Chess development in the country will be given a boost with the arrival of Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman.
THERE are a number of interesting chess activities coming up in the next two or three weeks.
First up is the news that we shall have Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman stationed here in Malaysia for the next one year. Ziaur is Bangladesh’s second grandmaster and the leading player in his country at present. He is expected to arrive on our shores sometime next week and will be based at the Datuk Arthur Tan Chess Centre (DATCC) in Kuala Lumpur.
Why would we need a foreign grandmaster here in Malaysia? Well, it is to boost chess development in the country. We need someone who is experienced enough to be a catalyst to raise our game. Ziaur happened to be available and he was interested in the challenge.
Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman will be based in Malaysia for a year.
Moreover, he comes with good credentials. He is an active player in the regional chess circuit so he’s not one to rest on his laurels. He led Bangladesh at the Asian team chess championship in Kolkata last December, took part in an international chess event in Delhi in January, and made an impressive second-place finish in the Chennai open chess tournament this month.
Ziaur’s international rating of 2548 is high enough to suit Malaysia’s needs. We don’t need a super-GM here but we do need a professional who is strong enough to impart his knowledge and experience to our players.
Ziaur is a trainer at the Garry Kasparov School of Chess in Bangladesh and was the coach of the Bangladesh national women’s chess team. He has trained many junior players in his homeland and neighbouring India, and counts Sayantan Das, the current under-12 world chess champion who recently secured his first international master norm, as a notable student.
A comprehensive programme has been prepared to make full use of him during his time here. There will be various events and tournaments featuring Ziaur as the main man, with seminars and classes, including trips to reach out to all corners of the country.
Some of the activities planned will be individual chess sessions for serious players who want to improve their skill and understanding of the game, and group classes covering topics such as preparations for tournaments, opening, middle game and endgame techniques.
He’ll be giving chess seminars and training to suit all manner of chess enthusiasts, including parents, supporters, officials and organisers.
Ziaur will be available to take part in local chess tournaments and I hear that there’ll be monthly rapid chess events and quarterly Fide-rated tournaments. He will also be available for outstation trips, so state chess associations and clubs can arrange for him to visit them.
For enquiries into Ziaur’s programme, contact Najib Wahab (016-338 2542, najib.wahab@hotmail.com).
Upon his arrival, Ziaur will be whisked to Ipoh to take part in the first leg of the Tan Sri Lee Loy Seng Perak grand prix, which is sponsored by Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd.
Ten legs are scheduled for this tournament which will visit various towns in Perak such as Taiping (April), Parit Buntar (April), Lumut (May), Parit (June), Teluk Intan (July), Kampar (August), Grik (September) and Kuala Kangsar (October), with the grand final set for Ipoh in December. The Perak International Chess Association (Pica) will be organising the events together with DATCC.
The first leg will kick off at Wisma Belia in Jalan Ghazali Jawi, Ipoh, on March 7, with the participation of at least 150 players including Ziaur. The total prize money is RM1,720 with with consolation prizes for the under-16, girls’ under-16, under-12 and girls’ under-12 sections.
Entry fees are RM25 for the open section, RM15 for under-16 players and RM10 for under-12 players. Pica members and players born in Perak pay RM5 less. Payment must be made to Pica by March 4. For further details, visit perakchess.blogspot.com.