Review of Terengganu chess with comments.

Here.

Good luck Terengganu. It does sound like healthy competition in action. Healthy competition builds while the other type tears down.

It is also my hope that when Terengganu does produce a National level player capable of winning his/her place on the National squad, that the situation in Malaysian chess would be one where the better player wins their place through clean and fair selection and the back doors will be a thing of the past.

Many States are also pulling out the stops and moving their chess ahead. This is good for Malaysia so long as progress is about chess and not deal making. This is simply because there are really not enough places for the deals and also because with the deals we will be sending out a weak Team. Real chess players and real deal makers. And sometimes only deal makers.

ps: I am tied up with administrative work for the time being and so Part 2 of what is chess designed to teach us, will have to come out later.

What is chess designed to teach us and it's limitations. Part 1.

If we really observe carefully, then what we have been doing is not what chess is about. Think about it. We have our local "experts" telling us what chess is about and they do not allow any other expression or they attack you.

And they have been in control for many many many years now. So lets look carefully at what have become of them. Let us look carefully at where Malaysian chess is now. Look here. 

So can we finally say that something is wrong? Can we admit today that Jimmy, Peter and Eddy and their backers have taken us to Timbaktu? Before we go on let us look at their methods first.

They believe that chess is about sabotage and so they use the associated tools. And they think people like silent ninja is a blessing to chess, something to be proud of. Ref: Here. That is their version of "competition". And so they have knocked out everyone that can be a threat, a better chess player, by controlling the back doors and the use of intimidation, lies and slander.

On the other hand, I have tried to say that chess is designed to help us develop Generals, CEO's etc. And I also say that there are rules of conduct that the civilised world acknowledges. That means we must progress without cheating or risk going to prison later in life from their understanding of chess.

So chess needs to create an environment where we teach our young, where we guide our young to compete without cheating. And we can only do that by example.

Therefore I have proposed that chess is about healthy competition and clean selection. Healthy competition says it is about learning and self improvement and not sabotage. That means we learn, we measure the gaps, we train to narrow the gaps and then we compete. Clean selection in healthy competition means that yes, we are friends but when I meet you on the board, I will not pre-agree the results and I will compete to see where my knowledge ends and what I have to do to improve for the next time.

So this is the fight of ideas within the Malaysian chess community today. The fight for a strong Malaysian Team versus those that want to continue the back door entries without being able to play chess. And why not? Their way has taken us nowhere. Why don't we try something new? And why should we allow them to intimidate us into not daring to try?

Simply put. If Jimmy, Peter and Eddy are right, then we will be right at the top of the chess rating charts today. That's what happens when you get it right. Till next week then.

In a way Peter is right.

Please read this first. Here.

In a way Peter is right. In my years in chess I have found the most amazing and intelligent kids. And so many of them it is very difficult to list. From Sumant, Zhuo Ren, Syakir, Nabil, Eng Chiam etc etc etc.

I haven't talked much about the girls simply because my interaction with them is limited and I don't really know their game. But I have been very impressed with Nabila, Najiha, Camelia, Li Ting etc etc. from what I can see.

But lets talk a little about the post above. The one thing they all have in common is an intense desire to win. And I said that was an opportunity to teach them many things. But there is also a flip side. There is also the opportunity to damage them.

So chess is a double edged sword. If they are taught how to succeed and how to win without having to cheat then they will become towering individuals that our Nation can be proud of.

But it is also so so easy for them to go the other way. And that is why I say some of the trainers have failed them. Instead of teaching them how to succeed they take them down the short cuts.

Over the years I have seen how some of them have changed. From vibrant confident young people to something I cannot quite recognise.

That is the only reason why I keep FGM alive. I cannot change the culture established by the back door people alone but I can try to offer the players an alternative or at least they know an alternative way exists. That they all don't all have to become like Jimmy, Peter or Eddy in order to progress.

