to google for the results and wallah....he did better LLZ's performance but only by half a point. In terms of position, he had better LLZ's record by 2 places I.e. from 10th to 8th.

Didn't REALISE until now that there are actually people keeping tabs of CP's performance even though he's non-chalant about it....I wonder!

Debut Performance comparison CP (2014) v. LLZ (2011):-

Points: 4.0 / Position: 8th.   - CP in 2014 MSSM Kuching - SARAWAK.
Points: 3.5 / Position: 10th. - LLZ in 2011 MSSM in PULAU PINANG

Note:
2014 MSSM Results for Individual Boys U-12 (CP), Check HERE
2011 MSSM Results for Individual Boys U-12, Check HERE

KYS Debate (Asian Style) @Melaka, Begins TODAY.

UPDATE 2 @29/3:
4 rounds today ( 3 + 1 silent round ).
Eldest and team managed to win 2 out of 3 and broke through for the final day, 4th consecutive break in as many events.

UPDATE 1 @28/3:
2 rounds today and eldest team of Marina, Iman & Her managed to win both rounds.

3 or 4 rounds tomorrow. They should be able to break.
>>>>>>>
The Kolej Yayasan Saad (KYS) Debate Competition (Asian Style) begins today after lunch in Melaka.

Second competition in Melaka this month after the previous PPM Southern Zone Finals at MOZAC.
(Read March 2014 BlogPOST).

Would have loved to Balik Kampung but am on escort duties with the newly-minted Croc.Hunter CP.

All the best to eldest. Hopefully, she can break for the 4th consecutive competition.

Kudos to the Sarawak MSSM 2014 Organisers

Kudos to the Organisers of the Event. Great Job in organising the MSSM Chess.

Some Comments:-
Parent 1: Venue was good. Spectators can view the playing area from both sides of the stadium compared to previous editions in Taiping & KT.

Parent 2: They managed restroom breaks very well. No 2 players from the same team allowed to go to the restroom at the same time. Previously, this was not handled well......and suddenly after nature's break the player(s) become "stronger"

CONFIRMED - NAG 2014 on 25-27 April @ UNITEN

As per earlier posted (Read March's 2014 BlogPOST), an email from Gregory Lau of MCF confirms the rumours that NAG had been postponed.

The new dates are 25-27 April at UNITEN.
A new sponsor is on board. Hence, NAG 2014 will officially be known as "Pelaburan MARA Berhad - National Age Group Chess Championship 2014 (PMB NAG 2014).

As per Event Prospectus - Former World Champion GM Gary Kasparov will be there on the opening day.

Registration via the respective state's chess associations.
Players intending to participate, please liaise with them. For KL its FM Peter Long & for Selangor it's IA Lim Tse Pin.

>>>>>>>

PER: JEMPUTAN RASMI NATIONAL AGE-GROUP CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS (NAG2014) 25HB APRIL - 27HB APRIL 2014

Y.Bhg. Tuan Presiden /Setiausaha

Persatuan Catur Negeri 

PER: JEMPUTAN RASMI KE KEJOHANAN  NATIONAL AGE-GROUP CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS (NAG2014) 25HB APRIL – 27HB APRIL 2014 DI DEWAN SERI SARJANA, UNIVERSITI TENAGA NATIONAL (UNITEN) , BANGI, SELANGOR

Dengan segala hormatnya perkara tersebut di atas adalah dirujuk.

2. Sukacita untuk makluman Y.Bhg Dato’/Datin/Tuan/Puan bahawa Persekutuan Catur Malaysia (MCF) dengan kerjasama Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) dan Pelaburan Mara Berhad akan menganjurkan kejohanan National Age-Group Chess Championships mulai dari 25hb April sehingga 27hb April 2014 bertempat di  Dewan Seri Sarjana, Universiti Tenaga National (UNITEN), Bangi, Selangor.

