Mxyzptlk

Time for a short chess break today. I'm off to the University of Science Malaysia to join my chess friends from The Old Frees' Association at a competition, namely, the USM Bridge and Chess Club's 31st edition of their USM open team chess championship. 

I remember that it was in the 1990s when the Penang Chess Association received a request from the USM Bridge and Chess Club for assistance in launching their first ever open chess competition. Dr Choong Sim Poey was the President then, and I was in my second stint as the Secretary. We provided the technical support and helped loan them the usual chess equipment. This went on for some years until the USM chess club was confident enough to stand on their own. Much later in the 2000s, I learnt that my old classmate from Penang Free School, Prof Dr Teoh Siang Guan, had become the USM chess club's Adviser, and we quickly reconnected after decades.

Wish us luck as my team, OFA Mxyzptlk, try our best not to finish in the second half of the standings! Mxyzptlk is, of course, the name of one of Superman's nemesis, a mischievous imp from the fifth dimension! Every now and then, he would appear and hound Superman, who would then try all means to trick the imp into saying his name backword. Mxyzptlk is impossible to pronounce but it goes something like mix-yez-pittle-ik. That's how I've always remembered it. I wonder how many of today's young fans of this American comic book hero have heard of this character. Older ones may, though....