Canggih chess

I had forgotten all about this picture, which I had posted to facebook 10 years ago, until it was shared again recently by Mok Tze Meng. Quite rightly, it has stirred up a lot of old memories within the Penang chess circle. Among a small group of chess friends, they have been asking when this picture was taken and what was the occasion. 

Those in the picture were, from left, Wong Zi Jing, Ronnie Lim Chuin Hoong, Mok the winner, Dr Toh Kin Woon who was partially hidden behind Mok, an unusually very smartly dressed Agus Salim and a lady known as Rohani bt Ismail, representing one of the sponsors. 

Zi Jing now works in Texas A&M University while Mok coaches chess full-time to kids. Ronnie is a radiologist in Penang Hospital. Dr Toh is a retired Penang state executive councillor and was once the President of the Penang Chess Association. Agus Salim was once the scourge of chess players in the Klang Valley. He is now deceased.

But finally, it has been confirmed that this was the Canggih international open chess championship that was held in 1997 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Penang Chess Association. I remember this event well because I was the one negotiating for the venue from Wah Seong Trading (M) Sdn Bhd and sponsorship from KUB Tekstil Sdn Bhd which still manufactures school uniforms under the Canggih brand today.

Anyway, I did make a brief report about this tournament in my then fortnightly column in The Star on 02 January 1998. Just managed to dig it out from my online archives and I'd like to repeat it here, with some minor alterations, of course!

Mok Tze Meng outpaced a field of 71 players to win the first prize of RM3,000 at the PCA Canggih international open chess championship in Penang last week on 28 Dec 1997. He shrugged off an early second-round loss to score 7.5 points from nine games. In second place was Agus Salim who obtained seven points and won RM2,000.

Five players finished the tournament with 6.5 points each: Lim Chuin Hoong winning RM1,000, Wong Ji Zing RM800, international master Jimmy Liew RM600, Mak Weng Yee RM400 and Ismail Ahmad RM300. The eighth prize of RM200 went to Julian Navaratnam who was the best scorer among a group of players with six points.

The prizes for the five best Penang players went to Tan Eng Seong, Wong Chee Chung, Chuah Heng Meng, Khor Shihong and Khor Bean Hwa. Woman Fide master Angela Khegay of Uzbekistan and Lim Jean Nie won the prizes for the two best woman players, while the under-18 prizes went to Lim Yee Weng and Ng Tze Han. Teng Wei Khoon and Deon Moh won the under-15 prizes.

Among the 71 participants were three players from Indonesia, two from Brunei, and one each from Uzbekistan, the Netherlands, India and the Philippines.

The prizes were given away by Penang state executive councillor Dr Toh Kin Woon who is also the president of the Penang Chess Association, Dr Choong Sim Poey who is a former president of the association and Puan Rohani Ismail, the business manager of sponsor KUB Tekstils Sdn Bhd.

KUB Tekstils, manufacturer of the Canggih brand of garment wear that includes tracksuits and a complete range of school uniforms and accessories, had sponsored RM20,000 towards the running of the four-day event which was held at the MarVista Resort in Batu Ferringhi, Penang from Dec 25 to 28.

The other sponsors of the event were DMV Sdn Bhd, WWT Communications Sdn Bhd and Star Publications (M) Bhd.