Sunday, June 27, 2010

HARAPAN CATUR MALAYSIA

Percaturan dua beradik

Oleh ISMA ISMAIL
isma@hmetro.com.my

MELIHAT bentuk fizikal dua beradik ini tentu kita tidak menyangka mereka mempunyai jati diri dan cita-cita besar, terutama untuk menakluk dunia dalam permainan catur, sekali gus memecah monopoli negara Barat yang kini menguasai permainan ‘strategik’ itu.

Nur Nabila Azman Hisham, 12, dan adiknya Nur Najiha, 10, tidak mahu menoleh ke belakang lagi dan mensasarkan pencapaian terbaik di peringkat dunia selepas wilayah Asia Tenggara (Asean) berjaya digenggam mereka.

Bukan sekali dua mereka menakluki pertandingan di wilayah Asean tetapi beberapa kali hingga kehadiran dua gadis cilik ini pasti membuatkan lawan gerun dan sentiasa mencari peluang untuk mengalahkan mereka.

Walaupun masih bertanding di peringkat junior, mereka memiliki ‘gelaran’ khas bagi pemain catur yang mampu menghadirkan waspada kepada lawan.
Nur Najiha kini bergelar Women Fide Master (WFM) hasil kejayaannya memenangi dua pingat emas kategori perempuan bawah 10 tahun dalam satu kejohanan di Hui, Vietnam, manakala kakaknya pula bergelar Women Candidate Master (WCM) hasil kejayaan meraih satu emas, satu perak dan tiga gangsa dalam kejohanan sama pada Jun lalu.
Sebenarnya kejayaan Nur Najiha adalah pengiktirafan besar kepadanya kerana di Malaysia ketika ini baru tiga orang menerima gelaran seumpamanya dan gadis manis itu adalah termuda bergelar WFM.

Di sebalik kejayaan demi kejayaan diraih kedua beradik itu, bakat mereka dikesan secara tidak sengaja sebelum mendapat tunjuk ajar sepenuhnya oleh bapa mereka, Azman Hisham Che Doi, 43, yang juga pemain dan peminat catur serta sokongan kuat ibu, Zazaluma Harun, 41.

Bakat Nur Nabila dan Nur Najiha mula dikesan ketika mengikut bapa mereka menyertai satu pertandingan di Perak kira-kira enam tahun lalu sebelum meminta untuk turut serta menyertai kejohanan itu.

Walaupun kedua-duanya tidak mendapat kedudukan baik dalam kejohanan terbabit, kehadiran gadis cilik itu menarik perhatian ramai, terutama pemain catur yang menganggap mereka mempunyai gaya permainan ‘luar biasa’, sekali gus berpotensi besar.

Menyedari perhatian orang ramai terhadap dua anak gadisnya, Azman terus mengasah bakat mereka dan mendapati Nur Nabila dan Nur Najiha dianugerahkan bakat yang boleh diketengahkan dalam permainan itu.

Berikutan itu dia sanggup mengeluarkan belanja sendiri untuk mendapatkan bahan rujukan dan membawa dua anak gadisnya menyertai kejohanan peringkat tempatan bagi mempertajamkan kemahiran dan meraih pengalaman.

“Sejak itu permainan mereka mencatat peningkatan dan mendapat perhatian ramai hingga meletakkan mereka sebagai pilihan utama dalam setiap kejohanan peringkat umur yang disertai.

“Berdasarkan pengamatan saya Najiha lebih bersifat ‘solid player’ (positional) manakala Nabila pula jenis ‘menyerang’ dengan gaya permainan tersendiri dan lain daripada yang lain.

“Tidak semua orang memiliki bakat seperti mereka,” katanya yang kini bukan hanya menjadi jurulatih kepada anak kedua dan ketiganya itu tetapi juga dua lagi anaknya.

Menurut Azman, komitmen disertai kecekalan serta fokus yang diberi ketika latihan mahupun pertandingan juga menjadi kunci kejayaan Nur Nabila dan Nur Najiha.

Azam Azman kini bukan hanya mahu meletakkan anaknya sebaris dengan jaguh dunia, tetapi juga berhasrat membawa mereka pada tahap ‘Grandmaster’ kerana ketika ini di Malaysia belum ada yang diiktiraf dengan gelaran sebegitu.

“Sasaran saya adalah menjadikan mereka ‘Grandmaster’ sebelum usia mereka menjangkau 20 tahun, sama-samalah kita lihat,” katanya.

Bagi Nur Najiha, minat terhadap permainan itu bercambah apabila sering melihat dan mengikut bapanya bermain serta menyertai pertandingan catur.

Menurutnya, semakin lama minatnya semakin mendalam dan mula mempelajarinya sehingga yakin untuk menyertai pertandingan peringkat umur.

“Saya sentiasa membahagikan masa antara latihan dan pelajaran setiap hari supaya kedua-duanya tidak ketinggalan kerana catur memang minat saya, manakala doktor menjadi cita-cita saya,” katanya yang akan menyertai Kejuaraan Catur Remaja Dunia di Kemer-Antalya, Turki bersama Nur Nabila pada November ini.

Nur Nabila pula berkata, untuk kejohanan di Turki nanti dia bertekad menempatkan diri antara tiga yang terbaik selepas hanya berjaya menduduki tempat ke-27 daripada tidak kurang 150 penyertaan dalam kejohanan tahun lalu.

