Reply to Wai Leong and Kim Yaw.

Ref: Here.

Wai Leong,

Thank you for your honest comment. I believe you have come to the correct decision in abstaining from match fixing but allow me to tell you here my own thought processes and approach to it. The first thing is that match fixing stops your development. Why? Read below first.

Here.

Let's be honest. Very few if any has the drive and ambition or resources to become a GM. But almost anyone can benefit from the lessons of chess. And that benefit as explained in the link above comes when we learn to compete without cheating. Can you see that? And that is not an easy lesson to learn. Take for example Mark's own journey in the one time he "cheated". He broke under the intense pressure of the NJ Championship in 2010 where he almost became Champion. To cut a long story short he accepted a point he did not deserve but chose to come clean when confronted. So enough pressure can break anyone. But once that becomes a habit then you stop learning. The real benefit comes from analyzing how the pressure got to you and to find ways to become stronger next time without cheating. Clearer?

We have encountered match fixing almost every year since 2005 when Mark became Perak U12 Champion. This year we suspected the use of chess engine during National Close. Our approach is to now find a way to beat the use of chess engine usage in tournaments without cheating ourselves. So we need to learn even more. That is my approach. It is always about learning. And you don't learn if you cheat.

So my approach to chess is different from the approach taken before. I focus on competitor analysis and strategy and not merely the technical aspect of the game.

Let me also correct a misconception on your part. Mark was already a 1900 in 2009 when he got his first Fide rating. 1500 is around MSSM level. What we learnt from Norlito, Paulo's father, were refinements in our technical knowledge to enable us to breach the Master level. But Mark's playing strength was already above 2000 by then. Another point which may have escaped your attention is that we do not play most tournaments to win or for ratings but to learn. This is so that we can apply what we have learnt in the tournaments that count.

Now if you go back to that link again, you will also see that I wrote about setting realistic goals. What does this mean? Well in our case it means that we need to modify our goals according to realistic conditions. Mark has just entered University and so he must now adjust his priorities. Chess has to take a lower priority for the moment. It doesn't mean we have stopped. It just means that priorities have changed till conditions also change.

We are still moving but at a slower pace. We do not want to drop the ball.

I am still writing and talking more on my FB so you are welcome to join my page. I accept most chess players.

Kim Yaw,

We do a beginners package that can bring players to the 1500 level but Mark is in charge of that. So do ask him if you get the chance. I only come in as a Coach at the higher competitive levels where deeper strategies are needed.

However I am still continuing to see if I can bring up my Academy again. One of the conditions I have set myself is my ability to protect my players against threats. My inability to stop that is the main reason why I don't take any more students.

You see, the responsibility to stop match fixing and threats to players that want to play clean chess and learn from the game lies with the Associations and MCF. My responsibility is to train my players to be the best players they can be according to their own set goals.

I see some improvements in the selection this year but still some hanky panky. But at least some of the back doors have been shut. And the day MCF realises that almost all the back door players will self destruct will be the day I will play a more active role again. But I will continue to do what I can and improve my own knowledge in the meantime albeit in a smaller way.

Thank you for writing in. I hope I have answered your questions and given you some ideas on how to move forward.

In a nutshell I define competition as improving our skills and not in cheating in all it's many ways. Learning to improve ourselves will take all the energy we have and so there is none to spare in learning how to match fix, which is also very time consuming.

Ergo, you cannot learn all the things I said you can learn from chess and learn to cheat at the same time. And I believe my way takes you much further. All in due time. There is no rush.

All my best in your learning.

Where is the lie Jimmy Liew?

Ref: Here.

You keep making assertions that I am lying about you but you have not been able to say where the lie is. I on the other hand document incident after incident where I show you are a liar and you have not denied a single one of my accusations. Why insult the intelligence of your readers, the few of them, by using simple emotional manipulation? Are they not chess players? Have you ever wondered why most of them use pseudonyms or remain anonymous? Apart from your few known cronies of course. And apart from my assertion that many of those unknown comments are written by you.

Could it be that they are actually ashamed of their association with you? Those that can still feel shame of course.

Are you saying that you did not spawn blog after blog attacking the training for Asean 2010 with lies thereby causing a lot of hardship to many parents and players in the subsequent years?

Are you saying you did not ill advice Zhuo Ren in writing that email posted on your blog?

Are you saying that you did not connive to reject Sumant by leaving him out of the Malaysian Team at Merdeka 2011 after he won his place at SEA games selection? Is he not the first junior to make the senior squad via proper selection and not by your good graces? Is that not why you punished him? Did FGM not contribute to his success?

So many many many lies Jimmy. And did you for one moment consider the pain that you have caused all these people?

Yes, I know you are in pain now Jimmy. But that is the pain coming from the truth. Like I have said before, stop all the lies and the truth will not be written about you. What makes you think for one moment that the pain from the truth you are now feeling is greater than all the pain your lies have caused to so many other people in the chess community? Getting it now Jimmy?

What all this is about?

Ref: Here.

It's about a proper written criteria for selection so there is no back door for anyone. Why does this idea frighten those few people? This is about fraudulent selection and putting an end to it.

This means that the many new chess academies and trainers coming into the system has a level playing field with their players having equal chances to fight for honours. This means that parents and their child can invest in chess knowing that if their child is good, they can progress. This means that sponsors will be sponsoring the best possible player or team because the selection is clean.

It's simple. People will invest when they know there is a chance to succeed. Who in their right mind will invest time or money when they know that it is all fixed?

This is also about not damaging players brought in via the back door without competition but by designed fat numbers and PR campaigns. By collusion within MCF and the arbiters to facilitate this. This is about corruption. The corruption is finally manifested in the player in this manner. A kup chai thinks it's a Ferrari. It is not based on reality so they bomb at tough tournaments. Back doors do that over time.

It's about the selfishness of a few that causes tremendous strife and conflict within the chess community.

It is not about you personally Jimmy which is why I do not bring your family into this. You are not important in this context. It's about what you represent.

Don't hide behind the achievements of the strong players. How did you and your PR product do to deserve the back door?