3.  Dengan segala hormatnya, kami menjemput pihak Y.Bhg Dato’/Datin/Tuan/Puan untuk menghantar pemain-pemain negeri ke kejohanan ini.  Semoga dengan penglibatan diperingkat kebangsaan ini, ia akan memberi peluang kepada mereka melalui pengalaman serta kecemerlangan di kalangan para pemain negeri yang lain. Ia juga akan dapat menyemarakan lagi semangat pemain untuk terus ke mercu antarabangsa dimana juara kejohanan ini akan mewakili negara ke ASEAN, Asian Youth dan World Youth Championships 2014 . 

4. Bersama-sama ini disertakan prospektus kejohanan beserta borang penyertaan  kejohanan untuk rujukan, makluman dan tindakan pihak Y.Bhg Dato’/Datin/Tuan/Puan. Makluman serta pertanyaan lanjut berhubung kejohanan ini boleh diperolehi dengan menghubungi saya Setiausaha Kejohanan En. Gregory Lau  HP 017-2898215  Email: msianchess2010@gmail.com

Kerjasama pihak Y.Bhg Dato’/Datin/Tuan/Puan didalam menjayakan dan memeriahkan kejohanan ini amatlah kami hargai dan di dahului dengan ucapan terima kasih.

“BERKHIDMAT UNTUK NEGARA”

Sekian,

Gregory Lau

Setiausaha Kejohanan

Day 4 & Final Day: Kejohanan Catur MSSM Kuching 2014

UPDATE 4:
Round 6 & Final Round started at 2.20PM.

Gold for KL's U-18 Boys & Girls Team.
All 4 U-15 & U-12 Boys & Girls Team have a fighting chance for Gold.

CP finally managed to win his first game on white in more than 40moves against his opponent from Sabah.

UPDATE 3 (9.22AM):
Just after the hour and in the U-12 Boys Individual event - Boards 1, 2, 10-12 & 14 are done. 9 boards still playing.

UPDATE 2 (8.50AM):
What's happening in the U-12 Boys Individual event?
Barely, half an hour into their games the 1st and 2nd board had already reported. Hopefully, it was not a case of 3-5moves checkmate.

UPDATE 1:
On the Day 2, everyone had to wait for the Kelantan team. Today, everyone had to wait for the KL Team as the bus arrived late at the GM Hotel. Bus only arrived around 7.45AM. Since transportation arrangements falls within the ambit of the organisers, the team was not duly worried. Morning round final day started at 8.19AM..


>>>>>>>
Today is the Fourth and Final Day of  the event.
2 rounds will be played today I.e. 8AM & 2PM. All players including officials are required to wear the MILO round-neck shirt given.

Prize-Giving & Closing ceremony will be held tomorrow.

Day 3: Kejohanan Catur MSSM Kuching 2014

UPDATE 3:
CP won on black against opponent from Putrajaya. Record thus far, 2Wins & 2Losses(50%).


UPDATE 2:
Round 4 began at 2.16PM.

All 6 KL teams won against their respective opponents. A repeat of yesterday's Round 2 performance.

UPDATE 1:
CP lost in 40+ moves to Naim from Melaka.
...with too much time on hand, decided to take a RM25 taxi ride back to GM Hotel to freshen up rather than stay and wait in the stadium for the next round.

Round 3 began at 8.19AM.

Target for this round is 22points.

>>>>>>>
After 2 days of only playing 1 round, Day 3 is the first day that 2 rounds will be played.
Apparently, only 1 round was played yesterday due to the fact that the nearby stadium will be used for a football encounter between Sarawak and Selangor.

Day 2: Kejohanan Catur MSSM Kuching 2014

UPDATE 1:
CP notched his maiden victory in the MSSM competition with a win in 50+ moves on black against his opponent from N9.

KL's target for today is 28points.
>>>>>>>
The day started with a rather heavy downpour. The Day 2 competition itself began slightly late I.e. 8.36AM.......apparently to wait for the Kelantan team to arrive.

Before the competition started, the organisers asked all present to stand and pay their respects to the passengers of the ill-fated flight MH370 which have been confirmed to have crash landed in the Indian Ocean based on the debris found and confirmed by the authorities.

Kejohanan Catur MSSM @Kuching-SARAWAK, Begins TODAY!

UPDATE 2:
KL "only" achieved 27points comparedd to 28points target set.
I supposed, CP is the main culprit!