I see they have brought up the subject of NJ 2010. Ref: Here. That is a complex story that I won't get into here. I think it should suffice when I say that the kids need guidance. It is not easy in that highly charged competitive environment. And chess can help build their character if the adults around them keep them in line in a fair and judicious manner. And I will also say that I was not present at the incident but Mark explained it to me. All in all I am proud of his actions. It must have been so easy to take the short cuts. Do ask me when you see me. I am happy to talk about it if only as a precautionary story. Hint. Do you remember what they did to Zhuo Ren and Sumant?

So let me conclude by saying this. There are many many intelligent boys and girls in chess. And they will all join the work force and become members of our society. For the good of the Country or not.

And these are no ordinary kids mind you. So they can do tremendous good or tremendous harm.

Let me leave you with what I think may be a nightmare scenario. At least in my mind. Can you imagine our Country seeded by people, by clones of Jimmy, Peter and Eddy? You have been to Jimmy's site. Would you like to live in their world? Where they establish the rules and determine the culture? We can change that in Malaysian chess at least yes? There are only a handful of them but they come in many anonymous guises.

They are out to force our talented children to conform to their image. That is the purpose of the back door strategists. Join us to join the squad. But even that is also mostly a lie. Try healthy competition and ask for clean selection and we will hammer you. The kids learn all that when they are broken before they can "join" the senior team and then they in turn transfer that lesson to another environment.

That can happen if we are not careful and take steps to protect our very gifted and talented kids. So this is something I don't think we can look away from. This is very important. We need to change that culture for all of us to have a better future.

Thank you for your time.

This blog teaches you how to play strong chess.

And I mean this blog of course. Now why would I say that? Think of this. When you play chess against a tough opponent he will try all kinds of tricks to confuse you, to intimidate you etc.

So what mental arsenal must you have? Yes, you must be able to see the real position without flinching.

So I kid you not. If you can read this blog, you can also play strong chess. Treat this as a training ground. Can you tell the lies from the truth? Does intimidation send your mind reeling?

If it does, the same thing will happen on the board, on the table. Good luck.

Are you ready to play strong chess? This is the training test. Go here. Tell me what you see. Then come back here and read the posts you missed in a calm manner.

Fear cripples your creativity.

This is a truism demonstrated in every chess game. Fear cripples your creativity. In fact fear can even totally shut down your mind no matter how much knowledge you may have ie technical.

Now if we hold that statement to be true then it logically follows that those that use the back doors instead of competing for their place also comes from fear. And so they cannot be strong. They may steal other's places and get more exposure but eventually they will crash. The only way out for them would be to somehow manage to fix the whole world so that players from other Countries will also let them win without competing. Apart from a few flukes of course. But your journey cannot be based on flukes and hope. "I hope the other player crashes and I win".

The true journey can only begin when you have measured the gap, train to narrow it and then come up with good strategies to increase your percentage chances.

And you need the winning mindset too, you need to know how to win and you also need to learn things like stress management etc. But while you compete. Not instead of competing.

That is quite apparent if we can see clearly without fear.

So lets us also try to see why we have not been able to see that healthy competition and clean selection is the only way to raise the Malaysian game. Some have said greed from some officials and I have talked about the false self esteem that they get from the parents grovelling for a place for their children because that is the only way available to get into the squad or they set Jimmy, Peter and Eddy on you.

Ok. The officials first. Isn't it also fear that stops them from improving? There are decent and legal ways to earn a living if they have good skills that the market place wants. But they are afraid that if they lose the back doors then they will also lose the "easy" money. For do they not risk going to jail? Isn't that also fear of learning? Fear of change.

And of course Jimmy, Peter and Eddy rely on fear to keep you from seeing clearly what is happening. So many many years of examples and yet no one dares to stand up to them. Why? They are exploiting the parents fears for their children. Actually we know what they are doing but we are afraid of what they will do to our children if we dare to object.

So this is my reasoning. If they manage to frighten Mark out of trying his best to achieve his goals, from fulfilling his hopes and dream without cheating then they would have succeeded. If that happens then no amount of education ie technical will help him succeed later in life.

It is that simple. And I didn't bring Mark into chess to learn how to fail. You see, in life, if our children ever strive for big things, for ambitious things, there will always be obstacles. So what we need to teach them is how to overcome those obstacles. And the answer can never be by giving up. By allowing small people to steal their hopes and dreams.

