World Chess Day 2024

Today is World Chess Day. Why so? Because 100 years ago on 20 July 1924, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded in Paris, France. Hence, FIDE is also known as the Fédération Internationale des Échecs. Today is thus very special indeed for the worldwide chess community, and FIDE calls it reaching a monumental milestone: One Hundred Years of promoting and governing the game of chess.

World Chess Day was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 12 December 2019 to mark the date of FIDE's establishment in 1924. However, under FIDE's own initiative, this date—the 20th of July—has been observed as World Chess Day by chess players around the world since 1966.

The designation of World Chess Day not only recognises the role of FIDE in supporting international cooperation for chess activity and aiming to improve friendly harmony among all peoples of the world, but also provides an important platform to foster dialogue, solidarity and a culture of peace.

To celebrate the occasion and FIDE's Centenary, the Malaysian Chess Federation with assistance from the Penang Chess Association will officially join other national chess federations in an ambitious attempt to set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the most chess games played in 24 hours. From novices to grandmasters, in classrooms and on streets, online and over-the-board, chess enthusiasts from every corner of the globe will participate in this historic event.

Today's final round of the main Standard Chess competition in the eighth Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship in Penang, along with the subsequent Blitz tournament, has been registered as part of this world record attempt. We aim to contribute at least 180 Standard and 1,600 Blitz games to the global numbers.

#FIDE100 #FIDEChess #AsianChess #MalaysiaChess #PenangChess

It's a wrap

Last Sunday, we had the final, wrap-up meeting of the OFA Centenary Celebrations Committee. It has been an honour and a gas to work with these guys during this past 27 months: Alex, Eu Beng, Andrew, Billy, Liang Teik and Raman. Also not forgetting Jin Heng and Ronnie who left the committee a few months after their initial appointments. I'm going to miss all the fun activities and excitement.

For the record, we travelled to the Royal Palace in Arau, then had the official launch of the Centenary celebrations by the Regent of Perlis. We launched the time capsule, organised a Carnival Day, Elocution contest, social cycling, Centenary walk, snooker and billiards competitions, a FIDE-rated chess competition, table tennis, badminton, tennis, hockey and football competitions, golf tournament, PFS music and drama show, Centenary book and the joint Centenary-and-OFA annual dinner. As was expected, we worked with Penang Free School on some of these activities. I was mainly involved with the chess competition and the book. The committee successfully worked within our budget and we are capping our sign-off by setting up the OFA Centenary Education Fund to perpetuate the memory of the grand celebrations.

 

The 12 best photos

Siang Jin's six-day black-and-white photography exhibition at The Old Frees' Association is over. Yesterday, I was helping to watch over the dismantling of the exhibition panels. Before that, his brother and I had taken down all the exhibits and we waited for them to be packed securely before the transportation back to Siang Jin in Kuala Lumpur.

Twelve pieces were sold and RM9,600 will be collected from the buyers in the days or weeks to come. After that, 25 percent of this collection, that is RM2,400, will be handed over to The Old Frees' Association to add into the OFA Sesquicentenary Education Fund. The remaining RM7,200 will be retained for our annual PFS Student Leadership Workshops and the soon-to-be-launched Free School Guide. Everything goes into our efforts to help the school improve; nothing into our pockets.

And these are the 12 photographs that were sold. The captions are all by Siang Jin.  I shall not be naming the purchasers though and they should remain anonymous and confidential, in my opinion.

WELCOME. Penang Free School remains true to its name – to be “free”, to admit students irrespective of class, race and religion. This has been one of its distinguishing features for over 200 years – since its founding in 1816. All it asks of its wards in return are to be strong and faithful to the school’s ideals of overall excellence and multiculturalism.

AWESTRUCK. Many a freshie, like me in 1966, find these arches of the Pinhorn Hall intimidating and an awesome sight. They never fail to impress — even now. I like to see the hall empty with its main door wide open, like a grand tunnel welcoming activity. From resplendent speech days to the rigours of badminton practice. From timeless Shakespearean plays to captivating fashion shows.

PERPLEXING. For the first few weeks, indeed months, at school, everything looked and sounded different. Our first-year experience was amplified by the school’s Sesquicentenary (or 150th anniversary). We had joined the school with grand misconceptions, like seeing shadows on Plato’s “Cave”. As we moved from year to year, we gradually appreciated its essential worth – as an assiduous mentor to prepare us for our lives ahead.

POTENT. This is Free School in a solid but dynamic posture with clouds pushing right. This was once its hub, housing the headmaster’s office, a grand porch to receive VIPs and all, the school clock, and above all, visually, a commanding tower. This image leaves a bit to be desired; the top right has little texture. To me, it is a metaphor for the unfulfilled, of dreams and potential. One thing’s for sure: The school gave us a potent sense of idealism anchored to its grand design.

