From The Star to Chessbase

I've achieved another small milestone in my chess journey: for the first time, I've been published by the world-renowned ChessBase website. Every chessplayer worth his salt knows ChessBase, the Number One authority in chess news, and fronting their homepage today is my story on Yeoh Li Tian, soon to be Malaysia's first grandmaster once his achievement is ratified by the World Chess Federation. My article, From Prodigy to Grandmaster, traces Yeoh’s 20-year journey from a bright-eyed six-year-old to the history-making player he is today. You can read it by clicking here. [UPDATE: Chessbase India has also carried my story here.]

It took quite a bit of effort to get this story out. After Yeoh won the ChessHub–MCF First GM–IM Invitational Tournament at the Corus Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on the third of this month, I had to dig deep into my computer archives to retrieve a story I'd quietly kept on standby since 2018, in anticipation of this day eventually arriving. I went through it once, twice, many times, updating the facts, rechecking the timelines, polishing the phrasing (and still, one fact managed to slip through wrong!).

My regular chess column in The Star was discontinued back in March 2012, but there was an understanding that I could submit stories on an ad hoc basis if the occasion called for it. And to me, that meant only when something truly significant happened. In all these years, I had used that privilege only once, in October 2018, to pay tribute to Dato’ Tan Chin Nam after his passing. He had done so much for chess in this country. At the time, I remember thinking the next momentous occasion worth writing about would be when Malaysia finally produced its first grandmaster. By 2019, Yeoh had already secured two GM norms. The mood then was optimistic. The third norm felt imminent. So I drafted my first version of the story even though I had no idea when it would see the light of day.

Fast forward to this month, and during Yeoh’s ninth-round game against Nayaka Budhidharma, eyes across the country were glued to the live broadcast. When the final handshake came, and the result confirmed, I know for a fact that cheers erupted from living rooms, chess centres and WhatsApp groups everywhere. Suddenly, chess was news again. And I was ready. My story only needed its final polish. 

Believing that The Star ought to have the right of first refusal, I wrote to both editor@thestar.com.my and the Chief Content Officer, a rather grand title for Chief Editor, if you ask me, offering them the story. One day passed. Then two. Nothing. No reply. No acknowledgement. Look, I don’t care whether one is ordinary or a Datin Paduka, but professionalism should mean that one shouldn't be too busy to ignore little courtesies. Basic courtesy dictates that you at least reply to someone you’ve published before. Not too big a demand. Basic courtesy, get it? But no, just silence. Complete silence. To this day, not a word. Rather high-handed, right? And this from a media house fretting about declining readership and circulation. Good luck to them.

Thankfully, I had another avenue. Edwin Lam, who has contributed regularly to ChessBase over the years, recommended I send the story there. Over the last few days, I’ve been corresponding with their editorial team, and the version published today is a significantly updated and expanded version of what I originally sent to The Star. Do enjoy reading it.