Chess at OFA

A 92-player field for The Old Frees' Association Rapid Chess Open Tournament last Sunday far exceeded my expectations. Barely a week before the event, I would have been delighted with 70 entries, but as the final days progressed, a surge of last-minute registrations came through. Naturally, there were a few withdrawals, as often happens, but these were more than compensated for by fresh entries. By the morning of the tournament, we had 90 players prepared to compete—until two more turned up unannounced and added themselves to the mix.

One of the day’s highlights was the participation of Penang's national player, Wong Yinn Long, currently reading Law at the University of Malaya. Wong flew in from Kuala Lumpur to start his mid-semester break, arriving several minutes late for the first round due to travel delays. Undeterred, he strode into the hall with calm confidence, quickly gathered himself, and went on to win his first-round game comfortably. It was a display of composure, underlining why he is regarded as one of Penang's finest players. His assured performance carried him through the tournament, and by the end of the day, he had earned an impressive second-place finish.

The other late entry arrived even later—after the lunch break—and could only participate from the fifth round onwards. Despite these dramatic arrivals, the tournament progressed smoothly. The favourite, Pavel Shkapenko, demonstrated his class by dominating the field and comfortably securing the top prize. Meanwhile, second-seeded Ronnie Lim, clearly a bit rusty, still managed a creditable third-place finish.

There was no shortage of prizes to be won, with a third of the field going home with something to show for their efforts. OFA members, in particular, had much to celebrate: of the ten who participated, eight managed to win prizes, making their day truly worthwhile.

As Tournament Director, I had spent the preceding four days deeply immersed in coordinating the logistics and administration of the event. My heartfelt thanks go to my co-organisers and conspirators, Terry Ong and Ung Tay Aik, whose invaluable support ensured seamless coordination with the Penang Chess Association for the chess equipment. A big thank you also goes to Low Han Boon for his assistance in setting up the hall on Saturday, and to the boys from Penang Free School, who worked tirelessly to prepare the venue and provide much-needed help during the tournament.

Special mention must go to PCA President See Swee Sie for her generous personal sponsorship of the Ladies' and Veterans' prizes. I am equally grateful to Jonathan Chuah and Cheryl Ho, who ran the tournament as the Chief Arbiter and Arbiter, their assuredness and steady hands overseeing the tournament’s smooth running. Behind the scenes, Steven Cheong from the Malaysian Chess Federation lent his support in registering new players for their FIDE IDs, ensuring no administrative detail was overlooked.

In the end, the tournament was a great success, not only in terms of numbers but also in the camaraderie and excitement it brought to the chess community. It was a day to remember, and one that I hope will inspire even greater enthusiasm for future events.