Menurutnya, dia semakin yakin dengan persiapannya serta strategi lebih rapi dirangka bapanya bagi pertandingan itu supaya Jalur Gemilang dapat berkibar di Turki.

“Selain mahu menjadi pemain catur terbaik dunia, saya dapat menggunakan formula dan cara berfikir dalam permainan ini dalam pelajaran, terutama bagi subjek Matematik,” katanya.
>Info
> Bentuk permainan catur terkini timbul di Eropah Selatan ketika separuh kedua abad ke-15 selepas berubah daripada permainan asal lamanya di India
> Biasanya dimainkan pada papan empat segi yang mempunyai 64 petak dan silih berganti warna, biasanya putih dan hitam, dengan setiap pemain mempunyai petak terang
> Dimainkan dua pemain pada satu masa.
>Profil
NAMA: Nur Nabila Azman Hisham
UMUR: 12 tahun
LAHIR: 11 Januari 1997 di Kuantan, Pahang
PENDIDIKAN: Tahun enam Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Saujana Utama, Kuala Selangor
HOBI: Bermain catur dan menyanyi
PENCAPAIAN: Dianugerahkan gelaran Women Candidate Master (WCM); 1 pingat emas, 1 perak, 3 gangsa pada Asean Age Group Championship 2009; Johan Majlis Sukan Sekolah-Sekolah Malaysia (MSSM) kategori bawah 12 tahun (2007-2009); Juara National Junior Championship 2009; Juara International Kuala Lumpur Open 2008 dan tempat ke-27 Kejuaraan Catur Remaja Dunia

NAMA: Nur Najiha Azman Hisham
UMUR: 10 tahun
LAHIR: 6 Januari 1999 di Sungai Buloh, Selangor
PENDIDIKAN: Tahun empat Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Saujana Utama, Kuala Selangor
HOBI: Bermain catur dan membaca
PENCAPAIAN: Women Fide Master (WFM); 2 pingat emas pada Asean Age Group Championship 2009 dan tempat kedua National Junior Championship 2009

Sifu : Ketekunan dan penglibatan dua beradik bersama seorang abang banyak berbangkit dari sokongan dan minat kedua ibu bapa mereka terhadap catur tapi yang paling penting ialah minat dan keseronokan bermain catur.  Kepintaran bermain catur juga berkait rapat dengan kejayaan dalam pembelajaran. Sifu percaya mereka akan mencapai lebeh banyak kejayaan dan gelaran grandmaster boleh di capai dengan cara dan kesungguhan pencapaian mereka ketika ini.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

14 RELATIONSHIP MISTAKES WE WISH WE’D STOP MAKING: Women

14 RELATIONSHIP MISTAKES WE WISH WE’D STOP MAKING by a Women

23rd June, 2010 Leisure New Sabah Times It’s said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So, yes, we know that snooping around our mate’s email account is a bad idea and that believing in the fairy-tale love stories we grew up reading is silly, but sometimes we find ourselves giving these relationship moves the ol’ college try! The results? Not so successful. Plus, we start to feel unbalanced, and perhaps rightly so.
This point is this: there are certain relationship mistakes women make over and over again. Like sleeping in a bad position and waking with a stiff neck, we sometimes don’t realize we’re blundering and repeating until the ouch factor comes into play. Well, it’s time to stop. We’re declaring once and for all: let’s quit! Quitters sometimes prosper, especially when lousy habits get left behind. Here’s the list of relationship blunders we wish we ladies would stop making.
1. THINKING WE’LL NEVER GET OVER HIM. We will. Two months and several powdered donuts later… we’ll feel better.
2. SPYING. Hacking into email or phones looking for suspicious messages and then yelling at him for the “k thnx bye” text he sent to his female coworker two months ago.
3. THINKING OUR PARTNERS MUST BE INTERESTED IN EVERYTHING WE DO, THINK, AND SAY. When it comes down to it, we zone out when men talk about circuit boards. Right? Having a best friend or gab partner outside a relationship is a good thing.
4. DISPLACING. Freud was right with this one. If we’re mad at him because he ate our tasty restaurant leftovers out of the fridge, tell him we’re mad at him because he ate our tasty restaurant leftovers out of the fridge. Don’t turn it into a commitment issue.
5. EXPECTING TOO MUCH. Putting so much energy into the idea of a fairy-tale romance that we’re disappointed with anything less.
6. STAGNATING. Waiting for someone to find us, instead of going out and finding someone ourselves.
7. SLACKING. Thinking that a perfect relationship should be easy. Relationships require work and compromise; a perfect relationship means doing those things well.
8. ISOLATING. Dropping our friends when we’re falling in love. Friends help define who we are, and we need them when things get tough.
9. FANTASIZING. Thinking that getting a boyfriend or husband will solve all our problems. No one can fix our lives for us!
10. USING THE SILENT TREATMENT. Our partners can’t read our minds; he won’t know what’s wrong unless we sack up and tell him.
11. DENYING. Denying that there’s a problem in a relationship, instead of facing it and asking ourselves what needs to be done. Problems don’t usually go away on their own. Letting them fester only makes it worse.
12. STANDING ALONE. Thinking that depending on someone else is a weakness. Leaning on someone else sometimes is the sign of a healthy relationship.
13. OVER-ANALYZING. There’s analysis and then there’s over-analysis. Wondering why the fiance didn’t call once during his bachelor weekend in Vegas? A legitimate case for analysis. Wondering why he only called twice and not three times during a guys’ night out? Not so much.
14. TRYING TO REINVENT THE RELATIONSHIP WHEEL. If some items on this list feel cliche, it’s because they are! If we would only listen to a good dose of love advice now and again, we’d probably save ourselves some heartache.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Tired after MSSM

Tan Khai Boon and Fong Mi Yen win 2010 National Championship !