UPDATE 1:
CP lost his maiden game in MSSM, on white against his opponent from Terengganu.

>>>>>>>
The Kejohanan Catur MSSM 2014 begins today at the Stadium Perpaduan in Kuching Sarawak.

After the ceremonial matters were done with I.e. national anthem, opening speech & first move
The event began just before 2.30PM...not bad at all for the 1st day of any event.

Results & Pairings HERE or, at CHESS-RESULTS.

Note 1: Learnt a new Malay word today I.e. "KEBERMULAANNYA".

Note 2: KL's target for today is 28points.

Taklimat Kejohanan & Venue Familiarisation for MSSM Kuching

Attending the Taklimat Kejohanan (Competition Briefing) & Venue Familiarisation for the MSSM Chess Competition at the venue i.e. Stadium Perpaduan. The second time I'm attending the Taklimat Kejohanan after KT in 2012 (Read 2012 BlogPOST).

The venue seemed decent enough though ventilation is a slight concern.

All 16 teams are here. Most are adorning their respective state's colours. Some exceptions would be Perlis in Orange or variations like Pahang who'd decided to add Purple.

The organisers have designated the playing areas by the colour of the table cloth I.e:-
Green (U-12 Individual);
 Navy Blue (U-15 Individual);
Pink (U-18 Individual);
Yellow (U-18 Team, Girls);
Light Blue (U-15 Team, Girls);
Silver (U-12 Team, Girls);
Navy Blue (U-12 Team, Boys);
Silver (U-15 Team, Boys); and,
Purple (U-18 Team, Boys)

On the chocolate-coloured tables;
7 digital boards are also "on show" to provide live streaming presumably to the top boards.

ASEAN+ Age Group @Macao in June, Anybody Going?

The 15th ASEAN+ Age Group competition will be held in June at Macao SAR.
Event INFO.

Heard that bulk of the contingent consists of players from KL, Selangor & Pulau Pinang.

If your kid(s) qualifies to go based on the present selection criteria (read BlogPOST.  ) do contact MCF.

.??? 2014 NAG - Date & Venue Changed ??? 25-27 April@UNITEN ???

Whilst hanging around in the GM Hotel Lobby in Kuching, heard an unconfirmed rumor that 2014 NAG will be moved to UNITEN and dates changed to 25 - 27 April.

Apparently, the change was done to accommodate a VIP Guest.

Can anybody verify this info?

Was hoping to carry on the momentum from MSSM Kuching, Had planned a certain programme for the kids to prep for NAG ( BlogPOST ), cleared my schedule & made other arrangements pre-NAG.......unfortunately, a spanner have been thrown in the works! Am hoping the rumours is not true though.

LCCT to KCH

Update 1:
Arrived at the hotel around 1130hrs.

The "path" to take the flight quite a task but at least the KL team made it on time.....pity the N9 team though......more thoughts on this later.



>>>>>>>
Taking the 0820hrs AK5232 flight to Kuching this morning.
Decided to go direct to LCCT instead of going with the team bus from Unit Sukan around 4.30am....more time to sleep but main reason is because the Islamic Estate Planner is briefing the DRB-HICOM Group Senior Management in Port Dickson at 1000hrs.

Normal R&R pit stop ignored as IEP decided to perform Subuh prayers at KLIA mosque instead....quite surprising to observe an early morning crowd at the KLIA mosque.

KL Finishes Centralised Training Today.....and Selangor Team is already in Kuching

The Centralised training for the KL Chess Team finishes today.
CP had already received his Jerseys/Uniform and as per normal there's no small size for him. At least it's still better than not receiving any jersey.

....whilst the Selangor Team is already in Kuching.

Let the mind games, begin!

