Malayan chess

A story written by Leong Chee Weng, a long-time chess friend from Singapore. He has been in the forefront of chess for decades, having held top positions both in the World Chess Federation (Fide) and Singapore Chess Federation (SCF). In this story which appeared on his facebook account in April, he wrote about the early days of chess in Singapore and Malaya/Malaysia. It's worth a read:

MALAYAN CHESS: Before SCF & MCF

The Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) originated from the Singapore Chess League (SCL) which was formed in 1949 to basically organise three main competitions: the Inter-Clubs Team, the Singapore Schoolboys (presently, the National Schools Individuals) and the Inter-Schools Team. The SCL was housed at the premises of the Singapore Chess Club (SCC) which was founded in 1896!

The late Dr Yeoh Bok Choon from Johor (Malaysia) had graduated in Singapore and continued working there. In 1947, he was the SCC champion. It was through his persuasion and cooperation with the late Dr Lim Kok Ann that the Malayan Chess Association was also formed through the coordinated travel meetings made by Dr Lim to Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Hence the twin birth of SCL and MCA in 1949.

That year, the Malayan Championship was inaugurated in Penang and continued until the last edition in 1963 after which Singapore was separated from Malaysia. Richard Lim from Johor was the only Malaysian to have won the title of Malayan Champion.

In 1960, both Malaya and Singapore became members of FIDE. But what seemed strange was that in 1957, the national co-champion J C Hickey represented Singapore in the Zone Championship. In 1960, Malaya was represented by Choo Min Wang while Lee Chai Seng played for Singapore.  

When the Registry of Societies was established in Singapore in 1961, the SCL became re-constituted as SCF. In 1963, Tan Lian Ann became the first Singaporean to participate in a world-level event, the World Junior Championship. He also played in 1965. In 1968, Singapore competed at the Chess Olympiad for the first time. 

After separation, the MCA became rather inactive.  This could be that during the period 1949 to 1963, 12 editions of the Malayan Championships were held in Singapore with the exceptions of 1955 and 1961 in Kuala Lumpur. 

After a decade, in 1974, Dato Tan Chin Nam formed the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF) and Malaysia played its first Olympiad as well as organised the first Asian Team Championship in Penang.