Tan Khai Boon and  Fong Mi Yen win the 2010 Open and Women National Championship respectively. Penangite - Tan Khai Boon  won the open section with 8 points from 9 rounds. He lost the first round against Kedahan - Amri Hajar but Khai Boon never turn back  by winning the remaining rounds. Win this victory, Tan Khai Boon received the National Master (NM) title.

National Master (NM) Tan Khai Boon received the Tun Hussein Onn Trophy from the President of Malaysian Chess Federation - Tan Seri Dato' Seri Diraja Ramli bin Ngah Talib.

Perakian - Fong Mi Yen finish with 7.5 points out of 9 rounds in the women section. She won seven games and only lost to  Amira Syahmina  Zulkafli in round 6  and draw against Camilia Johari in the final round to clinch the  National Women Master (NWM) title .

National Women Master (NWM) Fong Mi Yen received the Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik Trophy from Ketua PALAPES UKM - Encik Abdul Rahim. 
from Blog hairulovchessmanics

Congrats to NM Tan Khai Boon and NWM Fong Mi Ye but what happened to the rest of favourites !! From the observations of games and the players, the Championship was not a fair game to the school going players, they were tired, hagged after an almost full month on serious chess.  Starting with centralised training then traveling to Kangar for the MSSM Chess then travelling again to Bangi for the National Closed.
The body and mind needed a break and rest, these young chess players are practically tired physically and mentally.  Ok they love chess but these two tournaments should not be placed together, it put the pressure on the ability of the players and the parents.
Every parent and most players were saying the same thing TIRED after MSSM so MCF will have to review their Championship dates to get the best results from the other top young players, not to take the credit away from Tan and Fong for this is their year for they are now national champions.

DON'T DO THIS TO YOUR BABY

He is just a baby but the fault lies with the father, who introduce him to the killer drugs in smoking now the father is burning his fingers.  Just don't do this to your baby.  If you love him don't give him cigarettes.  The slow killer among us. Get involve in the campaign against smoking if you love your family.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Checkmated after Death

Bobby Fischer's remains to be exhumed for paternity test

9-year-old girl Jinky Young seeks to establish whether she is US chess player's daughter
Former world chess champion Bobby Fischer
Former world chess champion Bobby Fischer. Photograph: Ivan Milutinovic/Reuters
The remains of the US chess player Bobby Fischer are to be exhumed to determine whether he is the father of a nine-year-old girl, a lawyer representing the child and her mother said today.
Thordur Bogason, a Reykjavik-based lawyer, said Iceland's supreme court made the decision earlier this week in order to allow for tests so his client, Jinky Young, can find out who her father is.
"At this point we are just trying to establish this," he said. "And if she is confirmed as the daughter of Bobby Fischer, then by Icelandic law she is his legal heir."
Fischer, 64, died in Iceland in January 2008. He left no will, Bogason said, adding that legal cases over who has the right to the chess player's estate are ongoing.
Bogason said he had no information on the size of the estate and that Fischer's long-time partner and relatives in the US are also involved in the dispute.
Gudjon Olafur Jonsson, who represents the relatives, said his clients accepted the court's ruling and awaited the results of the paternity tests. Representatives of Fischer's partner could not be reached.
The supreme court's decision came on appeal after one of Iceland's lower courts denied permission for an examination of Fischer's remains, Bogason said, adding that the move was a "last resort", as it had been hoped that blood samples might have been stored in an Icelandic hospital. Fischer is buried 30 miles from Reykjavik. He had lived in Iceland since 2005.
Bogason said evidence was presented to the court that showed that Fischer had sent Jinky and her mother Marilyn Young "considerable" amounts of money on eight occasions in the years before he died, ranging from €1,000 (£836) to €5,000.
In today's ruling, the court said Jinky's interest in determining her paternity was important and that more significant interests would have been required to prevent Fischer's exhumation.
Jinky, who lives in the Philippines with Young, flew to Iceland to provide her own blood sample in December.
The judgment said Fischer had regular contact with her and her mother and that they had visited him in Iceland.
Their lawyer in the Philippines, Samuel Estimo, said, "We are very happy with the way the supreme court of Iceland ruled on our request." Young could not be reached.
The woman who was described in the judgment as Fischer's "partner for many years and a close friend and confidante until his death" said in court papers that Fischer never mentioned that he had a child with Young. The partner described that as being out of character because he was "a very precise man".
Fischer, who was born in Chicago and raised in Brooklyn, New York, became world famous in 1972 when he defeated Boris Spassky for the world championship. He held the title until 1975.
• This article was amended on 18 June 2010. In the original we refered to Jinky Young as being Icelandic. This has been corrected.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Aisyah Salihah Kamarozaman's Photos - masum 2010

Kejohanan MAKSUM di USIM baru ini, sifu ada ambil banyak gambar tapi sebab teknikal tak dapat di siarkan tapi di Facebook dapat melihat album Aisyah Salihah Kamarozaman dari UKM dan disiarkan di sini.