You need to learn the proper way to fight back against unfair practices. To develop your character you must also not join them and learn how to steal from other people too.

Are you getting me now? What FGM is all about? So really people like Jimmy, Peter and Eddy are not really relevant. They are mere representation of the people that your children will meet later in life. They are only there to show us the tricks that can be used to keep you down, to keep your children down. So practice how to overcome those things here in chess.

Learn how to see clearly without fear, teach the children how to overcome obstacles without lies, cheating. threats and intimidation while they are still young. And we show them by example. I guarantee you that the lessons of life as an adult will be much tougher. If you want to amount to anything I mean.

All that including overcoming your fears actually comes before creativity. Without that, your creativity would have been crushed out of you before you even had a chance to start out on your journey of life.

Thank you for your time.

The selection criteria is only for wayang kulit.

What is the point of a selection criteria if you are punished because you train to fight for a place in healthy competition?

We experienced that in Perak. Mark represented Perak for 5 straight years and for 5 straight years they tried all sorts of hanky panky to knock him out. Even to the extent of sending only him back to change his jeans in the middle of his game when others with jeans were allowed to play on.

Both Zhou Ren and Sumant were attacked because they had the audacity to train to try and win the SEA games selection in 2011.

When Li Tian did not win the National Close in 2012, they changed the criteria and brought him in via the back door. Not only him but Zhou Ren as well. Nobody who played and ranked in National Close which was the selection criteria for Olympiads were sent.

And now you see that even at the Masters they can mysteriously miss your name, like what they did to Nicholas.

So is it safe to conclude that if you try to win at selection they will set Jimmy, Peter and Eddy on you?

The selection criteria is only for show. And don't you dare try to compete or raise noise about unfairness or they will punish you.

If you stay silent or be supportive then they will offer you a consolation prize like in Mal/Sing this year. They gave Eng Chiam a spot for keeping quiet about missing the Olympiad. They gave Sumant a spot for attacking me publicly. Simply because they know that they have washed those players out already.

(Not sure if Syazwan was offered a place at Mal/Sing this year. He was also a ranked winner at National Close 2012).

Of course the cronies are given automatic spots. So Jimmy and Li Tian played too. But notice this. Both of them did not win in a selection or in the rankings. And Jimmy even lost to Giam, a 1900 IM from Singapore.

This is the lesson. The deal makers play for the Country. Not those who try to win selection. This happens in States like Perak too. If you keep quiet and not protest even though you are entitled to play then they will throw you some crumbs.

Isn't that how the strong players are killed off and the weaklings and deal makers get in?

If you go back to Jimmy's link you will see one of the last anonymous comment that hits the nail on the head. Ref: Here. Don't you dare protest or your child will be punished.

So lets think about this clearly here. Treat this as a chess position. The question here is why should asking for healthy competition ie we train to fight for a place in selection or asking for clean criteria in selection be so threatening to Jimmy, Peter and Eddy?

Second question. What method are they using to throw you off the scent?

After all, I have never asked for them to be banned while they kept screaming for Mark to be banned. And Peter actually "banned" him. All I have said is we will compete at selection by playing chess. We will not pre-agree results. We would like a fair selection criteria that cannot be manipulated. 

So what is so so wrong about that? We want a strong Malaysian Team do we not?

(In fact I keep asking them to tell us which tournaments they will be in and we will also go there to compete with them. In fact I even told them that if they cannot afford the fee to join, to apply to me and I will consider subsidising them. And I have made that request many times).

Lets get this done for 2014. Lets bring in clean selection at least. And we will see a strong Malaysian team and the coming of our GM. But we must fight for it. They won't give it to us. They rely on misinformation, threats, lies and slander to win.

You must be stronger than that. You must be real chess players. Don't accept the crumbs. It is poisoned. It is designed to rob you of your pride and dignity. You cannot play strong chess without it. Only take your place when you have won fairly on the table. Your place should never be gotten from sabotage instead of chess.

