The deal.

From my observations and conversations over the last 10 years this is my conclusion of how to strike the deal to play chess for Malaysia. So do take note if you want to be a crony.

You have to agree to pass the point when it is your turn. So for instance, I will pass you a point to make you NM and you pass me a point to make me look good so I can pitch to be the Coach for the National Team. This way we all look good.

If you agree, then we will do this for you. We will knock out all the real chess players in your way for you. We will fix their pairings, we will make sure that the selection criteria is ambiguous and so if you don't make it we will twist it in such a way that you will still slip in. We will attack them and intimidate them for you. Not to worry, we have had many many years to perfect our art. We know what we are doing and we are very creative at our job.

So that is the deal if you want to make the senior squad. Now you know and so you can decide if that is the way for you. Or not.

A cautionary note. There are only so many places on the senior squad and there are many who thought they had a deal and have played ball but didn't get in. Whether you get the real deal or not depends on how much they need you and how low you can get to carry their balls.

At least you can now make informed choices right?

But there is a flip side and a price. Those people didn't struggle to get their places. They didn't work out why they cannot win without the fixing. If you look closely they have traded away the very thing that they need to do well on the International circuit in search for the shortcut into the National Team. They traded away their courage and fighting spirit. They traded away their dignity and self confidence.

I don't know about you but that is too heavy a price to pay for me and mine. I refuse to trade away something that will help me for the rest of my life for that short term gain.

There is no place for you if you want to progress based on your chess skills alone. You need the deal.

So strip away your illusions and stop looking at all the chess greats from around the world and those that visit us in our Country. We have long given up on the dream of a strong Malaysian player who can stand tall in the International circuit. We have given up the dream based on our actions although in words we still say we want a GM etc.

I promise you that there will be less heartache that way. Those deal makers are not real chess players. They come from a cartoon show. Don't pin your hopes on them. They have nothing over their International competitors. They have already been broken at home.

ps: If you still want the deal, write in to me and I will give you the names of the deal makers. There are a few of them so I hope you are prepared to carry many balls. Pardon my french.