Time Coaching


Coaching People dream of achieving many things in life. They set their goals, plan beforehand & are well prepared to take up the challenging life lying ahead of them. Everybody thinks that they have got all the potential, knowledge, skills & more importantly the confidence to do anything & everything. It is easy when it is still at the level of thinking. Once people decide to achieve it, only then they realize that they need something more. That something more is Coaching.
People don’t dare to dream because of the fear of failure. Coaching provides confidence to dream & an energy to achieve those dreams. It acts as a problem solver & encourages people to take a step forward without any kind of fear. Hence it can be said that getting proper coaching is always an advantage as it is a guide, a mentor to the people & not an hindrance.
Time Coaching
People always look at others wondering how they are so organized & in control of everything they do. Everybody works hard but still struggles to maintain balance in their life. It is necessary to do right things at right place at right time in right manner. This helps them to be well organized, less stressed out & more time to do what they really wanted to do.
Managing time is very important in today’s world. Simple techniques & methods can help you in effective time management & also achieve the goals. People can take help of Coaching classes in understanding how to gain control over time & also get to know how to complete work within the time limit. Some of the techniques like: rescheduling, identifying priority work, allotting specific time for each task, preparing time sheets, etc can help in effective time management.
Coaching Program
Many people don’t realize the importance of Time Management. They spend most of their time on non-important issues. As a result, performance & achievements fall. They do not concentrate on the things that need prime importance.
A coaching program should provide the essential skills required to manage time & perform extraordinarily even under intense stress & pressure. A good action plan that helps in eliminating time-wasting activities can bring back control over the time & change life. A Coach should help his candidates how to achieve greater payoffs with limited available time.
Teaching Time Management
A common thing present in most of the people is putting off the tasks to be done again & again. This habit not only destroys their career but also the capabilities present in a person to achieve things. On the other hand, there are people present who work everyday as others but still don’t achieve their goals. This is because they spend all their time in doing wrong work or those tasks that are less important.
Hence it is necessary to teach people the importance of Time management. A coach should teach his students how to recognize their habits, what best can be done to recoup, what steps can be taken to manage time, how to identify which task needs priority, etc. By proper Coaching methods, people can learn more about the importance of Time management & enhance their capabilities.
Lesson Plan
Time is a most important factor. It doesn’t wait for anyone for any reason. It is important that people understand their responsibilities in time so that they need not repent later. A lesson plan should be prepared in such a manner that it sheds light on how a person can make best use of the available time, why should a person organize his jobs beforehand, what is the importance of preparing a To-Do list, etc. A well prepared lesson plan not only helps in recognizing important tasks but also helps in allotting time for each task that is to be accomplished.
Basic Aspect
Everyone knows that managing Time is very important to achieve success. Mere preparation of an Time Management plan or To-Do list will not help. It is necessary that people follow the rules or plans they prepare in an effective way. A simple technique is to write down a list of things to be done starting with the most important task & writing least important task at the end. As & when the task is complete, make updates in the list. This helps to know that the priority tasks has been completed in time.
A person can be successful in his life only by achieving all the goals set by him. It is also important to set only those goals that build his future. A person should know what is his aim & what he wants to achieve in his life. Without knowing this setting up any kind of goal may go waste. People will be spending all their precious time in determining & setting up new goals or target that is only in mere writing on a paper.
Making best use of Time by identifying priority works & scheduling a proper plan helps in achieving the goals. It reduces stress & also prepares people to face any unseen contingencies that might arise

Thursday, June 17, 2010

AMBUSH MARKETING

Sifu find its interesting to discuss over a marketing strategy on ambush marketing. As sifu have seen it happened a few times, sifu finds its lack integrity but an idea  of free cheap publicity, its the same like cheap publicity of a few bloggers and facebook users wanting free cheap publicity most of the time and the idea remains good except willing to face the legal implications as it breaks the rule of ambush marketing.

A group of 36 female fans wearing orange mini-dresses were ejected from the match between Holland and Denmark accused of taking part in what FIFA described as an ''ambush marketing'' campaign for an unlicensed beer brand. ITV have said that a 'substantial number' of tickets, which were for Earle's friends and family, had been passed to a 'third party' and the Daily Mail have claimed the incident relates to the Bavaria beer stunt.
FIFA head of media Nicolas Maingot said: ''What happened was a clear ambush marketing activity by a Dutch beer company, all we have done is ask for some details from these women, but no one has been detained. We are looking into all legal remedies into this brewery.
''We have colleagues who are specialised in this kind of activity and they actually draw the line between what is ambush marketing and someone coming with a shirt that has a competitive brand on it. What is an issue is when there is clear strategy behind it, which is ambush marketing.''
We'd all be ok with adverts ruining goals in ITV's next televised game if this lot were involved.
The Sydney Morning Herald