This is the way to make our chess strong.

Ref: Here.

We keep learning and we keep trying. We keep fighting to improve ourselves. A few years ago I suggested to MCF that they do some competitor analysis by comparing what we know to what our neighbours know when they travel. Look at their training structure and training methods. Look at their organisational structure compared to ours.

Then we try to improve. A little better. Step by step.

This is not the way. Ref: Here.

And this is also not the way. Here.

They chose to bury their heads in the sand while our neighbours got better and better. That means they don't even have the confidence to take a measure. And then they take offence because FGM and some players do that and try to improve. And all they can do is fix the back doors.

I have travelled to Singapore to see how they train. I went to the Philippines to see how they train. Although my studies are not complete at least I can already see some ways to improve.

What is so offensive about that until they can sack me without grounds instead of allowing me to resign gracefully? And then attack both me and my son publicly by spreading lies and slander?

What is so offensive about healthy competition?

But of course they know this. If we take the measures, if we train hard and improve then we will want the right to compete for a place. We will not negotiate for a place and we will not pre-agree any results. And that may mean that they cannot allow their cronies free entry into the squad anymore. There may be an upset. Then they cannot cari makan and Malaysia may finally have a Team that can fight instead of embarrassing us overseas.

This is now 2014 MCF. It is now 5 years since I have spoken to you about this. Since 2009 right Greg? What have you learnt in that time? I hear you have now passed on Li Ting to Peter to coach. I think it's a big mistake but you are a big boy. And she is your student. So that is your prerogative.

But surely we can have clean selection by now don't you think? I hear you are going around saying that I don't play chess and so I don't know what I am talking about. That is fine. But you do right? So surely you must be able to see from here that the active list is flawed. Ref: Here. What is Eddy Fong's playing strength and what is his rating? What is Jimmy's playing strength? What does this say about the active list?

Don't wait another 5 years Greg. Do it for Malaysia now. Do you still remember what we talked about in 2009? In 2010 during and after Mal/Sing? I have gone on and done those things Greg. What have you done to improve things during this time?

Let me share a big secret about coaching with you Peter Long.

Ref: Here.

Peter let me share a deep secret that will change your fortune as a Coach forever. I hope you can keep this between us. You see Peter I had a glimpse of your methods when we shared a room with one of your students during Asian Youth 2011. Peter, you may not know this since you haven't played competitive chess for a long long time and you are a little disconnected but during a tournament the players are really under a lot of stress. Their opponents are trying their damndest to beat them. What a coach should not do is to call up and hurl abuses at the student during this time. You are adding to the stress. And this finally breaks the student. Then they start to drop games. In fact this trauma may even have lasting effect.

Simply put. You cannot hope to terrorise your players into playing good chess. It just doesn't work.

The training should have been done a long time back. During the tournament all the coach can do is to hope that the training sticks. That the coach has done a good job and covered all the bases. And maybe add a little encouragement or a reminder here and there. That is all. Frustrating as that may be as I have found. But that also means you have to learn a little emotional self control first yes, Peter?

Ok. That was the secret. Now you know all that I know. Good luck.

One other thing Peter, let me tell you a little more about what happens to players that have been broken. They simply stop being strong. They suffer from "mysterious" losses. I think you know the players I am talking about. The ones that were used publicly as pawns to tell lies and to slander. The good friends that you are talking about. Just like you, Jimmy and Eddy yes?

Oh yeah, one other thing before I forget. When you need the crutches of the back doors you also cannot be strong. The use of the back doors is already an admission that you are weak, that you lack self respect and self confidence. Also by using the back doors, they don't understand what it means to struggle for a place on the squad. And the coach doesn't learn what he doesn't know to help his player win in a real tournament. Easy entry and then they make the mistake of thinking that playing for the Country is a holiday. Get what I mean?

You now have the secret Peter. Please do not share this with anyone. FGM does not need any real competitors k. So this is just to help you cari makan. Thank you Peter. I know you can be trusted to keep my secret a secret. Now only 2 of us in all of Malaysian chess know this. Wink wink.

ps: Now there should be no more need to write sob story emails to parents of National Juniors saying that you have changed and begging them for their child to be taught by you again, is there?

