Why I am supportive of our Juniors.

We have world class juniors. This is proven from our results in International tournaments. And yet we see that they are languishing years later whereas the boys and girls that they used to beat go on to become GM's and World class players.

It's a little like the best of the best are separated and sent to different universities. They are sent to universities in Vietnam, Indonesia, Phillippines and Malaysia.

If the students here, these cream of the world now dont do well, where do we look to for the answers? Here we say the students are not good enough. Could it be our system is not supportive enough? Our trainers and coaches are not skilled enough?

This is a question for the adults who set the system, for the coaches and trainers who guide the juniors to answer. Why shift the blame to the juniors? You all had the same world class material to start with.

The juniors are getting a bum deal. And someone needs to speak up for them. Any more volunteers?

Some Stats on GM's by Andrew.

Here.

Right and Wrong exists.

Right and wrong exists when we are agreed on a goal. Some decisions and attitudes lead us towards our goal and others lead us away.

What is the goal of the Malaysian Chess community?

A wrong assumption.

Is a very dangerous thing. I have seen 2 bloggers in the last few weeks saying that if you cannot be GM by 15yo, you can forget it. And they "quote" Anand.

Why is this a dangerous assumption? Well for one, it denies the evidence that there are many GM's being produced around the world now that is over 15yo.

It also shifts the responsibility away from the trainers, coaches and put unreasonable pressure on the juniors to achieve an impossible goal. Unreasonable because if you want them to get to become GM, you have to show them the way. The trainers and the coaches. The trainers and coaches have to figure out what is needed and then show the juniors the way. Not abandon them after 15yo and then say "you havent got it. See... thats what Anand says".

When GM Ziaur Rahman was here I spent some time with him and tried to get his feedback on this. In a nutshell this is what he told me. He said we are not playing chess for the love of the game. Learn enough and then the GM will come. It is about learning not quick fixes or unattainable and unsustainable results.

I always felt that Ziaur should have been teaching our seniors and our National Juniors. And even for the juniors only the ones who are more advanced. He was not good at teaching very young kids. We saw that at the Asean initiative. So I felt his talents were wasted when he was reduced to teaching ordinary classes. Wasted opportunity.

At the Asean initiative an offer was also made to the trainers to learn under Ziaur sponsored by FGM and only Jax Tham answered the call.

The role of the Associations is to facilitate the resources to allow for the development of our players. So there must be no misconception there too. The Associations cannot abandon the juniors after they have turned 15yo either as our history shows.

This is a very wrong assumption. Dont misquote Anand to run away from your responsibility, trainers, coaches and Associations. Dont shift the blame on to the juniors, the players, for your own lacking.

Is this an issue?

Or a battle of the egos?

Lets look at this scenario. After a good clean fight, the players are selected. It doesnt matter whether it's juniors or seniors. We are sending our best team forward.

At this point we will face these issues. Do we expect the best possible result from one outing or will it take a little time? Will we see those who are committed to fight their best for Malaysia or will we see a lack of conviction?

Now what can we do for those we believe have it in them to go forward. Do we have a plan to develop them further? Build on their strengths and work on their weaknesses.

What about funding? Will they need funding for training? For overseas expenses?

What will be the next steps? FGM tried to look at this. So we brought in DKLS with RM2 million in sponsorship fund for development. We tried to bring in heavily subsidised training and free flights for parents, guardians and officials too.

All of these initiatives were blocked and attacked. I was even sacked as an official unconstitutionally and without charges.

We need a plan for development. Looking at one tournament at a time and then starting from square one again and again is self defeating. And what about the players who can play very good chess and cannot afford the costs of development and travel?

So is this an issue we need to look at or is it merely a battle of the egos? All these solutions have been brought to our door step and only MCF can open the door.

Chess is a competitive sport.

I read the shout boxes from time to time because it is actually very revealing.

Competitor analysis is part and parcel of the game and we cannot go far without it.

Urging the juniors to strive to be the best that they can be is part and parcel of trying to raise the standard of the game.

Getting the seniors to return to competition is part of the process to improve.

Tournaments are competitive. Players are playing for result.

And yet these ideas seem to threaten some people. Why is this?

Juniors, wait your turn!

I couldnt believe my eyes when I read this comment on Jimmy's shoutbox by his ardent supporter, Che Harun. He is telling the juniors to wait their turn. Dont try and beat IM Jimmy and make unnecessary enemies.

Where is this guy from?!!

This is competitive chess. If the juniors are strong enough they should win and we should celebrate that win. At the very least they must try their very best. Is Che Harun arguing that the juniors should only play good chess when Jimmy retires? What is this? Government service?

So wait for Jimmy to retire, and only then start your run to see if you can become GM. But dont you dare do it now or you will make enemies.

Is this really the culture we want? Is that how we are going to get that GM? Could this be why the juniors are attacked the way they have been? Is that also why I got sacked for bringing in RM2 million in sponsorship? Wait your turn. Forget about the people who need sponsorship right now to progress in chess. Wait your turn.

We are very near to changing this culture with written selection criteria and if we want further progress then Juniors do your very best to win. Dont give any mind to these dumb threats. To parents and players who have a chance to representation for Malaysia and those who just want to see that GM. Let your opinions be heard. Tell MCF they have to investigate the sacking and allow new sponsors to come in. One final step. Can we do it?