FIFA file criminal charges

June 16, 2010
By Soccernet staff
FIFA has said criminal charges have been filed against a beer company which conducted an 'ambush marketing' campaign during Monday's match between Netherlands and Denmark.
Two dutch women accused of
GettyImagesTwo dutch women accused of "ambush marketing" have been bailed.
It has also emerged two of the women who were seen wearing orange mini-dresses and who were ejected from Soccer City stadium after their actions were deemed to be part of a stunt to promote a beer, have been released on bail after appearing in court.
They were charged with an offence under the Contravention of Merchandise Marks Act, which covers ambush marketing, when a company benefits from an event without paying for advertising.
South African police arrested the women at their hotel in the Johannesburg district of Roodepoort hours after FIFA had told reporters no action would be taken against them. "We view ambush marketing in a very serious light and we urge people not to embark on these ambush campaigns," police said in a statement. The women appeared at Johannesburg Magistrates Court and were released on bail of $1,300 each, with their next court appearance set for Monday.
With regards to the company, FIFA head of media Nicolas Maingot said: "FIFA has filed charges against the organisers of the ambush marketing stunt pulled during the Netherlands v Denmark match at Soccer City two days ago."
FIFA media spokesperson Delia Fischer added: "This Dutch company has a long history of trying ambush marketing tactics at sports events. The latest target had been the Dutch national team itself, and the Dutch FA had already objected to the strategy employed by this brewery for ambush activities around the national team matches using the exact same promotional objects."

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Leonard Barden on Chess

Series: Leonard Barden on Chess

Vishy Anand to head strong field at London Chess Classic in December

Chess 3143
3143: White mates in two moves (by Alain White). A tricky problem, even with the clue that White?s first move is with the e4 rook. Photograph: Graphic
The London Chess Classic at Olympia, so impressively successful in 2009, will be repeated on 8-15 December with an increased prize fund and the participation of the reigning world champion, Vishy Anand.
The Indian, who will be 41 during the tournament, will take on the former champion Vlad Kramnik and the current world No1 and likely future champion Magnus Carlsen. They will be the principals in a field which will also include Hikaru Nakamura, ranked No1 in the US, and England's top four Michael Adams, Nigel Short, Luke McShane and David Howell. The fact that Howell, reigning British champion and at age 20 one of the best young talents in Europe, is the lowest ranked player shows that this is indeed an elite contest, which the organisers hope will cement London's bid to stage Anand's next world title defence in 2012.
In this game from a current Russian tournament, Kramnik's Berlin Wall defence is defeated by a rather simple plan. White's 13 f4 with b3/c4 aims to render Black's Q-side pawns static while mobilising White's 4-3 majority on the other flank. It worked when Black made an unsound knight sac (22...a6!) which was refuted by 27 Na7+! and 28 e6 with a winning passed pawn for White.
S Karjakin v A Naiditsch, Poikovsky 2010
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 0-0 Nxe4 5 d4 Nd6 6 Bxc6 dxc6 7 dxe5 Nf5 8 Qxd8+ Kxd8 9 Nc3 Ne7 10 Ne4 h6 11 Rd1+ Ke8 12 Nd4 Ng6 13 f4 Nh4 14 b3 Bg4 15 Re1 c5 16 Nb5 Kd7 17 c4 Kc6 18 Kf2 Be7 19 h3 Bd7 20 g4 h5 21 f5 hxg4 22 hxg4 Nxf5? 23 gxf5 Rh2+ 24 Kg1 Rah8 25 Ng3 R2h3 26 Bf4 a6 27 Na7+! Kb6 28 e6 Bd6 29 Bxd6 cxd6 30 exd7 Rxg3+ 31 Kf2 Rgh3 32 Re8 Rh2+ 33 Ke1 Rh1+ 34 Kd2 R8h2+ 35 Kc3 Rh3+ 36 Kb2 1-0
3143 1 Rb4. If Qxd7 2 Be4, or Qd5 2 Bb5, or Qd4 2 Rb3, or e5 2 Qh3, or Bf6 2 Qh7.
3142 The black pawn at e5 should be a bishop.

CHESS - 13/6/10 Express.co.uk

Story Image
Chess diagram 1
Sunday June 13,201

FOR some players, improvement comes in fits and starts, but the Ukrainian grandmaster Pavel Eljanov's rise into the world’s top ten has been gradual and consistent.
Eljanov is currently his country's top player, just slightly ahead of Vasily Ivanchuk.

I'm pleased to say that we play for the same team (Werder Bremen) in the German chess Bundesliga.

Cementing his place at the top, Eljanov took first place with 8/13 at the sixth and final Fide Grand Prix tournament in Astrakhan last month.

Ponomariov, Jakovenko, Mamedyarov, Alekseev and Radjabov all shared second place on 7/13.

The quality of chess was very high, but there were few spectacular games.

This is a nice example though, where some subtle and precise play enabled Eljanov to squeeze a full point from an almost dead position (see diagram 1).

Chess diagram 2
Pavel Eljanov - Vladimir Akopian
(Astrakhan, 2010)

36.b3  After 36.Bxa6 Bxb2 the players could shake hands immediately, but this keeps the game going a little longer.  36...Bb5 37.Bxb5 axb5 38.Ne2!  Posing a little problem, as allowing Nxd4 would leave a very weak pawn on d4.  38...Bb2  Care is already required.  38...Bc5? loses a pawn immediately after 39.Nc3 b4 40.Na2.  39.Bb4+!  A nice idea, setting a trap just before the time control, which Akopian falls into. 