NUANCED. The school is not always its perfect unblemished white; nor does it stand alone majestically. It is woven into the surrounds, invaded by shadows, placed in an environment where it stands out but not absolutely. Free School grows on people not by its exterior but by the layers of nuances that one acquires. The school spirit embodies so many ideals: Diversity, student empowerment, excellence in academia and extracurricular activities, and responsibility of action in the service of others.

GRIT. The school made many of us feel towering, that we could reach for the skies in a multitude of areas, even at our tender ages. Indeed, most of those who fared well eventually made something of themselves. There were others who did not fit the mould of an all-rounder but made good in later life in their niches. The group that impresses me the most comprises those who, despite setbacks, some very severe, persevered to become highly successful. I think Free School gave us this can-do attitude, this “grit”.

SPIRAL. Full of surprises, the school offers people pathways to rise in myriad ways. It could be in the field, in class or in the various societies of the school. We just had to seek out our own paths, many of which were hidden. In retrospect, having to deal closely with people and relationships, none of the pathways was straightforward and simple to tread — like this spiral staircase behind trees and bushes at Kutub Khanah Tunku, the school library.

ARTERIAL. The well-trodden corridors of the school are its physical arteries. Making all parts of the school accessible, they help create a sustainable order. More than that, they provide ventilation and natural lighting. Their architectural detailing, on the columns lined on one side and French doors of classrooms on the other, has great aesthetic value — so much so they are a favourite subject for photographers.

STUDENTSPEAK. Two “tricks of the trade” of being a student are to speak well and to speak freely. All part of growing up. Free speech however has to be tempered with responsibility, truthfulness, and the motivation to build trust. Looking back, the school taught us much about free speech. We learnt the proper ways to speak up; we also learnt about censorship, and the consequences of crossing red lines in communication, etc.

MEMORABLE. Each of us probably has a few places of significance in school. This is one of mine. In 1967, behind this opening to the “garden” quadrangle, were the industrial arts workshops. We spent much time in them carving wood, etching metal plates, and tooling copper sheets; preparing for exhibitions. To the right was the room for “mechanics”, where the school installed single-cylinder internal combustion engines for us to take apart and re-assemble.

SANCTUARY. This far end of the enormous school field that fits four football pitches with a lot of space to spare, has been a sanctuary for many – away from the entangled, sometimes mangled, relationships forged to get things done. It was a place for quiet walks and serious conversations; for simple sit-downs to be detached from it all; and to gaze at others engaged in the fun and ferocity of field games.

FORTIS. Our character was not built in strait jackets and learning by rote. We were guided up sturdy steps, albeit in an environment that empowered us, gave life to our creative impulses and made us responsible for our actions. Like the boys, we too had fun and a strong sense of camaraderie. Fortis atque Fidelis.

Forward to the past

Way back in June this year, Lim Siang Jin and I had undertaken a photographic journey, dedicating ourselves to explore and capture the essence of Penang Free School with our cameras over three to four days. While my intent was simply to capture these memories for personal enjoyment, Siang Jin had a more pointed objective in mind. Armed with a borrowed Leica SL2-S, he aspired to showcase his work in an exhibition hosted by The Old Frees' Association, and what better time to do so than during the OFA's Centenary celebrations year.

Over the past three months, I have been assisting him in securing approval from the committee to hold this exhibition in the OFA hall. And now, at last, this is the culmination of his tireless effort—a remarkable exhibition featuring a collection of evocative black-and-white photographs. These images are meant to bring out nostalgic emotions in all who have walked the corridors of Penang Free School, unless, of course, one possesses a heart of ice.

I arrived at The Old Frees' Association this afternoon to find Siang Jin deep in preparing the multi-purpose hall for his photography exhibition. This exhibition showcases 31 black-and-white photographs that beautifully capture the essence of Penang Free School. These images are a poignant nod to the 1960s, a significant era in both our personal journeys of growth and transformation.

The exhibition will run from 28 September until 03 October and the hall will be opened daily from 10am until 5pm. The framed photographs will be on sale to the public at RM800 each, with 75 percent of the proceeds going to the PFS Student Leadership Workshops and Free School Guide, and 25 percent to the OFA Sesquicentenary Education Fund. Siang Jin and I hope that visitors to the exhibition will be generous enough to buy them and contribute to helping the students of Penang Free School grow. And I tell you this: they are worthy of your support!

Exhibition's website: https://www.limsiangjin.art/our-legacy-landmark-memories-of-penang-free-school/

OFA Centenary chess final standings

These are the final standings at the conclusion of the OFA Centenary chess tournament at the Pinhorn Hall, Penang Free School, on 24 September 2023. The details can be viewed from chess-results.com The prize-winners' list appears at the end of this post.