This negative culture must end or we will not progress.

Morning Musings

When you are poor, you say how to focus on chess when there is no food on the table, no shoes to wear etc etc etc.

When you are less poor, you say how to focus on chess? There is too much food on the table, too many distractions.

So when is the right time to play chess well?

Did you know that when the Ethiopians first ran in the Olympics and got gold, they ran with no shoes? Do you know that there are many Countries with more food on the table and wonder of wonders, also produce strong chess players.

To the Juniors.

There are some unfair comments on the blogs from some mean spirited people about your loses to IM Mas in Maverick. What I want to say to you is this. Dont let them get you down and dont run away from the pressure of playing titled players.

Consider this. When Nichol David plays for Malaysia do you think she blanks her mind to the competition and wish for a win or do you think she looks hard at the competition. Do you think she studies their game, their strength and their weaknesses. Do you think she knows where her own strength and weaknesses are?

Do you think she evaluates her chances and then go for it?

This is the advice I give Mark. Study their games. Know this. If you are fighting a much stronger player and your odds are slim, then you must not choose a safe game. They are probably better than you all round. If you can find a weakness, maybe in opening then use it. If you cant and your odds are slim, then play a sharp game. You must put the fear of losing in them. If you play safe, they will find a way to beat you from sheer superior overall knowledge.

Sit down. Download the games of the opponents you fear. Look hard and find a way to get them. Sometimes better preparation down one particular line can yield better odds.

Let me also tell you about the advice I gave to another Junior in Maverick. He fought a more senior Junior and lost. The other Junior has vastly superior end game. What I told him was this. That Junior specialises in end games. If you try to beat him in end games it may work, but it may also take a long time. Instead try to beat him in middle game. Improve your tactics. Find lines that will not allow him to force you into an end game prematurely. This strategy worked for Mark in National Junior.

I have now asked Mark to begin looking at IM Jimmy's game. What is there to be afraid of? He is not going to punch you in the face or bring an extra queen to the game up his sleeve. Look hard and start thinking now how you can beat him under certain conditions. Try to create those conditions on the board and increase your odds.

You are less likely to win if you only hope. You must look hard and find the way. Dont be scared of pressure. It doesnt kill you.

I want to wish you all the very best in NAG and then on to National Close. I hope you will account for yourself well there and play like officers and gentlemen/gentlewomen. Now go and look at those games and find the game that will increase your odds. There is time to prepare still. Good luck.

ps: If you play it safe your odds are much lower; if you take the fight to him your odds will improve considerably.

Report from Maverick. Final Part.

Other conversations were with parents who again talked about the expense of playing for the Country as well as a conversation with an organiser who was exploring if I was willing to consider sponsoring some of his plans to develop chess.

As in all things in life, we need the essentials to get things going. Something like its no use building a car and then leaving out the spark plugs. So what do we have and what do we need?

We just saw selection criteria and the influx of strong players back into the system. We have good tournaments and the sponsors for them.

Lets go back again to see what FGM tried to do. DKLS asked for a 5 year plan with milestones for access to a RM2 million dollar sponsorship fund. Why is a 5 year plan important? To me this means that we have a long term plan. We have thought through what it takes to develop strong players and the fund is meant to fill in the gaps for what we dont have. It also means that our analysis has to be sound and not the type that writes to defend an arbitrary conclusion without any basis. It requires intellectual integrity. That is what the milestones are meant to accomplish. For the milestones will demand accountability.

In my mind it also means that there is the possibility of funding players that cannot afford the expense of International tournaments to play for Malaysia.

What else did FGM try to do? We brought in a training program for our players before going overseas for competition at a subsidised rate enabled by our sponsors. Was it perfect? Maybe not but it was a start just like selection is a start.

Are these two things not the missing gap in our programs? After selection, there can be access to funding and training?

And yet these 2 initiatives were met with attacks and sabotage. So what I told the parents and the organiser is this. I have brought the solutions. It is available to move us forward if we can now lobby MCF to investigate why the sacking happened and who are the people who attacked anonymously from the blogs.

Selection is good. It is necessary but insufficient. So you are now selected. What is the next step?

A parent told me that I am bullet proof. No I am not. It was painful for me to watch my son attacked, my partners, supporters and my sponsors attacked but I stuck it out because the issue was important.

You may also notice that there is little proper acknowledgement of the role of parents, bloggers, players and MCF for bringing in selection and opening the floodgates. A few people who were against selection is now attempting to head the celebration and trying to take credit for the work that we did.

Why do you think that is? I think its because they saw what our combined voices can do. If they acknowledge your work it may mean that you can do it again. And this time a new MCF is responsive to urgings from the ground; is responsive to us finding new solutions.

So I urge you, dont stop here. Complete the work. The new selected players will be just as stranded as the players from the past. We need a good plan, good training and new sponsors to enable that.

So we now need MCF to investigate the arbitrary sacking and the anonymous bloggers who slander. I was an official in an association under the MCF umbrella. It is MCF's duty to investigate how an official can be sacked unconstitutionally and without charges.

If this can be done, I believe we can sustain the gains we have made. The people who did the work need to be acknowledged, the people who helped build chess need to be defended by MCF.