New Year Resolution: A new culture of excellence for Malaysian chess.

Ref: Here.

Do have a look at the comment posted by Peter. What does he mean by friendship? I would like to comment a little on it as well as the general climate of the writers on Jimmy's blog.

Please try to follow because I hope this will help explain why we are in the rut we are in. During the SEA games training in my home in 2011 we had Zhuo Ren and Sumant there. Mark was pretty much the new player on the National Junior level. Until Mark, most of the top Junior winners were pretty much the same players for many years.

What the boys told me was that for years they have been fixing the games at the level. They even have discussions to decide who the next Champion should be. Who's turn. Although I had my suspicions till then, it was not something that I actively thought about. Until then I had just focused on raising Mark's game.

So this was discussed in my house. Mark explained to Zhuo Ren that by fixing, what you are essentially doing is to deny another player his rightful place. To his credit Zhuo Ren said that he never looked at it that way before. That was just how things were done at that time.

Now I have argued for healthy competition and clean selection and that has brought all those guys together on Jimmy's blog. What is so threatening about that? Healthy competition means yes, we are friends but no I will still fight my best when we meet on the table. I will not collude to pre-agree a result.

Clean competition means that the very best players in Malaysia plays for Malaysia. And so they compete. No biased selection criteria from the active list because the ratings there are suspect. It is simple. If the ratings are reflective of playing strength then it will show up in the selection tournament.

And so I would say that the fight for a change in culture in Malaysian chess today is between those that want a strong Malaysian Team and those that wants to protect the culture of failure.

And so they form the cycle of failure with all their lies, slander etc. Here. The rot starts right from the top with participation from a select group of officials, arbiters, parents and players who wants the back/side doors. And their cronies.

So for 2014, I hope our chess culture will be one of healthy competition. Yes, we are friends but we will still compete. And also one of clean selection. Yes, you have a big fat number but show me what you have on the table. We will still compete.

That is the only way for us to have strong players that can stand tall in the International arena. The other culture breed weaklings.

The first step we need to take, to change that culture, is to get every player that wants to represent Malaysia to fight in National Close period. No side doors from the active rating list or other side deals. And then we choose straight down from the top.

Think of this. They keep telling us how strong this person or that person is. They keep telling us how strong they are. I say, no need to talk. Show us on the table and from an unbiased selection criteria.

Happy 2014.