2014 EXPENSES PILLING-UP

UPDATE 3:
After xxx

UPDATE 2:
After NAG 2014

UPDATE 1: After AAG Payment to MCF & Polgar Juniors.
Main culprit for 2nd Quarter...ASEAN+ Age Group.
>>>>>>>
Despite trying very hard to keep expenses down in view of the bleak economic year ahead, chess expenses have suddenly spiked. Main "culprit"?.......MSSM Kuching & ASEAN+ Age Group


1st Quarter 2014, EXPENSES to-date:-

(1) ENTRANCE FEES @ RM245??
30?? Shah Alam Age Group (2pax)
40 KL Juniors
35 Term Break Chess Challenge
60 25th Selangor Juniors (2pax)
80 Polgar Juniors (2pax)


(2) ACCOMMODATION @ RM 1,660
1,660 MSSM Kuching (incl. Food) -1580+80

(3) TRANSPORTATION @ RM697
MSSKL - Bangsar Zone (TTDI - Hartamas)
MSSKL - State Finals / Inter-Zone (TTDI - Desa Tun Hussein Onn)

572 Air Asia Flight (KL - KCH)

125 Taxi (Stadium - Hotel, RM25x 5Trips)

(3) FOOD & MISC @RM 1,059
  5 Term Break
54 Polgar Juniors (3pax)
1000  MSSM Kuching (estimate: Food, Souvenirs, Reward etc)

TOTAL = RM 3,661??


On the flip side,  REVENUE recorded is RM 100 (Shah Alam Age Group). Also Stationery Set(Shah Alam) & Chess Book(Selangor Juniors)


2nd Quarter 2014, EXPENSES to-date:-

(1) ENTRANCE FEES & ADMIN/MANAGEMENT FEES @ RM2,545











2,015  15th ASEAN+ Age Group
   100  NAG (2pax)
     40  KL Age Group (1pax + 1pax FOC)
   390  41st Selangor Open


(2) ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORTATION @ RM 7,939

7,344  AAG
   495  NAG - Residence Hotel @UNITEN (4days & 3nights)

  100   Petrol & Toll
???      Air Asia (KL - Macao)

(3) FOOD @RM 400

400 NAG - Petronas, UNITEN Food Court & Islamic Kitchen-BB.Bangi(2x)

TOTAL = RM 10,754

REVENUE = RM60 (POLGAR JUNIORS)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
2014

2014 TOTAL EXPENSES = RM14, 415??? (As at 27 April 2014)
1st Quarter -    3,661 ???
2nd Quarter - 10,754
3rd Quarter -
4th Quarter -

2014 TOTAL REVENUE = RM 1,282 (As at 27 April 2014)
1st Quarter -  892 (Prize@100 + Sponsorship@792-OPA)
2nd Quarter - 390 (Prize@60 +  Sponsorship@330-KLCA)
3rd Quarter -
4th Quarter -

EXPENSES  (less) REVENUE = ???

One Door Closes, Another OPENS! Badminton @Desa Petaling

Due to a twist of fate, hAnA did not make the KL team for this year.

However, as the saying goes - " One Door Closes, Another Opens ".
Today, she'll be representing the school in the Bangsar Zone Badminton tournament which is being held at Desa Petaling. Should be good experience and exposure for her.

All the Best, hAnA.

NAG 2014 Prep. - Term Break Challenge, 25th Selangor Juniors & Polgar Juniors.

UPDATE 1:
If rumours of the NAG dates being changed is true, need to adjust the kids' prep. Accordingly.
View BlogPOST

>>>>>>>
The National Age Group Chess Championship or commonly known as NAG is scheduled for the 12 - 14 April. ( NAG 2014, Event Dates SOURCE  ).
Based on 2013, Top 4 finishers in the respective categories, qualifies to be in the Malaysian Youth Squad in the respective categories. Privileges (IF ANY) is the opportunity to represent Malaysia in overseas events albeit with own funding. At times, organisers will also pick-up the tab for the player's expenses like accommodation and food.

Have been receiving emails from organisers promoting their respective events and at times parents asking when is the next competition suitable for their kid. As such, it would be good to match their needs here.

As a prelude to NAG 2014, would strongly suggest that parents send their kids to the following events i.e. (1), (3) & (5) to warm-up for NAG. Bear in mind that most of the "stronger" players will have been selected to play for their respective states and as such will be participating in the MSSM at Kuching-Sarawak from 24-28 March. Hence, they would have a slight advantage in terms of match practice.