Centenary chess competition concludes

The OFA Centenary chess tournament was a very successful rapid competition by any standard, even if I, as the Tournament Director and organiser, have to say so myself. More so, this was a FIDE-rated event. Quite a rarity on Penang's shores, and we managed it successfully yesterday at Penang Free School's Pinhorn Hall. 

My thanks goes out to Jonathan Chuah, whom I had appointed as the Chief Arbiter, and his team which included Cheryl Ho and three volunteer tournament assistants. I also wish to thank Lim Li Yeong, the advisor of the PFS Chess Club. She stayed for the whole duration of the tournament and helped to look after the storage boxes. 

My sincerest appreciation is extended to See Swee Sie, the President of the Penang Chess Association, and her team who gave their assistance in every way. Special mention for Lim Poay Sim for his help during the FIDE ID approval process and the supply of chess equipment. On the Malaysian Chess Federation front, my appreciation to Steven Cheong for his role in the FIDE ID approvals too. Without Poay Sim and Steven, I'm sure our tournament would not have obtained so many new FIDE unrated players. Most importantly, my appreciation to my sub-committee members, Ung Tay Aik and Terry Ong. We pulled this off well, boys! 

IM Pavel Shkapenko drawing for his colour

While Saturday morning was spent setting up the hall, Sunday itself was the tournament. The players, many with their parents and relatives in tow, started showing up at 8.15am. Myself, I was already at the school hall before eight o'clock, saw the doors open and walked in to find the schoolboy helpers already present. Jonathan and his father turned up a bit later, and with both Tay Aik and Terry, we all laid out the equipment. We agreed to an early feedback from a participant and had the tables quickly rearranged by spacing them out in the hall. After all, there was ample space. 

We were all set by 8.30am and decided to begin proceedings at 8.40am. I gave a short opening remark, thanking all participants for their presence, blah blah blah, and then introduced the Chief Arbiter and his assistants to the participants. Jonathan then began his briefing session. A five-person Appeals Committee was nominated, and Russian international master Pavel Shkapenko was invited to draw for his colour in the first found. 

At nine o'clock, the event started. Three rounds before lunch and four rounds after. We finished on time and prize giving began at six-thirty. My thanks to Lee Eu Beng and See Swee Sie for giving away the prizes.

Getting ready for the tournament. Parents and relatives are already at the back of the hall.

Nope, they are not here to sing the School Rally. Only to listen to my opening remarks and the Chief Arbiter's briefing.

An interesting viewpoint from the back of the hall. Picture by Dr Ronnie Lim Chuin Hoong

The games are in session. The hall is packed with 94 players. The top six boards are seated in the front rows while the remaining boards play in the background

FIDE Master Poh Yu Tian

International Master Pavel Shkapenko from Russia

National Master Tan Khai Boon

Liong Ing Kiat

Woman Candidate Master Chua Jia-Tien

FIDE Master and National Master Dr Ronnie Lim Chuin Hoong

Eshwant Singh

Lim Cheng Teik

Ung Tay Aik

Tan Eu Hong

Chong Kean Foong

Terry Ong

Lim Lih Fong

National Master Evan Timothy Capel

The Chief Arbiter, FIDE Master and National Master Jonathan Chuah, and Cheryl Ho who assisted as the Arbiter in this event

Pavel Shkapenko against Chua Jia-Tien in the final round

Poh Yu Tian against Dr Ronnie Lim in the final round

Pavel Shkapenko playing against Poh Yu Tian in the fifth round 

Martin Greenwood, the most senior participant in the tournament, is quite a familiar face in chess events in Penang 

The Tournament Director with the Chief Arbiter, Jonathan Chuah

There's something about the school arches that makes this tournament a special homecoming for the Old Boys of Penang Free School

An indescribable feeling when one sits beneath the arches of this august hall AND play chess

At the start of the third round. Picture by Barath Kumar

Picture by Barath Kumar

I had such great support from See Swee Sie, President of the Penang Chess Association

Tan Eu Hong, Dr Ronnie Lim, myself, Lee Ewe Ghee and Jonathan Chuah. Ewe Ghee, the former President of the Penang Chess Association, paid a surprise visit to the tournament 

Myself with Alex Tan (centre) and Lee Eu Beng (right), respectively the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the OFA Centenary Celebrations Committee

A gathering of some Old Boys in the Penang Free School Hall

Jonathan, Eu Beng, myself and Cheryl with the winners of the OFA Members category, Lim Cheng Teik, Terry Ong and Lim Lih Fong. 

Jonathan, myself, Swee Sie, Eu Beng and Cheryl with the top three winners of the Open section: Pavel Shkapenko (second), Poh Yu Tian (first) and Tan Khai Boon (third). The envelopes I held belonged to the players who were not there to collect their prizes. Arrangements will be made later.