39...Ke8? 
An unfortunate square.  39...Kg7 40.Bc3 Bxc3 41.Nxc3 Nd7! allows Black to save the draw comfortably.  42.Nxb5 (42.b4 Nb8!) 42...Nc5 43.b4 Nd3 and the pawn is recovered.  40.Bc3! Bxc3 41.Nxc3 Kd7  Black can't save the pawn now, because his king is vulnerable to a check:  41...Nd7 42.Nxb5 Nc5 43.b4 Nd3 44.Nc7+ Kd7 45.Nd5 and so on.  42.Nxb5 Kc6 43.Nc3 Kc5 44.g4! h6  44...Kb4 Loses by force. 

45.Nd5+ Nxd5 46.exd5 Kc5 47.g5! Kxd5 48.Kf2 One pawn holds up three on the kingside, and White can use the b-pawn as a decoy while his king advances, so Black is lost here.  45.h4 Nd7 46.Nd5  With black's king so active, the win is still not trivial but Eljanov brought home the full point before long.  46...f5 47.b4+ Kd4 48.exf5 gxf5 49.Ne7 fxg4 50.fxg4 e4 51.Nf5+ Kd3 52.b5 Kc4 53.Nxh6 Kxb5 54.g5 Ne5 55.h5 e3 56.Nf5 e2 57.Nd4+ Kc4 58.Nxe2 Kd5 59.Kg3 Ke6 60.Nd4+ Kf7 61.Kf4 Nc4 62.Nf5 Nb6 63.g6+ Kf6 64.Ne3  1–0



The Association of Chess Professionals Rapid Cup began in Odessa just a few days after Astrakhan, with some of the same players competing, including Eljanov. 

Pavel was knocked out by Jakovenko in the quarter finals. 

It was Sergey Karjakin who won the event, riding his luck on various occasions.

There was no shortage of colourful games in Odessa, including this gem won by the eventual runner-up.

Dmitry Jakovenko - Ernesto Inarkiev
(Odessa, 2010)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0–0 Qf6 6.d4 exd4 7.Bg5 Qd6 8.Nxd4 Bd7 9.Nc3 Qg6 10.Qd2 f6 11.Bf4 0–0–0  (see diagram 2) 

12.Ncb5!!  An astonishing breakthrough which gives White a huge advantage.  The weakness of c7 is highlighted, but the combination turns on various tactical details.  12...cxb5  12...axb5? 13.Qa5 wins.  12...Bh3 13.Na7+ Kb8 (13...Kd7!? might have been a brave practical try to cause confusion, but after 14.Bg3! Ke8 15.Qc3 White maintains a big advantage)  14.Ndxc6+ bxc6 15.Qxd8+ Kxa7 16.Qxc7+ Ka8 17.Qb8 mate. 

Another beautiful twist is 12...Bc5 13.Qa5 Bb6 14.Qxb6!! cxb6 15.Na7 mate.  13.Qc3 Bc6  13...Bd6 14.Bxd6 Bc6 would also be a reasonable attempt, but after 15.Nxc6 Rxd6 16.Qh3+ f5 17.Ne5 White wins a clear pawn.  14.Nxc6 bxc6?  Black still had reasonable practical chances to resist with 14...Rd7 15.Rad1 Qg4 but White has the initiative and a better structure.  15.Qxc6 Bd6 16.Rad1!  Winning material by force. 

Black struggles on but now the result is never in doubt.  16...Qe8 17.Rxd6 Qxc6 18.Rxc6 Rd7 19.Rxa6 Kb7 20.Ra5 c6 21.Be3 Kb8 22.a4 b4 23.Bc5 Nh6 24.Bxb4 Rd4 25.Bc3 Rxe4 26.Rd1 Rhe8 27.h3 R4e7 28.Rh5 Nf7 29.Rxh7 Ng5 30.Rh4 Re2 31.Rb4+ Kc7 32.Rbd4 Rxc2 33.Rd7+ Kb6 34.a5+ Ka6 35.Rxg7 Ree2 36.Bxf6 Ne4 37.Bd4 c5 38.Be3 Nxf2 39.Bxf2 Rxf2 40.Rd5 Rfe2 41.b4 cxb4 42.Rg6+ Kb7 43.Rb5+ Kc7 44.Rxb4  1–0
 

Saturday, June 12, 2010

TERENGGANU CHESS ASSOCIATION: COMPLETE RESULTS MSSM 2010 : THE CROSSTABLE FOR INDIVIDUAL

TERENGGANU CHESS ASSOCIATION: COMPLETE RESULTS MSSM 2010 : THE CROSSTABLE FOR INDIVIDUAL

Tahniah Mohammad Arshad and Salleh Gilocatur for the results and all the winners especially Selangor the Overall Champion.