(1) 23rd March (Sunday)
TERM BREAK CHESS CHALLENGE @ Polgar Chess Academy - SRI HARTAMAS, KL.
Categories: Open(6-17yrs) & U-12
Event INFO

(2) 24 - 28 March (Monday - Friday)
KEJOHANAN CATUR MAJLIS SUKAN SEKOLAH-SEKOLAH MALAYSIA(MSSM) @Kuching - SARAWAK
NR event.
Note: States would have selected their players.


(3) 30th March (Sunday)
25th SELANGOR JUNIORS @Wilayah Complex, KL
NR event. Categories: U-8, U-12 & U-16
Event INFO

(4)  4 - 11 April (Friday - Friday)
KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL OPEN @OCM Hotel - KL
FIDE-rated. Categories: Open
Event INFO
Players's LIST


(5) 6th April (Sunday)
POLGAR JUNIORS @ OCM Hotel - KL
NR Event. Categories: U-8, U-10, U-12 & U-16
Event INFO


(6) 12 - 14 April (Saturday - Monday)
NATIONAL AGE GROUP (NAG 2014)

Organising a NR-Competition???

Yesterday, I had guests from the Biotechnology industry for Capital TV's "To the POINT" episode 5 - Season 4 programme. The discourse topic was - " Biotechnology Entrepreneurship - Challenges & Way Forward ". Both panelists were rather lively...which I enjoyed very much when doing the TTP.

Anyway, after the shoot we had a post-production TTS at Kayu restaurant below. Somehow or rather, the conversation turned to chess and I'd suggested organising a National Rated(NR) chess competition as a means of promoting a product or a brand. The gentlemen was quite receptive to my suggestion and said that he'll discuss with his partners and will revert back to me if they are agreeable.

Hopefully, something positive will come out of this TTS as am quite eager to put into action what I'd picked up in class during the IO Course held by IO Theo in Al Ain - UAE during the World Youth C.C. last December. Which reminds me that I need to get 3 norms to be an IO. The norms can only be obtained by being involved in certain capacities in a FIDE-rated international event held by 3 different national federations. If I don't screw up things, perhaps the upcoming KL Open next month can avail me of my first norm.

Centralised Training for KL MSSM Team

CP is attending the Latihan Pusat Catur MSSM (Centralised Training) for the first time.
Training is being conducted at SK Desa Tun Hussein Onn.

The more "experienced" KL players are not attending this week's training as they are taking part in the National Closed being held at Wilayah Complex.

KL AGE GROUP Competition, U-15 & U-11 (FIDE-Rated) on 20th April

During the KL Juniors Prize-giving ceremony today it was announced that a FIDE-rated KL Age Group competition will be held on 20th April 2014 at the same venue where the KL Juniors was just held.

The competition is part of the initiative by Pejabat Pelajaran Negeri to create a KL circuit along with the Piala Pengarah & KL Juniors and further propel chess as one of KL's 5 core games.

The event will be in Rapid format and Announced categories are U-15 and U-11.

Reserve the Date, IF interested.

MidNight Run for KL Juniors 2014, U-18 @Jalan Duta-KL

UPDATE 4:
CP finished on 4pts out of a possible 8 in this 8-round event with a time control of 15minutes per player. His final position is 32nd out of 67players...a mid-field finish in this U-18 event.
IF memory serves me right, this was a "perfect" win-lose competiton for him i.e. his win-lose comes in alternate rounds...winning against Un-Rated Players and losing against rated players higher than his 1201NR.

It was also announced that CP made the KL team for the MSSM Chess competition which will be held in Kuching-SARAWAK during the March school holidays i.e. 24-28 March... equaling the achievement of another KLite who represented KL whilst in Standard 1, a few years back. Oblivious to the announcement by Cikgu Suhairi, CP's only thoughts were - " Ayah, How Much Computer Time Do I Get with 4 points?"


UPDATE 3:
R7: B20. W v. Ng Jia Lerk(UR-4pts@40th). WON
R8: B14. B v. Jarell Cheong(1308-5pts@21st). lost

UPDATE 2:
Lunch Break. R7 resumes at 2.30PM.

