ON the sidelines of us celebrating Malaysia’s first chess Grandmaster (GM), GM Yeoh Li Tian, on Aug 3, a seasoned foreign GM approached the Malaysian Chess Federation to become a member.
We informed him he is welcome to join, but we would not select him to be an official Malaysian chess player representing our nation at top international tournaments despite the rules allowing him to be. He decided not to join.
Under the International Chess Federation (FIDE) rules, players can freely move between member Federations.
The choice of who plays for a National Federation in even the very top chess tournaments is tied to a Federation’s membership and at least residency of the country, not to citizenship or ancestral origins.
So, having an easily ‘imported’ GM would certainly better Malaysia’s chances at winning in international tournaments.
However, winning is not everything that chess, or any sport, is about.
Chess is about being the best player you can be on the 8×8 board, with the progress being measured by Personal Ratings and eventually titles, such as FIDE Master (FM), International Master (IM) and ultimately Grand Master (GM).
It’s a sport where development happens from playing, coaching, reading, analysis and collaboration, even between rivals!
It is not uncommon for chess players to discuss and analyse a game together just after one has defeated the other, even at a top international tournament where stakes are high!
Just as with any sport, the chance to represent Malaysia is still very much a coveted opportunity in chess.
Whether in team or individual events with contingents comprising of players from as young as 6 years old to over 65 years old, the chance to play with the Harimau jersey is highly contested every year in national selection tournaments such as the Malaysian Chess Championship, National Youth Chess Championship, National Seniors, etc.
Being selected as an Official Malaysian Player in major tournaments like the Olympiad and World Cup, is the culmination of years of effort. For instance, one of our top players and contender for Malaysia’s youngest ever International Master at the age of 14, FM Kavin Mohan, began playing for Malaysia in Panjin, China at 6 years old!
Kavin represented Malaysia at the World Cup in Goa recently. He won that right as Champion of the Malaysian Chess Championship this year.
He did well in Goa, achieving the best performance for a Malaysian player in recent times, before being knocked out at the tournament.
Could an imported Foreign GM, like the one mentioned earlier, have done better? Maybe. But that doesn’t matter.
What matters is that one of our home-grown players after years of toil and sacrifice to be the best at our sport, was given the opportunity to compete against the best from other nations whilst standing tall bearing the Jalur Gemilang.
It gives hope to all aspiring Chess Players that they may one day represent the country at the highest levels too.
It gives all our players that extra drive to work harder, strive further and for all who support them, be they coaches, managers, sponsors or families, to sacrifice more, even redouble their efforts!
When our players succeed at the international level, we all celebrate.
The entire chess community is uplifted, bringing a sense of shared pride, unity and camaraderie with this success which then breeds more success!
The key though is to properly reward and provide as best as possible the opportunities for our home-grown players to flourish.
This has been the secret behind our community’s recent successes at the Youth, Schools and Cadet levels from ages U-18 through to U-8 levels in Asia and Asean.
It is why in 2024, we were upgraded from a Tier III to a Tier II chess nation, due to the significant improvement in the average FIDE Rating of our top players, leading to not just our attaining our first GM, but having a pipeline of future GMs and potential future international champions.
This was achieved despite the modest resources available to Chess compared to other sports, boosted over the past few years by the support of the Olympic Council of Malaysia and especially YBM Hannah Yeoh’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, especially with chess’ inclusion in SUKMA Sarawak in 2024 and soon in SUKMA Selangor in 2026.
The successes took effort, time, with no quick fixes like the importing of players.
So, if anyone was to suggest that we should be more ‘open minded’ and consider importing players, just so we could win more major tournaments now, I would say, no thank you. If they insist, I would say, how dare you!
The Malaysian Chess Federation is not here to deliver quick wins at any cost.
The Malaysian chess community expects better of us. And whilst our players may still be a little way from challenging the Carlsens, Nakamuras or Gukeshes in the Chess world, they are growing, and genuinely improving.
The effort will take longer, but the success is sweeter and done whilst being faithful to the aspirations of our many ever increasing players.
Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi is president of the Malaysian Chess Federation who also happens to make a living as an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Consultant.
MCF is currently hosting 16 national contingents competing at the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2025, Corus Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
*The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
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