Keputusan Pingat Acara Catur MSSM 2010

Berikut adalah keputusan pingat Kejohanan Catur MSSM 2010.
Individu
L12
  1. Emas - Selangor                     Yeoh Li Tian
  2. Perak - Wilayah Persekutuan  Harleiff Hanif
  3. Gangsa - Negeri Sembilan      Subramanian Sivanesan
L15
  1. Emas - Wilayah Persekutuan  Yeap Eng Chiam
  2. Perak - Selangor                    Roshan Singh Ajeet Singh
  3. Gangsa - Johor                       Ng Shi Hao
L18
  1. Emas - Sabah                        Jeppy Tewelu
  2. Perak - Pulau Pinang             Evan Timothy Capel
  3. Gangsa - Selangor                Nabil Azman Hisham
P12
  1. Emas - Selangor                   Nur Najiha Azman
  2. Perak - Selangor                  Puteri Rifqah Fahada Azhar
  3. Gangsa - Pulau Pinang          Teh De Zen
P15
  1. Emas - Selangor                        Amira Syahmina Zullkafli
  2. Perak - Selangor                       Nur Nabila Azman
  3. Gangsa - Wilayah Persekutuan  Pavitranayagi a/p Jayamurthey
P18
  1. Emas - Melaka                          Alia Anin Azwa
  2. Perak - Wilayah Persekutuan     Olivia Madhavan
  3. Gangsa - Perak                         Fong Mi Yen
Berpasukan

L12
  1. Emas - Pulau Pinang
  2. Perak - Johor
  3. Gangsa - Wilayah Persekutuan
L15
  1. Emas - Pulau Pinang
  2. Perak - Selangor
  3. Gangsa - Wilayah Persekutuan
L18
  1. Emas - Perak
  2. Perak - Pulau Pinang
  3. Gangsa - Johor
P12
  1. Emas - Pulau Pinang
  2. Perak - Selangor
  3. Gangsa - Wilayah Persekutuan
P15
  1. Emas - Pulau Pinang
  2. Perak - Kelantan
  3. Gangsa - Kedah
P18
  1. Emas - Johor
  2. Perak - Wilayah Persekutuan
  3. Gangsa - Selangor

Friday, June 11, 2010

Memories of ITM 67

All members of Mara Cong, the pioneers of ITM and the last of Maktab Mara at Petaling Garden Studios.  Many in the pictures have gone to meet that Almighty mind you, tis was ITM 67.

A view of 70's, where hairstyle is an inthing, and headgear not a fashion yet. Pic by Basar Juraimi.

A beautiful view of pioneers ITM Arts Students and lectures of 67. Its a Picasso of James Mckendry, with Dato Hijjas Kasturi the pioneer Head of School (4th, from right standing) .
In pic are famours Malaysian artists(real artists ie painters, sculpturs, photographers) Dato Sulaiman Othman, Dato Sharifah Fatimah, Prof Datoryza , Jolly Koh, Ibrahim Ismail, James Mckendry (Bushmills N Ireland) and known architect Dato Hijjas Kasturi
Their works could be found in most art studios, exibitions and buildings. A real love and memories of these pioneers.  Some have left us but friendship remains for these Mara Congs till end of our time. Pic by Lope.

9 on 2

Dont try this, not here not ever
It could be fun, cheap way to move around but danger awaits......

NOMINATIONS

Nominations for Presidential Ticket and Continental Presidents Print
Monday, 07 June 2010 07:52
fide320_160

Elections for the Presidential Ticket and Continental Presidents shall be held at the General Assembly in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

In accordance with the FIDE Statutes, nominations for the Presidential Ticket and Continental Presidents must reach the FIDE Secretariat at least three months before the opening of the General Assembly.

The General Assembly in Khanty-Mansiysk shall be held from Wednesday, September 29th to Saturday October 2nd.  Therefore, all nominations by federations must be received in the FIDE Secretariat by midnight Athens time on Monday, June 28th. All nominations should be in accordance with the FIDE Electoral Regulations.
  

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Extension of time control

Extension of time control Print
Tuesday, 08 June 2010 10:02
news_320x160

The Presidential Board decided in Bursa to extend the validity for the official use of the time control 90 minutes with 30 seconds cumulative increment for each move starting from the first move, from July 1st 2010 to 1st January 2011. 
This followed representations to the Board and was made to enable the General Assembly in Khanty-Mansiysk to take a final decision on FIDE time controls.  It was agreed that no further changes after Khanty-Mansiysk should be allowed for four years.

Zero Tolerance Rule

Zero Tolerance Rule Print
Tuesday, 08 June 2010 11:47
fidelogo320

Following representation by the Association of Chess Professionals, the Presidential Board in Sofia confirmed their previous decision that Organisers of events where the zero tolerance rule was in operation should be obliged to provide participants with the best conditions in order that they can respect the rule.

For events with more than 30 participants, a large digital countdown clock must be installed in the playing hall.  

For events with less than 30 players an announcement by microphone must be made 5 minutes before the game is due to start and again one minute before the start of the game.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

CATUR MSSM 2010 PERLIS

Salepas kecoh yang catur di gugurkan dari kalender MSSM, kini catur lega dan sedang berentap di Kangar Perlis Indra Kayangan. Ini adalah sahaja harapan pemain catur untuk melepaskan geram untuk merebut juara MSSM.
Jangan biarkan catur di pinggirkan atau di gugurkan bila kewangan tidak mencukupi saperti telah berlaku beberapa kali.  Soalan nya mengapa MSSM tidak melibatkan MCF di kejohanan kebangsaan ini ? Tiada kekerjasama ? Atau MCF sudah terlalu besar untuk kejohanan kecil saperti MSSM ini ? Atau kejohanan luar negara lebih penting dari kejohanan mencari bakat ini, MSSM telah melahirkan hampir kesemua pemain negara baik lelaki atau wanita. 
Bukankah Kejohanan MSSM yang patut di pentingkan untuk arena catur negara ?
Kangar membawa banyak kenangan untuk sifu dan arena catur Melayu satu ketika dahulu, Kejohanan Masters Melayu  PCMM, Terbuka Perlis, dan banyak lagi kejohanan, walaupun jauh di utara kejohanan di Perlis selalu mendapat sambutan hangat dan percayalah Terbuka Perlis pada 7 Jun ini pasti mendapat sambutan terutama dari peserta MSSM ini.

