Neck and neck

Usually at this time during the penultimate round of the Malaysian Open there would be a clear leader. However for the first time this year, thing are not so clear as there are 11 joint leaders ! They are :

1. GM Venkatesh M.R.
2. GM Ma Qun
3. GM Fang Yuxiang
4. GM Tran Tuan Minh
5. GM Zhou Jianchao
6. IM Tan Justin
7. GM Vishnu Prasanna. V
8. GM Yu Ruiyuan
9. GM Nguyen Duc Hoa
10. IM Abdusattorov Nodirbek
11. GM Laylo Darwin

The final round 9 will be played this morning at 9am.

Crossreference table after 8 rounds:-
GM Zhou Jianchao GM Fang Yuxiang GM Fang Yuxiang GM Ma Qun IM Abdusattorov Nodirbek GM Tran Tuan Minh GM Vishnu Prasanna. V IM Justin Tan

Strongest Rapid in Malaysia?

One or at most 2GMs, but 4 GMs in a one day rapid tournament in Malaysia?

Yes the Merdeka Day - Individual Open Chess Championship, held on the rest day of the Malaysian Chess Festival attracted 4 GMs to participate. This is unexpected as these GMs are playing in long time control games (5 Rounds) so far in the Open and Seniors section so usually these serious players would prefer to take the needed break not play on the rest day.

Anyway the 4GMs taking part are:

GM 'Joey' Antonio Rogelio


GM Gerhard Schleber


GM Laxman RR

and GM Alexei Barsov.




IM Oliver Dimakiling is playing too!

IM Abdusattarov Nordibek.
Sivaprakash Maahendra

Round 5 leaders

5 GMa share the lead with 4½ out of 5 points in the Open section of the Malaysian Chess Festival 2017 in the biggest Malaysian Open ever consisting of 162 players. They are:

• GM Zhou Jianchao 
• GM Fang Yuxiang 
• GM Tran Tuan Minh 
• GM Yu Ruiyuan 
• GM Vishnu Prasanna. V

There are 4 more rounds to go. Today (Thursday, 31 August) is a rest day as well as Malaysia's National Day. There will be a one day rapid held at the same venue (Cititel-5th floor). Although official closing date is already past, you can still check if there are extra slots for entry (be at the hall @ 11am). Interactive cross table:- GM Fang Yuxiang

MALAYSIAN Open: After 2 rounds

25 players still maintain their perfect 2/2 scores after the second round in the morning. They are:

Rk.		Name	Rtg	FED	1.Rd	2.Rd	3.Rd	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	GM	Ma Qun	2640	CHN	92w1	55b1	11w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
2	GM	Zhou Jianchao	2597	CHN	59b1	77w1	20b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
3	GM	Tran Tuan Minh	2547	VIE	60b1	81w1	12b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
4	GM	Vishnu Prasanna. V	2538	IND	93w1	53b1	13w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
5	GM	Zeng Chongsheng	2537	CHN	61b1	82w1	14b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
6	GM	Fang Yuxiang	2477	CHN	62b1	80w1	15b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
7	IM	Shyaamnikhil P	2447	IND	94w1	56b1	21w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
8	IM	Nitin S.	2421	IND	63b1	84w1	22b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
9	IM	Cuhendi Sean Winshand	2417	INA	66b1	78w1	23b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
10	GM	Schebler Gerhard	2410	GER	64b1	85w1	24b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
11	IM	Iniyan P	2404	IND	65b1	86w1	1b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
12		Saravana Krishnan P.	2378	IND	69b1	87w1	3w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
13	FM	Taher Yoseph Theolifus	2371	INA	67b1	88w1	4b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
14	FM	Chan Nicholas	2366	MAS	95w1	54b1	5w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
15	IM	Li Ruofan	2365	SGP	68b1	89w1	6w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
16		Kunal M.	2338	IND	70b1	91w1	19b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
17	WGM	Wang Jue	2365	CHN	96w1	112b1	18w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
18	GM	Lin Chen	2450	CHN	137b1	83w1	17b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
19	IM	Low Zhen Yu Cyrus	2440	SGP	138w1	57b1	16w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
20	IM	Krishna C R G	2387	IND	136w1	58b1	2w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
21	CM	Gukesh D	2365	IND	139b1	90w1	7b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
22	FM	Andyka Pitra	2335	INA	122w1	113b1	8w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
23	FM	Setyaki Azarya Jodi	2331	INA	140b1	79w1	9w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
24	IM	Shen Siyuan	2312	CHN	142b1	75w1	10w	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0
25	FM	Dang Hoang Son	2288	VIE	143b1	76w1	28b	2,0	0,0	2,0	1,0

(from chess-results.com)

The 3rd starts at 3pm today.

