Translated by Google
Chess in Malaysia
Text & images by FM Jens Hirneise
CHESS IN ASIA: MALAYSIA,
32 ROCHADEEURO PA APRIL 2024
In the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, which has almost two million inhabitants and is considered one of the largest trading hubs in Asia, you can also find several places to play chess. At the start of the year, a national senior rapid chess championship for people over 50 took place for the first time at the Kuala Lumpur Chess Academy (klchessacademy.my).
The entrance area of the chess academy is already decorated with some trophies, chess boards and numerous information and tables about current events. To my surprise, when I attended the championship, it turned out that the participants all spoke English among themselves.
Why? The use of English in modern-day Malaysia dates back to the British presence in the Straits Settlements of Penang, Singapore and Melaka from the 18th century. English became
popular there. The coaches WIM Beverly Men-doza, Josephine Berago, NM John Mi-chael Silvederio and Christopher Diaz cover all skill levels. Nationally, Malaysia is considered a significant chess force in Asia with over 14,000 FIDE-rated players – the latest ambitions are being supported by used in public administration, in courts and in business. The Malaysians’ attitude to life is consistently positive – they are very hospitable and international. I was greeted directly by Amirul Haji Mohamad, who holds both the FIDE title “National Arbiter” and the FIDE title “International Organizer” and who kindly and surprisingly even spontaneously gave me a few words of greeting to the participants before a round of rapid chess.
The chess academy began in 2009 and has since offered various training courses for both newcomers and club players up to 1800 Elo and beyond. The Malaysian No. 1 underlined: Only 15-year old FM Yu Tian Poh has already exceeded the magical 2400 mark.
