Game changer.

I hope you will really think about this post. I will attempt to explain how we can get the Associations to really support the development of chess in Malaysia. It's just 2 steps to our own GM's and super GM's.

1. Get proper written selection criteria for representation for State or Country.

2. Remove the power for arbitrary banning of players from any tournament.

The first we already have at the National level. It is not perfect but its a beachhead all the same. Let me explain why.

Think about this. Why was there so much resistance to such a reasonable demand as written selection? Did you see the attacks on the people and bloggers who asked for selection? Why such deep anger and fear? Let me postulate a little here.

Lets visualise 2 scenario's.

The first. We have leaders who know how to bring us success; if we now have leaders who are busy building on that vision of our own GM, would they take out so much energy to resist what is purely common sense?

Why do you need the power to ban without any proper grounds? Why not just have some basic rules to determine the policy and procedures? I estimate about 10 minutes worth of thinking here to get a simple draft out. Why nothing for 30 years? That is the big big question now isn't it?

So lets visualise the second scenario. Now if we have leaders with no ideas on how to develop us, how would they behave? They have no answers but they want to be leaders. What powers will they need to control both the players and the parents from asking legitimate questions? Especially the parents. What buttons will they need to control them? Yes. It is simple. Attack their child so they don't dare to openly ask questions. Reduce them to whispering in dark corners. Sound familiar?

These 2 tools have been used to keep Malaysian chess backwards for 30 years. I have seen many many strong players broken by the lack of those 2 simple rules. And frightened parents brought to heel.

We now have selection, brought to you from the pain and sweat of the few that dared to fight for it. And so we are now just one small 10 minute step from turning our fortunes around. Just one more step.

Insist on proper policies and procedures for banning. Get rid of the abuse by unscrupulous people. Right now they can ban if they don't like your face, don't like your questions, don't like the fact that you are not rich, dont like the fact that you are richer than them, don't like your smell or your colour; If they don't like that you play better chess than their students or their children etc etc.

Now do you see why we are so backward? Instead of supporting the strong players, they use these tools to support their weak ones. Dont select the strong players, ban them if necessary.... "I don't need to give a reason. It is my prerogative".

One more step and 2012 will indeed be the year when Tiger dragons will be born in Malaysia. What say you? Do you want that change? Just one more step and we can turn 30 years of failure into success. We just need someone in MCF to spend 10 minutes on this problem of the correct basis for banning.

ps: Do note that it is usually the strong that are not selected, banned etc. The weak have already kowtowed in order to be selected (in the past at National level but still the same in one State at least that I know of). Like I said earlier, the moment you kowtow to unreasonable demands/fears you are no longer tiger dragons. Does that make sense? Isn't that the definition of being broken against your will or better judgement?

The coming of selection has already shown up some successes. The first junior in the senior team, fighting IM's and players who bring us medals, etc etc etc.

Now we need the last game changing step. Just one more step to responsible officials and Malaysian success in chess. Stop the abuse of power of banning of players without grounds.

With these 2 steps in place, we will see that Malaysian GM. Either believe me or ask MCF for their solution. And then compare the answers.