Malaysian Open - First Round

The biggest Malaysian Chess Festival started it's first round yesterday on 28th August 2017. The event boasts of 396 players taking part in 3 different sections. Here is the breakdown: Open :162 players Challengers:194 players Seniors: 40 players The 14th edition of the chess festival also is the most challenging for the organisers as they will be catering to 19 physically challenged chess players (paraplegic and visually impaired).

 The first round results of the Open saw most higher seeds winning without much difficulty except for a few upsets. GM MR Venkatesh (ELO 2411) lost to talented Under 14 Commonwealth champion Salonika Saina (ELO 2092). There will be 2 rounds played today.

Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Ma Qun	2640	0	1 - 0	0	CM	Jacutina John Merill	2151	86
2	88		Zhu Yanshen	2146	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Zhou Jianchao	2597	2
3	3	GM	Heberla Bartlomiej	2567	0	1 - 0	0	WFM	Wisniowska Klaudia	2142	89
4	90	FM	Subramaniam Sumant	2139	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Tran Tuan Minh	2547	4
5	5	GM	Vishnu Prasanna. V	2538	0	1 - 0	0		Morado Jeth Romy	2132	91
6	92	WIM	San Diego Marie Antoinette	2130	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Zeng Chongsheng	2537	6
7	9	GM	Rahman Ziaur	2512	0	1 - 0	0		Kavinda Akila	2124	94
8	95		Zhang Jiabao	2124	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Swapnil S. Dhopade	2516	7
9	12	GM	Yu Ruiyuan	2495	0	1 - 0	0	WFM	Tan Li Ting	2117	96
10	99	FM	Phadke Sohan	2111	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Nguyen Duc Hoa	2499	10
11	11	IM	Karthikeyan P.	2497	0	1 - 0	0	WIM	Galas Bernadette	2111	100
12	98		Mi Qian	2116	0	½ - ½	0	GM	Lei Tingjie	2514	8
13	102		Dahale Atul	2096	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Fang Yuxiang	2477	14
14	15	IM	Abdusattorov Nodirbek	2470	0	½ - ½	0		Tan Soon Wei Dawson	2094	104
15	105	WFM	Kinarsih Alya Sekar	2092	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Lin Chen	2450	17
16	18	IM	Nguyen Van Huy	2449	0	1 - 0	0	FM	Anand Nadar	2082	107
17	19	IM	Shyaamnikhil P	2447	0	1 - 0	0		Bernardo Dale	2067	109
18	110	WFM	Mendoza Shania Mae	2066	0	½ - ½	0	IM	Garcia Jan Emmanuel	2443	20
19	22	IM	Low Zhen Yu Cyrus	2440	0	1 - 0	0	WFM	Azman Hisham Nur Nabila	2041	111
20	23	IM	Pascua Haridas	2438	0	½ - ½	0	CM	Zuo Yifan	2031	113
21	97		Ma Lin	2117	0	½ - ½	0	IM	Wegerle Joerg	2436	24
22	25	IM	Dimakiling Oliver	2435	0	1 - 0	0	FM	Nouri Alekhine	2018	114
23	115		Rilloraza Istraelito	2015	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Nitin S.	2421	26
24	27	GM	Laylo Darwin	2421	0	½ - ½	0		Bharat Kumar Reddy Poluri	2009	117
25	121	WFM	Bidhar Rutumbara	1985	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Cuhendi Sean Winshand	2417	28
26	33	GM	Laxman R.R.	2397	0	1 - 0	0		Soham Das	2007	118
27	119		Supriya Joshi	1995	0	0 - 1	0	GM	Schebler Gerhard	2410	31
28	29	GM	Venkatesh M.R.	2411	0	0 - 1	0	WFM	Salonika Saina	2092	106
29	120		Edithso Samantha	1987	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Iniyan P	2404	32
30	34	FM	Ervan Mohamad	2389	0	1 - 0	0	CM	Ng Jen Sheng	1984	122
31	123	WFM	Azman Hisham Nur Najiha	1970	0	½ - ½	0	IM	Ravi Teja S.	2383	36
32	35	IM	Krishna C R G	2387	0	1 - 0	0		Anusha N L V	1917	133
33	124		Siddharth Sabharishankar	1967	0	0 - 1	0	FM	Taher Yoseph Theolifus	2371	39