Happy 2014 Peter.

New Year Resolution.

Please read this again. Here.

If we really want medals in International Tournaments, if we really want our own GM, then we must change the culture mentioned above. There is no other way.

Don't play play with playing for Malaysia.

Playing for the Country or even playing for the State is the highest honor we can bestow to a real chess player. And a real chess player wins that honor by training and fighting hard for his place. It is that simple.

But in Malaysia it is not they who are honored. It is people like Jimmy, Peter and Eddy ("Player", Official and Parent). At least by MCF if no one else. They tell us that they "play chess" and so only they can speak with authority. They forget that many chess players in Malaysia and Internationally are developed by non chess playing parents. And that is a fact.

And so they shut out all other voices with that statement by being so vicious that very few dare to stand up to them and so they get their way.

So today lets have a good look at who these people are that dare not fight in a selection but want the back doors to see if we should listen to them instead of real chess players or those that have developed real chess players. Both counts right? By virtue of real achievement.

Lets start with Eddy Fong who claims that he taught Mark. This is his result from Penang Open Here.

Look at his rating. It is "active". He walked out when he realised that people can see that he really can't play chess at all. Real chess players would have stuck it out knowing that by walking out they would be unfair to their opponents who are still fighting because it affects their tie breaks. I think they deserve more respect than Eddy Fong, don't u think? At least they fought in the tournament. At least they didn't give up.

Now lets talk about Jimmy. Jimmy represented Malaysia in the last Olympiad without selection. And he was hammered there by 1900's. This was his result for the Asian Continental. Here. Even 2000 rated players were doing much better than him and he nearly came out dead last. And he got into the Malaysian Masters on the strength of the active list after that result. And he lost to all the Juniors there. So that result is not a fluke. He was dead last at the Masters. MCF knows this and they know his rating is not representative of his playing ability. And yet MCF chose to open up the side doors for him and not for a real player like Nicholas Chan. And even with that kind of edge Jimmy failed to make the squad. Then he tried negotiations.

This is the man who has been shouting down anyone who points out that the active list is flawed by claiming that he is a Ferrari, Asia's best player etc etc. He only tells us that his high rating is valid because he knows how to get it even if he cannot play strong chess.

And Peter doesn't even have the guts to play in a Fide classical event. So there is not much to say about him. And he hasn't even developed a strong player himself. All he does is talk down about other people's work hoping that would create the illusion that he knows something. Or else he promotes the work of others hoping that you think he actually played a part.

So what right do these people have to judge real players and the people that developed them. Real players who study chess, learn from chess, train hard and then COMPETE.

So those guys are not real chess players. And so even if we go by their maxim that only chess players can talk about chess, they fail even by their own yardstick. If you cannot compete then keep quiet, if you cannot develop strong players yourself then don't comment about the players of others.

And don't you guys dare play play with representing Malaysia. You have no right. Chess does not belong to you guys.

Chess belongs to the real chess players and the people who have developed them. That right must be earned, must be won. And you only know the back doors.

By not having a clean selection criteria, MCF, you are betraying our Country. You are betraying all real chess players in this Country.

We need to hold the people in MCF who have been responsible for the decline of Malaysian chess accountable. We need to hold the parents and so called players who have manipulated the criteria for their benefit responsible and accountable.

We need to change our culture so that we only respect players who train hard and then dare to put themselves in tough competition to win honors. Not condone corrupt officials, thieves and gangsters. That is the only way to progress.

And this applies to the States too of course.

Ps: Jimmy and Peter. Who are you guys to talk about which tournaments warrant being called as playing for the Country? Those Juniors got that right by fighting in real tournaments. You only have the back doors so I would shut up if I was you. Ref: Here.

Jimmy, why don't you play in more open chess tournaments like what our Juniors do and reveal your real rating. Peter why don't you play in a classical tournament to show us what you really know about chess. Eddy, don't bother playing. We already know your level so please don't embarrass us or yourself anymore.