UPDATE 1:
R1: B31.  W v. Suryiavarman Soranam(UR-3.5pts@46th). WON.
R2: B5. B v. Tan Yong Zhao(1684-5.5pts@10th), Lost
R3: B21. W v. Raja Aidil(UR-3pts@53rd), WON.
R4: B6. B v. Aqil(1548-5pts@19th). Lost
R5: B20. W v. Ng Jia Jen(UR-3.5pts@42nd). WON
R6: B10. B v. Lim Ming Kang (1400-6pts@6th),  lost

>>>>>>>
Had intended to spend the weekend in Melaka for eldest's PPM English Debate competition where she's the Whip aka 3rd Speaker. However, was informed via SMS that the KL Juniors will be held today and that the Pengarah wanted to see all KL Players as well.

As such, we had to no choice and had to make a Midnight Run from Melaka to KL to ensure CP can participate and is well rested at the same time. Good thing that traffic was smooth and arrived in KL around 1-2AM and just as important is to catch the news on the "ill-fated" MH370 which were what the crowd in Melaka was talking about most of the time in between the debate and debate prep.

A pleasant surprise is that the venue is much, much better than previous years....air-conditioned hall with a canteen which is opened as well coupled with clean restrooms with running water and surau for the Muslims. There were 33 boards or so in the boys section  and around 13 boards in the Girls Section.

2014 PPM Southern Zone aka HKSBP @MOZAC, Melaka

UPDATE 3 @09/03  (1422hrs):
Received news that both the English and Malay Debate teams will be going to Terengganu.

UPDATE 2:
Round 5 - "Silent" Debate. v. Sekolah Kota Tinggi (SAKTI), Kota Tinggi-JOHOR
Motion:  " THBT Parent should have the absolute right to access all private communication of their teenage children. "

UPDATE 1:
Round 4 - "Silent" Debate. v. Sekolah Tun Fatimah (STF), JB-JOHOR.
Motion: TH Will allow the sale of parts of endangered animals which die from natural death.

Eldest best debate performance that I've seen to-date.
The "angry" debater is now making a transition to a "sarcastic" debater.
Phrases like "any one of you" when taking POIs or, "cannot give a point to save one's life" are signs that her debating skills are starting to mature.
Having said that, she need to work harder on her rebuttals. Other details that needs to be improved on are content outline/format, mannerism and basic approach + post-mortem.


>>>>>>>
There have been many changes since I last participated in the Prime Minister's Trophy or the Piala Perdana Menteri many, many moons ago.

For one - the name "Pesta Piala Perdana Menteri" is now known as "Hari Kecemerlangan Sekolah Berasrama Penuh - HKSBP". For another, due to the plethora of boarding schools - the HKSBP is now divided into zones. The top placed teams will then represent the respective zones at the National-level HKSBP which for this year will be held in Kuala Terengganu.

Yet another change or development is that there are now 2 different debate styles i.e. Asian-style and British Parliamentarian style as compared to just one around 2-4 decades ago.

PPM - Southern Zone, Begins TODAY!

UPDATE 1:
R2: lost
R3 WON.

R4 & 5 are silent debate I.e. results only announced on last day during closing ceremony.
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The PPM Southern Zone Finals Begins Today in SMSMS Melaka.

Only 1 Round is being held today and eldest's Team won that round.

There'll be 2 rounds tomorrow and on Saturday.

CP's WORDS of WISDOM - Part: ? (I Can't Recall Already)

When Asked - How come you beat the Kampung Player regularly now when it was the Kampung Player who taught him how to play Chess?

.......His Reply - " Ayah, tell you a secret. Actually, I have 6 Brains. That's why it's very difficult for you to beat me! "...stating it as a matter of fact together with his trademark smirk.

WaQAQA.......LOL.......ROTF! Apa-apalah Faiz!!!
Just wondering why it's 6 and not some other figure!!!

of KL PLAY-OFFS & a Chess VIP Coming to KL.

Yesterday morning around 10AM, we went to Melati Curry House in Taman Melati-KL.
Thought that the KL MSSM team training session was in progress. Apparently, a series of play-offs were being held to determine who will represent KL in the various categories for the coming MSSM event in Kuching from 24-31 March.