34	40	FM	Chan Nicholas	2366	0	1 - 0	0		Nguyen Truong Bao Tran	1952	125
35	126		Panesar Vedant	1942	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Li Ruofan	2365	41
36	42	WGM	Wang Jue	2365	0	1 - 0	0	WFM	Bakri Alia Anin Azwa	1937	127
37	128		Alhabsyi Muhamad	1933	0	0 - 1	0		Saravana Krishnan P.	2378	38
38	44	FM	Sonjaya Deni	2355	0	½ - ½	0		Chan Yi Meng Ryan	1928	130
39	129		Sachin Malik	1930	0	0 - 1	0		Kunal M.	2338	46
40	47	FM	Andyka Pitra	2335	0	1 - 0	0	WFM	Doroy Allaney Jia G	1927	131
41	132	CM	Advait Bagri	1922	0	0 - 1	0	CM	Gukesh D	2365	43
42	45	WGM	Gomes Mary Ann	2344	0	1 - 0	0		Ahmad Nazari Emir Rusyaidi	1914	134
43	135		Chan Sheng Yip	1904	0	0 - 1	0	FM	Setyaki Azarya Jodi	2331	48
44	51	IM	Sangma Rahul	2325	0	- - +	0	CM	Bennett Hilton	1900	136
45	108		Zhang Yifan(a)	2070	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Yu Lie	2326	49
46	52	FM	Srinath Rao S.V.	2324	0	0 - 1	0		Kakumanu Kautil	1886	137
47	139		Winkelman Albert	1879	0	½ - ½	0	WGM	Zhai Mo	2317	53
48	54	IM	Navin Kanna T.U.	2317	0	1 - 0	0	WFM	Putri Regita Desyari	1862	140
49	141	CM	Budiarto Dhatuyo	1860	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Shen Siyuan	2312	55
50	56	IM	Rajesh V A V	2309	0	1 - 0	0		Goh Sean Christian	1859	142
51	149		Lu Juncheng	1773	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Nguyen Van Hai	2300	57
52	58	WGM	Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim	2300	0	1 - 0	0		Guo Weibao	1882	138
53	152		Jaeel Atharva	1741	0	0 - 1	0	FM	Dang Hoang Son	2288	59
54	61	FM	Teh Eu Wen Aron	2276	0	1 - 0	0		Rohit S	1827	143
55	144		Koo Wei Xin Rosamund	1822	0	1 - 0	0	FM	Mohammad Fahad Rahman	2260	64
56	62		Balasubramaniam H	2267	0	1 - 0	0		Lieu Chin Yung	1788	146
57	147		Mustafa Albakri Suhaimi	1775	0	0 - 1	0		Deshpande Aniruddha	2265	63
58	65		Udani Ian	2255	0	½ - ½	0		Kong Ren En	1774	148
59	150		Cahyadi	1750	0	0 - 1	0	IM	Chakravarthi Reddy M	2277	60
60	50	AGM	Fenil Shah	2326	0	1 - 0	0		Luanchen Yuantai	1692	158
61	151		Goh Ethan	1743	0	1 - 0	0		Zhu Yilun	2250	66
62	68	FM	Mahmud Syarif	2248	0	1 - 0	0	WCM	Chua Jia-Tien	1693	157
63	153		Win Tun Htwe	1714	0	0 - 1	0		Pranav V	2248	69
64	70		Patil Pratik	2246	0	1 - 0	0		Koo Wei Wei Melanie	1708	154
65	156	CM	Nisban Cyrus	1695	0	0 - 1	0		Sahil Tickoo	2211	73
66	71	WIM	Qiu Mengjie	2225	0	1 - 0	0	AGM	Siddharth Jagadeesh	1686	159
67	145		Yang Bokai	1818	0	0 - 1	0		Miciano John Marvin	2212	72
68	74		Ajay Karthikeyan	2202	0	1 - 0	0		Ang Jing Xuan	1668	160
69	161		Sun Yuepeng	1666	0	0 - 1	0		Grafil Franz Robert	2200	75
70	76	FM	Lim Zhuo Ren	2197	0	1 - 0	0		Cheong Tze Wen Jarell	1594	165
71	155		Navaratnam Rohan Shan Tze	1701	0	0 - 1	0	WIM	Luong Phuong Hanh	2193	78
72	79		Lye Lik Zang	2191	0	1 - 0	0	WCM	Goh Jie Yi	1634	163
73	164		Jiang Tiantian	1624	0	0 - 1	0		Moksh Amit Doshi	2148	87
74	80		Chan Marcus	2185	0	1 - 0	0		Chembeti Shreesh Amit	1590	166
75	169		Cheah Kah Hoe	1534	0	½ - ½	0		Hakim Nuh	2096	103
76	81	FM	Bibby Simon	2180	0	1 - 0	0		Low Chee Pang	1566	167
77	162		Kumaresan Nhavin	1640	0	0 - 1	0	FM	Kurniawan Muhamad Agus	2180	82
78	83	FM	Pangilinan Stephen Rome	2175	0	1 - 0	0		Gu Xiaoyun	1539	168
79	85		Aris T.L.S.	2159	0	1 - 0	0	CM	Loh Shao Kai Dylan	1528	170
80	16	IM	Tan Justin	2450	0	½ - ½	0	GM	Neelotpal Das	2441	21
81	93		Quizon Daniel	2129	0	½ - ½	0		Brown Paul	2098	101

