Only a marginal setback

We have had good news coming our way regarding Malaysia’s first grandmaster, Yeoh Li Tian, that it was easy to forget that Poh Yu Tian was also chasing a grandmaster norm at the same time, but in Europe. For the whole of July, he had been playing in Spain and Switzerland before heading to Hungary. The last time I wrote about him, the 16-year-old Poh had just finished the Biel Masters Open tournament in a very creditable sixth place.

Going into Budapest, the boy had reason to believe this could be a significant step forward. His performance at Biel had been solid, leaving him with more than just rating points. He had momentum, his games had been sharp, his calculations clear and the idea of securing a first GM norm felt within reach.

That kind of progress changes perspective. On the way from Biel to Budapest, it would have been natural for his thoughts to wander towards the numbers: what score he needed, how important a strong start could be. Confidence suggests readiness, but it also makes the stakes feel higher.

The first round in Budapest went well. Yu Tian defeated GM Miklos Galyas, a result that seemed to confirm his Biel form was no fluke. His play was assured, the positions handled with care. It was the kind of beginning one hoped for when chasing a norm.

Round Two brought a draw against IM Anto Cristiano Manish. A steady, reasonable result that didn’t shift momentum too much but kept him on track. By my estimate, he could only afford to drop two points from the nine rounds and here, the draw meant half-a-point gone. In a long tournament, these half-points, especially against slightly lower-rated opposition, are part of the rhythm. 

Round Three was the first real challenge. Facing GM Fodor Tamas Jr, Poh suffered a loss. Against a higher-rated opponent, such setbacks are part of the landscape. Yet even so, it’s a reminder that the margin for error will grow slimmer with every round. Here, he could only afford to drop one more half-point.

Then came Round Four. FM Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy, more than 200 rating points lower. In a norm run, this is the game Yu Tian was expected to win. Yet, sometimes, even when everything seems in place, things don’t go as planned. One small misjudgment led to another, and before long, the scoreboard showed a loss. By then, having expended 2½ points, the possibility of achieving the grandmaster norm had already slipped beyond reach. One-third of the way across the globe, my friends and I felt his pain,

Coming off Biel, Yu Tian must have carried a sense of readiness, a belief that he could meet the challenge of this field. That confidence took a hit, replaced by the need to reassess and find footing again. It’s part of the journey many face in these high-stakes moments.

He managed to steady himself in the rounds that followed but I sensed the lack of spark needed to change the tournament’s course. Draws against WGM Josefine Safarli, IM Bence Daniel Pribelszky and IM Gia Huy Banh kept him in the event, but the grandmaster norm was already out of reach. On paper, these results weren’t failures, but for a player chasing a very specific goal, the loss of each half-point felt like a reminder of what was slipping away.

By the last two rounds, freed from the pressure of chasing a norm, Yu Tian seemed to find a bit more ease in his play. In Round Eight, he converted a clean win against Jan Golecki. The final round brought a solid draw with GM Sahaj Grover. It was a professional and steady finish to a tournament that began with promise and ended with a quiet acceptance that a GM norm was not easy even in a tournament such as this SixDays in Budapest.

If there is a lesson in this, it should be about how players deal with the mental journey. How to keep the emotions of one difficult loss, especially against a lower-rated opponent, in check before the next game is played. At the same time, every opponent deserves respect, no matter their rating. A lapse in focus against any competitor can undo days of effort.

Poh Yu Tian should take heart that this was a necessary chapter on his path toward a grandmaster norm. Progress is rarely plain sailing. More often, it is marked by bursts of confidence, moments of difficulty, setbacks and recovery. The important thing is to ensure that the setbacks do not derail the journey entirely, and that the next opportunity can be met with fresh determination.