Thursday, November 4, 2010
A definition of optimism
When we are confident that things cannot get any worse. Is that your definition? If we are not careful, it could easily be.
First GM Chess Academy-Announcement
After doing our due diligence and analysis of forces we have come to this conclusion. We recognise that MCF has a leadership role for the development of Malaysian chess. We do see some positive changes but we also recognise that there is a powerful negative force within MCF that acts against change. Energy spent towards engaging MCF in its current form will show little return in terms of result. They have no plan and they will unlikely come up with one in the near foreseeable future. The forces for change in MCF is just too weak. So there may be more spinning of wheels but no traction.
They are unable to work together with serious sponsors and cannot improve. This is borne out from our Asean experience. By refusing to undertake a postmortem they have condemned themselves to repeating past mistakes. There also does not seem to be a philosophy of win-win. Their attitude of treating sponsors money as their private piggy bank will drive away any serious long term sponsors.
We also recognise that there are limited genuine sponsors who would be willing to support chess and they cannot be frittered away in this manner. First GM have potentially lost DKLS and Air Asia as serious sponsors and we are unwilling to risk our reputation and good name by entering into another fiasco of this nature.
However we continue to recognise a strong need in our society for good critical thinkers. Those that become stronger with training and is competitive in a global environment. There are daily clamours in our newspapers for quality education and exposes of the weak students we produce.
We believe that by using chess training correctly we can produce those thinkers. But it cannot be done in its current form. Look at the products of our current system.
We also continue to believe that if there is sufficient recognition of this fact and sufficient support then we have a way forward. I will put out a proposal after this posting and we will go from there.
They are unable to work together with serious sponsors and cannot improve. This is borne out from our Asean experience. By refusing to undertake a postmortem they have condemned themselves to repeating past mistakes. There also does not seem to be a philosophy of win-win. Their attitude of treating sponsors money as their private piggy bank will drive away any serious long term sponsors.
We also recognise that there are limited genuine sponsors who would be willing to support chess and they cannot be frittered away in this manner. First GM have potentially lost DKLS and Air Asia as serious sponsors and we are unwilling to risk our reputation and good name by entering into another fiasco of this nature.
However we continue to recognise a strong need in our society for good critical thinkers. Those that become stronger with training and is competitive in a global environment. There are daily clamours in our newspapers for quality education and exposes of the weak students we produce.
We believe that by using chess training correctly we can produce those thinkers. But it cannot be done in its current form. Look at the products of our current system.
We also continue to believe that if there is sufficient recognition of this fact and sufficient support then we have a way forward. I will put out a proposal after this posting and we will go from there.
For your consideration
I would like to cover 2 more points before my announcement as I feel we still have some confusion surrounding both. The first point is do we consider chess a hobby or a professional sport?
It seems to me that it is unfair to expect medals from our players if we still consider chess as a hobby. Look at our competition. What resources do they have? What are we up against? There was some clamor when we launched the Asean initiative with accusations of us making money. As it happened we didnt but would it have been bad if we did? Think on this. What will we need if we are to give our players the same sort of support as our competitors? Will we need to be professionals too?
Competition. What does it mean? Can we look at competition as a challenge of ideas? If we do what will it look like? And look at what we have now.
Would it be an exaggeration if I say that in Malaysian chess we have horned one skill set well? We are near mastery (around IM level) in subterfuge, misdirection, back stabbing, lying, sabotage etc. Where has this skill brought us? And who are we using this skill against? Look at the trajectory of our players to see the result of the application of these skills. What happens as they get older? Do we see them getting stronger as they mature or do we see them getting beaten down? Do they becomes more angry and bitter? Do they reach the stage where they cannot even learn anymore? Look at the blogs with the pseudonyms. They say they are senior players. Look at them, they are so scared they dont even dare to use their names. They attack from the dark. Would you be surprised if it is revealed that they dont even know how to play good chess? You can say anything when you dont reveal yourself. If I was to tell you, play chess in Malaysia and you will end up just like them, would you still stay in the game? Would you want to grow up to be just like them?
Ilham and Abdooss brought up a point. Win-win. Can we have win-win in competition? What happens if we do and what will it look like? We are only out to get better ideas. And so the needed skill sets are planning, development, synergy and nurturing. We have healthy competition so our best have the right support. With right support they have success and they come back not beaten down but with energy. They grow and then they return the support to the next generation. The sponsors are happy and we are creating, adding value as we move along.