Follow the Malaysian Chess Festival game live

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Astro Merdeka Team Ranking after 4 rounds

Incidentally the video above shows team Pama Chess Club who are unique in that they have 3 Grandmasters in their team!!

Rk.	Mannschaft	1.Rd	2.Rd	3.Rd	4.Rd	TB1	TB2
1	PTP IPC A	68w4	48b4	22w4	19b3½	8	15.5
2	GARUDA RETURNS	47b3½	11w3½	12b2½	21w3½	8	13
3	PAMA Chess Club	66b4	36w3	15b3	8w3	8	13
4	TEAM KL	62w4	14b2½	9w3	20b3	8	12.5
5	KL Chesskids Team 1	55w3½	27b4	23w2	25b3½	7	13
6	Dato Team	37w2½	24b2	61w4	28b3½	7	12
7	MARFORI PHILIPHINES	26w2	88b4	24w2½	23b2½	7	11
8	Jayakarta Young	85w4	49b4	16w4	3b1	6	13
9	CALAMBA CITY, PHILIPPINES	56b4	43w4	4b1	36w4	6	13
10	PeBT Selangor	52w4	17b3½	19w1½	48b4	6	13
11	CITY OF DASMARINAS	50w4	2b½	26w4	45b4	6	12.5
12	DU30	51w4	42b3	2w1½	44b4	6	12.5
13	Men On A Mission	34b4	39w4	21b1½	49w3	6	12.5
14	KL Chesskids Team 2	29b3½	4w1½	57b4	39w3	6	12
15	Jakarta Ladies Team	79w3½	73b4	3w1	46b3	6	11.5
16	Karpovian	70b4	81w4	8b0	43w3½	6	11.5
17	CLOBA 80	31b4	10w½	40b3½	50w3	6	11
18	Team MATIK	53w4	44b3½	20w1	42b2½	6	11
19	SUGAR-LALA	83b4	57w3	10b2½	1w½	6	10
20	STRIJDERS	40b3	76w3	18b3	4w1	6	10
21	ACA Men's Team	74b3½	30w3	13w2½	2b½	6	9.5
22	Sarawak A	71b4	67w3	1b0	35w2½	6	9.5
23	ACA Guests	45b3	35w3½	5b2	7w1½	5	10
24	PTP IPC B	41b3	6w2	7b1½	66w3	5	9.5
25	Kuala Lumpur 2	63w4	38b3	28w2	5w½	5	9.5
26	Penang U16 State Team	7b2	69w4	11b0	54w3	5	9
27	'Chicken Attack'	80b4	5w0	34b2½	30w2	5	8.5
28	PACQUIAO SENIORS	46b3	58w3	25b2	6w½	5	8.5
29	Penang 4896	14w½	62b2	64w3	55b3	5	8.5
30	17Chess Club A	84w3	21b1	73w2½	27b2	5	8.5
31	MBSSKL WARRIORS	17w0	52b2	85w3	61b2½	5	7.5
32	Engko Memang Terrer	67w1½	71b4	50w1½	79b3	4	10
33	Klang Valley Kiwis	81b1½	70w2	74b2	83w4	4	9.5
34	Hero Catur	13w0	87b4	27w1½	75b3½	4	9
35	17Chess Club B	89w4	23b½	75w3	22b1½	4	9
36	Penang State Team	64b4	3b1	53w3½	9b0	4	8.5
37	Wise Pawn	6b1½	41w2	77b2	81w3	4	8.5
38	UNCONTROLLED MITOSIS	86b4	25w1	39b1	74w2½	4	8.5
39	ASTRO Women Team	87w4	13b0	38w3	14b1	4	8
40	Penang Ladies State Team	20w1	59b3½	17w½	73b3	4	8
41	ACA Junior Boys U16 Team B	24w1	37b2	51w2	85b3	4	8
