29th Astro Merdeka Rapid Open Team Chess Championship 2009 - Final Results

Syabas!


SelangorChess took the Best Under-12 title through the all-girl 'Selangor Generasi 10' team . The team collected 17 1/2 points. It was quite an achievement given that they had to play in only one Open category more so with many of the top foreign teams especially studded with their GMs and IMs.

Meanwhile Selangor senior team rebounded in Round 8 only to set up a final encounter with a Filipino team with 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 points. The aggregate 21 points were insufficient to secure the Best State prize - a near miss by a mere 1/2 point margin. It was a galant fight nonetheless

Likewise 'Selangor Generasi 10' gunning for the Best Under-16 prize clashed head-on with another Penang Under-16 team in the final round but also faltered enabling the latter to take the title.

All in all the SelangorChess contingent had invaluable experience and had in-built fighting spirit to overcome minor hitches here and there and will surely emerge ever stronger.

Overall the event was eventually won by Indonesian team INA-RTCC (right pic) headed by IM Tirto on Board 1 setting aside the Filipino teams who in the past had been dominating the top tables.



Finally to fellow Members and Malaysians we celebrate "Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!" and to our Muslim brothers ' Selamat Menyambut Bulan Ramadhan Al Mubarak' and "Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri". To our foreign guests enjoy your stay here and have a safe journey home!

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(Final Team results - subject to verification)
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29th Astro Merdeka Rapid Open Team Chess Championship 2009 - Day1 & 2

The SelangorChess Teams for the first time in recent years struggled to stamp their presence in the Merdeka Chess Championship. There will be 2 more rounds in the third and final day tomorrow and we hope notwithstanding the challenges and maneuvers faced to rise to the occasion.

29th Astro Merdeka Rapid Team Championship 2009 - List of participating Teams

66 teams have registered participation in this year's 29th Astro Merdeka Rapid Open Team Championship 2009 . The Opening Ceremony held on the 29th Aug 2009 was graced by YB Dato' Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Malaysia's Minister of Youth and Sports pictured above receiving a memento from our MCF President Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib. He showed talent in a chess encounter with our Dato Tan Chin Nam and hopefully will provide impetus in the development of chess to the next higher level

29th Astro Merdeka Rapid Open Team Chess Championship 2009 - SelangorChess Team line-up

We congratulate the players who don the Selangor colours in this year's 29th Merdeka Rapid Team event. Through combined individual efforts and team spirit the SelangorChess will again endeavour to bring honours to the State and CAS

Senior Team

1. Ian udani
2. Zarul Shazwan Zullkafli
3. Kamaluddin Yusof
   
4. Nur Shazwani Zullkaffi

Selangor Generasi 9 (U-16)

1. Yeoh Li Tian
2. Low Jun Jian
3. Amira Syahmina Zullkafli
4. Mohd Faizal Roslan
5. Low Jun Keat

Selangor Generasi 10 (U-12/Ladies)

1. Nur Nabila Azman Hisham
2. Nur Najiha Azman Hisham
3. Puteri Rifqah Fahada Azhar
4. Ee Sun Xin
5. Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahraa Azhar
   

Players are requested to assemble at the Ballroom, 5th Floor Cititel MidValley Hotel at 08:00 hr 29th Aug 2009(Saturday) for a short briefing by the CAS President En Shafruddin

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SelangorChess Team - The road to the 29th Astro Merdeka Rapid Open Team Chess Championship 2009 (29th Aug to 31st Aug 2009)

This year's possible line-up will not include our regular player HonTreasurer Fariz Shafruddin as he has just left overseas for further studies. We congratulate and wish him all the best in his undertaking

The team will however remain as formidable with the recruitment of another capable and regular campaigner Kamaluddin Yusof

The first junior to have come forward for the State call-up is our golden boy Yeoh Li Tian. We note unfortunately, given the possible limited budget, time constraint and handling of the event by a third party there will be no State medal for the junior category at stake this year. (On the other hand as member affiliate we really hope the 'royalty or revenue sharing' from this and all other outsourcing arrangements will be sufficient to cover whatever deficit and more, and with a cleaner structure better benefits for members in future)

After due consideration we propose to put up two junior teams to give youngsters the recognition and exposure which are important prerequisites in chess development



The SelangorChess juniors will feature a number of fresh faces this year to include amongst others newly crowned WCN Nur Najiha Azman Hisham (top), Faisal Roslan (bottom pic.) and Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahraa Azhar (right pic showing the three-finger V sign, with her sister Puteri Rifqah Fahada Azhar on her left).

A complete line-up and board ranking will be finalised in due course

For information the Malaysian Chess Festival 2009 will start off earlier with the main 9-Round IGB-6th Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open - 21st Aug to 28th Aug 2009 at Bintang Ballroom, Cititel MidValley the same venue as the above Rapid Open Team event. Details can be found at http://malaysianchessfederation.blogspot.com