Despite being the MSSM-KL U-9 Open Champion with 7 wins from 7 games on 28th February, CP was asked to play in the Play-Offs against 2 other players. In his case, I guess the Play-Offs might have been required due to the fact that KL is the only state that organised the U-9 and U-12 events (last year they'd organised events in 3 categories i.e. U-12, U-10 & U-8)  compared to other states that only have the U-12 category. Hence, normally only winners in the U-12 event are selected to go to the MSSM Chess Championship.

In the Play-Offs, CP won all games save for one. After the first 2 games I prefer not too watch him play until the last game. Reason being, he was so extremely confident of himself today that he decided to play the "sacrifice game" today in almost all games. After the first 2 games I'd realised that he was sacrificing the higher valued piece(s) to get positional and/or strategic advantage(s). Watching him play the sacrifice was not conducive to both my BP & Heartbeat. Hence, why I decided NOT to watch him play....somehow or rather though, I knew that he would persevere and come out tops. You see of all day to have the Play-Offs, they chose the "wrong" day to have it coz today was his last day as a 6-year old boy before his 7th Birthday tomorrow and he woke-up pretty confident of himself which led to him playing sacrifice games in all encounters.

When asked what did Cikgu Shuhairi whispered to him when shaking his hands, he said "Cikgu cakap Tahniah dan dia suruh fikir lama-lama!"
The high of CP qualifying as a KL player...(was informed one of the Youngest if not the Youngest) was however "neutralised" when I was informed that due to a twist of fate, hAnA did not make it despite xxx...!

CP was elated due to both qualifying for the KL Team and tomorrow (i.e. today) being his birthday that he used the daily pocket money that he'd saved to treat us Chilli Nachos at Wendy's on the way back to our abode.

Also, After the play-offs had a chat with some chess players and parents - whereby they informed me that a Chess VIP might be coming to Malaysia soon i.e. April 23 or 24 BUT nothing is confirmed yet until MCF makes the announcement.

PERMISSION Obtained - 1+2 Weeks on Official Duties!

Met up with Pn.Juriah the HM of SK TTDI (1) to get her endorsement for some official paperwork and also to request permission for the CP to not come to school for 2 weeks and consider it as official duties representing the school.

She was very helpful and gave her endorsement to my proposal. All I need to do now is to liaise with CP's Class Teacher to reschedule his examinations dates which clashes with the 2 tournament dates he's supposed to participate in.

KL OPEN 2014 @OCM. Signed-Up

UPDATE 1:
Players' LIST

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Event INFO

Had signed-up CP to participate in the KL Open from 4 - 11 April 2014 at the OCM Hotel.
Now need to sort out matters officially with the school.

PIALA PERDANA MENTERI - South Zone Finals @MOZAC, Melaka

UPDATE 2

UPDATE 1 @04/03:
In a team reshuffle, Eldest will now be the 3rd Speaker. Iman will be 1st Speaker whilst Marina will be 2nd Speaker. PPM will start on Thursday.
Yet to get my lodgings. Can't wait to go to Anjung Batu for the Ikan Bakar+++ Sorry Doc!
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Received a call from Eldest.

Finally, after lots of hardwork and breaking twice consecutively at 9th Swinburne in Kuching-SSIDC(Asian Style) & LKW IDC in Cyberjaya(British Parliamentarian Style) eldest was selected to represent the College in the Piala Perdana Menteri (PPM) - South Zone Finals. Tentatively, event will be held from Wednesday/Thursday to Sunday next week. Opportunity to Balik Kampung despite being in the midst of Season 4 TTP Shoot.

It seems nowadays, due to the number of residential schools - the PPM is divided into zones and only the best teams goes to the Finals proper.  In the 80s, there were no such zoning and I started going to the PPM for the first time in 1984 at SMSS...TKC, NS (1985)...SMS Kelantan (1986) and SMTSP, Perlis (1987).

After the chess debacle of not being in the college team despite being one of only 2 students from the college representing Seremban at the State Finals held in Rembau last year am hopeful her team qualifies as one of the Southern Zone representative for the National-level Prime Minister's Trophy(PPM). As a comparison, she's a year behind in representing the College team compared to me...as such the Kampung Player still got some bragging rights, WaQAQA!