Why do you think we have only developed one set of skills and have none in the other? Is the other skill set important too? Have we got it all wrong? What does 30 years of evidence show us?
It seems to me that it is unfair to expect medals from our players if we still consider chess as a hobby. Look at our competition. What resources do they have? What are we up against? There was some clamor when we launched the Asean initiative with accusations of us making money. As it happened we didnt but would it have been bad if we did? Think on this. What will we need if we are to give our players the same sort of support as our competitors? Will we need to be professionals too?
Competition. What does it mean? Can we look at competition as a challenge of ideas? If we do what will it look like? And look at what we have now.
Would it be an exaggeration if I say that in Malaysian chess we have horned one skill set well? We are near mastery (around IM level) in subterfuge, misdirection, back stabbing, lying, sabotage etc. Where has this skill brought us? And who are we using this skill against? Look at the trajectory of our players to see the result of the application of these skills. What happens as they get older? Do we see them getting stronger as they mature or do we see them getting beaten down? Do they becomes more angry and bitter? Do they reach the stage where they cannot even learn anymore? Look at the blogs with the pseudonyms. They say they are senior players. Look at them, they are so scared they dont even dare to use their names. They attack from the dark. Would you be surprised if it is revealed that they dont even know how to play good chess? You can say anything when you dont reveal yourself. If I was to tell you, play chess in Malaysia and you will end up just like them, would you still stay in the game? Would you want to grow up to be just like them?
Ilham and Abdooss brought up a point. Win-win. Can we have win-win in competition? What happens if we do and what will it look like? We are only out to get better ideas. And so the needed skill sets are planning, development, synergy and nurturing. We have healthy competition so our best have the right support. With right support they have success and they come back not beaten down but with energy. They grow and then they return the support to the next generation. The sponsors are happy and we are creating, adding value as we move along.
Why do you think we have only developed one set of skills and have none in the other? Is the other skill set important too? Have we got it all wrong? What does 30 years of evidence show us?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Congratulations Puteri
For top 10 performance in WYCC. Here. Puteri is the sister of Shakir and Munajjah. Members of the Azhar family clan of chess proteges.
Confidence-Thinking
Many people cannot make decisions and many people cannot hold them once it is made. We must not mistake knee jerks as decisions. The inability to make clear and firm decisions inevitably lead to a loss confidence. You cannot lie to yourself.
The key to making good decisions lie in considering all the variables including your imagined fears. Chess is a mind game and so it is to the mind we must search for the answer. Very often we are incapacitated by our imagined fears and they loom large in our unconscious. This is the noise in our brain when we compete. The noises outside have power when they resonate with the voices inside our minds. And under increasing pressure they get louder and louder until they overwhelm your thinking.
As you learn to think and confront your fears, you will see that the noise lessens. As you stare down your fears you find that your thinking becomes clearer and clearer. You will make decisions confident you have thought through everything and the noise will eventually abate. And in the end they will disappear. The noise is just that. Noise. They frustrate your plans and they have no bearing to outcome or results except to subvert. Recognise them and they will disappear. Dont and they will steal your hopes and dreams. They have no power except the ones you give them.
Now look at the noises outside again. Here.
Now look inside your mind. They prey on your doubts. Realise also that they do not even have the courage to reveal themselves. They are cowards. What would that make you if cowards can steal your dreams? Dont let them. Think things through. Look at your fears and you will be strong. Even if you do not make or want to be a GM, you will have something to take with you for the rest of your life.
Go back and look at my mentors. They were men that did not allow noises and little men to stop them. Lim Goh Tong found his courage on the way up Genting. Can you think of one great man that that did not face down their fears? That is why their decisions are solid. They do not change their minds in the absence of solid evidence. They stick to the plan. Do this and you will have confidence.
Chess is a beautiful game. It can teach you a lot if you use it properly. It's a game where you can learn about your imagined fears move by move, game by game and tournament by tournament. And you can have fun while learning an essential life lesson. Dont let this game be hijacked.
Deal with imagined fears in your mind and real fears with action.
Note: I will be making an announcement for First GM Chess Academy after this posting.
The key to making good decisions lie in considering all the variables including your imagined fears. Chess is a mind game and so it is to the mind we must search for the answer. Very often we are incapacitated by our imagined fears and they loom large in our unconscious. This is the noise in our brain when we compete. The noises outside have power when they resonate with the voices inside our minds. And under increasing pressure they get louder and louder until they overwhelm your thinking.