Selamat bercatur untuk semua peserta dari seluruh negara serta jurulatih, guru pengiring dan ibu bapa pastinya tarikan di sempadan itu todak boleh diketepikan sahaja tapi beli di Malaysia dulu okey.
Terima kasih terutama rakan blogger Gilocatur dengan blog MSSM 2010 CHESS dimana petikan gambar talajh di perolehi serta blog syedchess.

Monday, June 7, 2010

SALUTE GAZA VOLUNTEERS

How I wish I was one of them, my heart and mind was with them and will be forever in Gaza. I salute and praise you for the message was delivered to the world about cruelty to the people of Gaza.

KEJOHANAN CATUR SBM 2010

Idris Mat Saman Juara B1 dan Peserta SBM 2010


Kiri Puan Razmah Mansor, wakil KBS Cawangan Paralimpik.
Kanan Rizal Ahmad Kamal, Arbiter dengan Pengerusi Sukan SBM, Rosham Sidek



Juara B2/B3 Saharuddin Mappa

Puan Rahimah, Juara Wanita
Seramai 20 peserta Kejohanan Kebangsaan Cacat Penglihatan SBM 2010 telah di adakan di Dewan Komenwealth, MSN, Bukit Jalil selama dua hari pada 5 dan 6 Jun 2010.
Peserta dari seluruh Malaysia telah hadir dari Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka, Terengganu, Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur, kejohanan ini bertembung dengan cuti sekolah telah tidak dapat menarik peserta dari peringkat sekolah, kejohanan kebangsaan untuk orang cacat penglihatan hanya di sertai dengan peserta hardcore saperti Mahadir Ghani, Idris Mat Saman, Shaharuddin Sidek, Saharudin Mappa yang kebanyakan adalah peserta paralimpik Malaysia sahaja.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

15-min daily exercise may slow cell aging: Study


WASHINGTON: Just 15 minutes of daily vigorous physical activity can help one stay young, finds a novel research.
The study points out that short bouts of daily vigorous workout thrice per week, not only make one feel better and relaxed but also improves the body's ability to fight off diseases and stress-induced cellular ageing, reported Qatar News Agency (QNA).
The study was published in the May 26 online issue of PLoS ONE.
Findings of the study suggest that regular physical activity can prevent the deterioration of vital cells, better known as telomere shorteninga known indicator of cellular ageing.
Telomeres are tiny 'caps' on the ends of chromosomes which protect against inflammation and other ageing processes, reported the news agency citing the study.
To come up with this finding, a research team from the University of California looked at 62 post-menopausal women, many of whom were highly stressed caregivers of spouses or parents with dementia.
For the study, the women were divided into active and inactive groups based on their exercise levels.
Participants in the inactive group had higher stress levels and shorter telomere length compared to their healthy counterparts.
To arrive at better results, the participants were asked to report how much time they spent on daily physical activity as well as their stress levels.
Their blood samples were also taken to measure the effect of physical activity on the telomere length.
On analysis, the researchers found that women who had engaged themselves in vigorous physical activity for at least 15 minutes a day, 42 minutes in a week's time had longer telomeres compared to their counterparts who underwent physical activity for shorter time periods.
The researchers concluded that 15 minutes of daily physical activity appears to provide a critical protection for the telomeres.
They also found that higher stress levels promote immune cell ageing by shortening telomere length.
However, even the highly stressed individuals can stop this process through regular physical activity.
"Physical activity is so good for you and stress is bad for you, but the new study shows the stress-buffering effects of physical activity in those who are chronically stressed," study author Eli Puterman, PhD, a health psychologist at the University of California at San Francisco was quoted by WebMD as saying.
"People know stress is bad for the heart and makes you look tired and haggard and makes us more vulnerable to infections," Puterman said.
"And there is so much accumulating evidence that links stress to health, so to show that there is something we can do when we are stressed that can delay or buffer the impact is exciting." - Bernama

Smoking banned in private sector offices with centralised air-con system

After a No Tobacco Day, now its a new No Smoking Zone


Smoking banned in private sector offices with centralised air-con system

By NG SI HOOI ,The Star


KUALA LUMPUR: Smoking has been banned in private-sector offices with centralised air-conditioning systems, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai announced.
He said the Government had gazetted work places as non-smoking zones to protect the public from inhaling second-hand smoke.
"Employees have to stay in the office for eight hours per day and some even until 12 hours if they work overtime.

"It is not good for their health if they have to inhale second-hand smoke," he told reporters after opening the national-level of World No Tobacco Day at Mid Valley Megamall here on Monday.
Currently, others non-smoking zones include government offices, universities and colleges.
Liow said those who lit up in non-smoking zones risked being fined up to RM10,000 or two years' imprisonment.
He said the ministry would act sternly against those flouting regulations.
The ministry will also study the effectiveness of pictorial warnings on cigarette packs, he added.
"Through an informal survey on my Twitter, we found out that some smokers are 'immune' to the pictorial warning. We might introduce new pictorial warnings," he said.