Giam Choo Kwee, RIP

This was the last time that I sat down for a meal with Giam Choo Kwee (far right in
this picture) at the 2017 Malaysia Chess Festival. We were both playing in the Seniors
tournament and had gone for dinner with some other chess players and officials.
Photo credit: Andrew Ooi 

One of my chess friends from Singapore passed away on the Monday of the week when the Malaysia Chess Festival was due to start. Gian Choo Kwee, who was Singapore's first second international master, died in Kuala Lumpur. He was 76. He will be missed by all chess players who knew him. I, for one, will miss him greatly. The last time I met him was a year ago at the 2017 chess festival.

Therefore, it was very appropriate that during the closing of the chess festival last week, another of my Singaporean chess friends, Leong Chee Weng, paid a moving tribute to Giam. Addressing Dato' Tan Chin Nam from the stage, he said:

Dato' Tan, Datin...I first came across Giam when I was 13 when I participated in my first national schools championships. I would go to the venue very early and then he would say, "Young man, put out the score sheets." I like to stay until very late, even many people had gone home, and then he would say, "Young man, fill out these cards. And after that, fill out these papers." It was then that I realised that they were pairing cards and pairing lists.

Photo credit: Khong Wai Cheong

At 15 when there was an inauguration of a chess club at a community centre, suddenly he pointed out to me and said, "You, you become the assistant tournament director of this club." He was an inspiration already at a very young age. If Prof Lim Kok Ann is considered as the father of chess in Singapore, then Mr Giam Choo Kwee is definitely the son of Singapore chess, if I may say so.

Already in the late 60s and 70s, he was a very strong player; had competed in Olympiads and zonal championships and (he) became an international master in 1976. Besides playing very actively in competitions, he was also a very active international organiser in the local circuit. You can see him on Saturday afternoon in this tournament and Saturday evening at another tournament, on the same day. In almost practically every tournament held in Singapore you cannot miss Giam. He is always organising and playing at the same time.

Those of you who have his games, if you run through his games in the 70s and 76, you will see that he is a very...he has a very swift style and you will see someone with the most interesting games. He has played extensively in Penang especially in those Rapids and Blitz. I believe he has played in some tournaments like Selangor Open and I think he is a frequent visitor to the Malaysian Chess Festival, either in the Team or the Rapids and the Seniors. My last encounter with him was about five months, six months ago and I'm very happy to say that he defeated me and crushed me in that tournament.

I was looking forward to seeing him here but although he is not here I think that he is listening and he will be organising Rapid and Blitz tournaments in paradise. Or in heaven.

But I also want to say that the connect between Singapore and Malaysia is none other than Giam, and I followed through his steps, building bridges with local organisers, knowing many of you through the last two, three decades. All this is because of Giam. I think we all miss Giam but I think we will never miss chess even when he is not here. Thank you very much.