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Seeing
Double!
The Penang
Chess Association achieved a rare double at this year's
Merdeka team chess championships when the Senior and Youth
teams emerged as the champions in the State and Youth
tournaments respectively.
The Senior
team - comprising Ronnie Lim, Ng Tze Han, Jonathan Chuah,
Chuah Heng Meng, Goh Yoon Wah and Tan Hong Ghee - scored a
big victory by winning the State event with a round to
spare. At the end of seven rounds, Penang had obtained 23.5
points compared to Terengganu, their nearest rivals, which
scored 19 points. Third was the Kuala Lumpur team with 16.5
points.
In the first
round, Penang beat Perak 4-0, then scored a narrow 2.5-1.5
win over Terengganu in the second round. A 3.5-0.5 over
Sarawak in the third round was followed by another narrow
2.5-1.5 win against Kuala Lumpur. Thereafter, there was no
looking back for the Penang team as it streamrolled 4-0 over
Melaka and Kelantan, before winding down with a 3-1 score
against Selangor.
With this
fine victory, Penang has held onto the Deputy Prime
Minister's challenge trophy for yet another year. Ronnie,
Heng Meng and Hong Ghee won board prizes for their efforts.
The Penang
Youth team - comprising Khor Shihong, Teng Wei Khoon, Lim
Yew San, Tan Khai Boon, Khoo Chang Gee and Low Han Boon -
were equally impressive in the Youth event which they won
with 23.5 points. Shihong, Yew San and Han Boon picked up
board prizes for their performances.
The boys
began the tournament with three successive 4-0 results
against Meridien Pewter Jr, Penang "B" and
SJI Singapore. This was followed by a narrow 2.5-1.5
win over Perak before the team scored another 4-0 against
Keluarga Effa. In the penultimate round, it was a 3-0 score
against Selangor. In the last round, however, Sabah slightly
dented our Youth team's fine record when they drew with
Penang.
Nevertheless,
this victory means that the Youth team has captured the
Merdeka Youth challenge trophy which they had last won three
years ago.
For this
year's Merdeka team chess championship, the Penang teams
were clad in striking white and blue tracktops. Their
participation in this event was sponsored by Dell Asia
Pacific.
Apart from
the Penang Senior, Penang Youth "A" and "B" teams, the
Penang Chess Association also sent the Penang Juniors to
play in the Youth tournament and the Penang Wanita to
participate in the Open tournament. Other teams from Penang
that took part in the Merdeka team chess championship this
year were Dell Asia Pacific, TUOKEY, Universiti Sains
Malaysia, Penang Free School Camps "1" and "2" and Chung
Ling High School.
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HERE TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF THE MERDEKA TEAM CHESS
CHAMPIONSHIP
Ng Tze
Han (right) won the 2000 National Closed Chess Championship
in Kuala Lumpur
The success
at the Merdeka team chess championship follows in the wake
of Ng Tze Han's fine performance in the National closed
chess championship earlier this year. Tze Han had won the
tournament to become the country's latest National Master.
He has also won an automatic berth in the Malaysian national
team which shall be playing the Chess Olympiad in Istanbul,
Turkey beginning at the end of October.
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