42	HELP University	54b2½	12w1	81b2½	18w1½	4	7.5
43	MAKSAK Johor	90w4	9b0	63w3	16b½	4	7.5
44	The White Knights	78b3	18w½	67b4	12w0	4	7.5
45	X IIUM	23w1	89b4	58b2½	11w0	4	7.5
46	17 Chess Club C	28w1	72b3	76b2½	15w1	4	7.5
47	JOHOR State Team	2w½	50b1	90w3½	72b2½	4	7.5
48	Seahorse KSRP	75b3	1w0	83b4	10w0	4	7
49	Kelantan Red Knights A	77b3½	8w0	56b2½	13b1	4	7
50	ACA Junior Boys U16 Team A	11b0	47w3	32b2½	17b1	4	6.5
51	Sarawak D	12b0	54w2	41b2	77w2½	4	6.5
52	JB Chess	10b0	31w2	80b2½	60w2	4	6.5
53	Silent Beauties	18b0	78w3	36b½	76w3	4	6.5
54	WMS KL (I)	42w1½	51b2	88w4	26b1	3	8.5
55	PDRM A	5b½	80w2	70b4	29w1	3	7.5
56	GOCOH	9w0	90b4	49w1½	67b2	3	7.5
57	The Complicated	82w4	19b1	14w0	62b2	3	7
58	Thai Team	72w2½	28b1	45w1½	63b2	3	7
59	SMJK Phor Tay	76b1½	40w½	82b3	65w2	3	7
60	SKY CHESS	88w2	61b1	79w2	52b2	3	7
61	SABAH	69b2	60w3	6b0	31w1½	3	6.5
62	Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah PUTRAJAYA	4b0	29w2	65b2	57w2	3	6
63	CLOBA B	25b0	86w3	43b1	58w2	3	6
64	Ombak Chess Team	36w0	66w2	29b1	88b3	3	6
65	Kelantan Red Knights B	73w0	79b2	62w2	59b2	3	6
66	Stingray KSRP	3w0	64b2	84w2½	24b1	3	5.5
67	NMA Elite	32b2½	22b1	44w0	56w2	3	5.5
68	Sarawak B	1b0	75w½	69b3	71w2	3	5.5
69	U-Knighted	61w2	26b0	68w1	87b2½	3	5.5
70	Clasiccal Chess Warrior	16w0	33b2	55w0	84b3	3	5
71	PDRM B	22w0	32w0	89b3	68b2	3	5
72	FETIH 1453 (U16)	58b1½	46w1	86b3	47w1½	2	7
73	SMJK Katholik	65b4	15w0	30b1½	40w1	2	6.5
74	Nusa Mahkota Jr (Tuah)	21w½	84b2	33w2	38b1½	2	6
75	ROJAK	48w1	68b3½	35b1	34w½	2	6
76	KLSeaGames2017	59w2½	20b1	46w1½	53b1	2	6
77	UNIMAS	49w½	85b2	37w2	51b1½	2	6
78	Nusa Mahkota Jr (Tun Teja)	44w1	53b1	87w2	80w2	2	6
79	Methodist Knight	15b½	65w2	60b2	32w1	2	5.5
80	PCP	27w0	55b2	52w1½	78b2	2	5.5
81	Hari Hari Mau	33w2½	16b0	42w1½	37b1	2	5
82	MBSSKL JBBC	57b0	83w1	59w1	90b3	2	5
83	Sarawak C	19w0	82b3	48w0	33b0	2	3
84	CHKL	30b1	74w2	66b1½	70w1	1	5.5
85	IJM/S2 Community	8b0	77w2	31b1	41w1	1	4
86	KINABALU 3	38w0	63b1	72w1	89w2	1	4
87	Swordfish KSRP	39b0	34w0	78b2	69w1½	1	3.5
88	Spearfish KSRP	60b2	7w0	54b0	64w1	1	3
89	LIPIS Warrior	35b0	45w0	71w1	86b2	1	3
90	JM BENA	43b0	56w0	47b½	82w1	0	1.5