As you learn to think and confront your fears, you will see that the noise lessens. As you stare down your fears you find that your thinking becomes clearer and clearer. You will make decisions confident you have thought through everything and the noise will eventually abate. And in the end they will disappear. The noise is just that. Noise. They frustrate your plans and they have no bearing to outcome or results except to subvert. Recognise them and they will disappear. Dont and they will steal your hopes and dreams. They have no power except the ones you give them.
Now look at the noises outside again. Here.
Now look inside your mind. They prey on your doubts. Realise also that they do not even have the courage to reveal themselves. They are cowards. What would that make you if cowards can steal your dreams? Dont let them. Think things through. Look at your fears and you will be strong. Even if you do not make or want to be a GM, you will have something to take with you for the rest of your life.
Go back and look at my mentors. They were men that did not allow noises and little men to stop them. Lim Goh Tong found his courage on the way up Genting. Can you think of one great man that that did not face down their fears? That is why their decisions are solid. They do not change their minds in the absence of solid evidence. They stick to the plan. Do this and you will have confidence.
Chess is a beautiful game. It can teach you a lot if you use it properly. It's a game where you can learn about your imagined fears move by move, game by game and tournament by tournament. And you can have fun while learning an essential life lesson. Dont let this game be hijacked.
Deal with imagined fears in your mind and real fears with action.
Note: I will be making an announcement for First GM Chess Academy after this posting.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Criminal minds
Heard it on Criminal minds but can't remember by whom. "A weak man cannot make a decision because of his doubts and a strong man has his doubts after reaching a decision".
Humility
I read on Sunday that Koh Tsu Koon said that his mistake was being too humble.
Hmmmm, can anyone be humble when they cannot get results? When they keep making the same mistakes over and over again?
Dont you think humility can only come from confidence? When you have nothing to prove anymore? Until then, you may have a template of what you think humility is but that is all. You may try to fake it but deep down inside you know its just a pretence. You are not confident of yourself and your thinking. You are too easily confused. So how to be humble against the huge forces of self doubt, particularly if it lies in the unconcious?
Hmmmm, can anyone be humble when they cannot get results? When they keep making the same mistakes over and over again?
Dont you think humility can only come from confidence? When you have nothing to prove anymore? Until then, you may have a template of what you think humility is but that is all. You may try to fake it but deep down inside you know its just a pretence. You are not confident of yourself and your thinking. You are too easily confused. So how to be humble against the huge forces of self doubt, particularly if it lies in the unconcious?
The greatest insult
Do you know that the greatest insult you can give someone is to tell them what to think? What is the underlying assumption? Why dont you just give them the facts and let them decide for themselves? Why do you need half truths, lies, rejection, innuendos etc? What does that say about you?
Confidence-Fighting spirit
On the surface fighting spirit looks like stubbornness. That is the illusion. But look carefully. When you have fighting spirit, you are always looking for the way to win, for results. Look at what I said about Li Tian.
Stubbornness is non thinking. It is the insanity of doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. This is characterised by an inability to learn, to consider things that make them feel uncomfortable. The offshoot of stubbornness is excuses, finger pointing, self sabotage etc. For examples, please look at the Malaysian chess scene. This is the result of no progress. And so we send them unprepared, we cannot consider new ideas. Why? Otherwise we have no excuse for the failure; otherwise we have no one to blame.
Stubbornness comes from fear, it comes from ego. Fighting spirit is not the same. It may look like its the same but it is actually the diametrical opposite. It's the opposite side of the coin. That is the illusion. Can you see that? You cannot separate confidence from fighting spirit. They are inextricably bound together.
Stubbornness is non thinking. It is the insanity of doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. This is characterised by an inability to learn, to consider things that make them feel uncomfortable. The offshoot of stubbornness is excuses, finger pointing, self sabotage etc. For examples, please look at the Malaysian chess scene. This is the result of no progress. And so we send them unprepared, we cannot consider new ideas. Why? Otherwise we have no excuse for the failure; otherwise we have no one to blame.
Stubbornness comes from fear, it comes from ego. Fighting spirit is not the same. It may look like its the same but it is actually the diametrical opposite. It's the opposite side of the coin. That is the illusion. Can you see that? You cannot separate confidence from fighting spirit. They are inextricably bound together.
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