Singapore International Chess Festival 2010

Singapore International Chess Festival 2010 – Closing Ceremony

In a simple prize presentation ceremony, winners were awarded their respective medals and cash prizes from the organizers bringing down the curtains to the successful 7th Singapore International Chess Festival. The last event for the Festival is the annual Singapore – Malaysia Chess Challenge 2011 which will similarly take place at the Stansfield Residence 1 from 31 December 2010 to 1 January 2011.

The traditional match is played on a very cordial and personal basis but the match continues to be keenly contested with each side not prepared to go down without a fight. The winning margin for edition 2010 was a single point separating the two sides with Singapore winning. The ‘tigers’ from Malaysia are hoping to score a convincing victory as a farewell gift for Malaysian Chess Federation retiring Deputy President Haji Ibrahim Bakar.

New ‘Singaporean’ GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili took the inaugural ASEAN Championship tied on points with IM Barbosa Oliver from the Philippines but won on tie-break. Indonesian GM Megaranto Susanto was half a point behind winning the bronze medal. As reported earlier, the very strong Vietnamese women team steamrolled their way on and captured all top three medals on offer. WGM Nguyen Thi Thanh An, WGM Hoang Thi Bao Tram and WGM Le Thanh Tu finished in that order respectively.

In the Singapore Open Tournament, GM Wen Yang from China also confirmed his superiority by winning the top prize with Philippines GM Villamayor Buenaventura and unheralded and untitled Nebato Sheider wining the bronze medal and at the same time won a IM norm. Vietnamese FM Nguyen Van Huy also successful in winning a IM Norm.

In the inaugural International Youth Championships, Vietnam took away three titles in WFM Le Tran Phuong Yuen (Girls’ U8), FM Le Tuan Minh (Open Under 14) and FM Nguyen Van Hai (Open Under 17). The Malaysian finished creditably behind Vietnam with Wong Yinn Long (Open Under 8) and WCM Nur Nabila Azman Hisham (Girls’ Under 14). Singapore’s FM Tin Jingyao was best in the Open Under 11 Championship and Asia’s powerhouse, India, had Tejaswini Sagar capturing the gold medal in the Girls’ Under 11 tournament to salvage some minor lost pride. However, India recorded having the youngest player in Sagar Siya just tipping the scale at 3 years 10 months in the Open Under 8 section.

The festival took place at the Stansfield Residence 1 which is a student hostel for international students. For the duration of the Festival, the hostel was packed to the brim and some of the participants had to be turned away. Stansfield Residence Hostel Manager Mr Sharin Said working together with the Singapore Chess Federation’s General Secretary, Mr Osric Mooi also had their hands full tending to the needs of the more than 600 participants and their supporters.

It has been an eventful 2010 for all as foreign participants depart timely to ring in the new year and a more successful and fruitful 2011. Happy New Year.

Report by Tournament Director Chan Boon Siang

Barbosa shined at ASEAN

Pinoy IM Barbosa shares top honors in Asean chess tilt
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 09:15:00 12/31/2010

FILIPINO International Master (IM) Oliver Barbosa defeated Singaporean Fide Master (FM) Timothy Chan in the final round yesterday to finish in a two-way tie for first place with topseed Grandmaster (GM) Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia at the conclusion of the 1st ASEAN Chess Championships in Singapore.

However, Barbosa had to settle for second place after losing the title to the Georgian GM in the tiebreak.

Barbosa and Azmaiparashvili both tallied 6.5 points in the nine-round Swiss system tournament, but the latter was awarded the championship with a superior quotient of 48.5 points against the Filipino’s 46.5 points.

Azmaiparashvili, the tournament favorite who is playing under the Singaporean flag, drew his last match against Vietnamese GM Sang Cao.

Indon GM Susanto Megaranto took solo third place with 6.0 points after settling for a draw with another Filipino GM John Paul Gomez.

Gomez, the pride of Binan, Laguna, collected 5.5 points, the same output of countryman IM Richard Bitoon, Cao, GM Dao Thien Hai, IM Nguyen Van Huy, and FM Nguyen Doc Hoa of Vietnam.

The Filipinos’ campaign here in Singapore is bankrolled by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) President/ Chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr.

Correspondent MARLON BERNARDINO

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net

Aiming for ASEAN title

Bitoon, Barbosa fortify ASEAN chess title bids
12/28/2010 08:33 PM

Filipino International Masters (IM) Richard Bitoon and Oliver Barbosa recorded a win and a draw, respectively, to fortify their respective title bids in the 1st ASEAN Open Chess Championship in Singapore.

Bitoon defeated FIDE Master (FM) Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam while Barbosa battled Grandmaster (GM) and tournament third seed Susanto Mergaranto of Indonesia to a draw to rise to a share of second to sixth places in the tournament that serves as part of the annual 7th Singapore International Chess Festival.

Bitoon, a 2010 Khanty-Mansiysk Chess Olympiad veteran, subdued Hoa while playing the white pieces to raise his record to three points behind two wins and two draws. Barbosa also posted three points.

Joining Bitoon and Barbosa from second to sixth places are GM Dao Thien Hai and IM Nguyen Van Huy of Vietnam, and Megaranto. They are half a point behind top seed GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia going into the fifth round.

Azmaiparashvili, who now plays for Singapore, outduelled GM John Paul Gomez of the Philippines to take the lead with 3.5 points on three wins and one draw.

Full article here.

Gomez, Barbosa among leaders at ASEAN

RP's Gomez, Barbosa leading in 1st ASEAN Open Chess
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 12/27/2010 4:28 PM Updated as of 12/27/2010 8:48 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Grandmaster (GM) John Paul Gomez brought down countryman and International Master (IM) Kim Steven Yap to forge a 5-way tie for the lead with 4 others in the third round of the 1st ASEAN Chess Championship in Singapore Sunday.

Gomez, a De La Salle University mechanical engineering graduate student, is tied with compatriot IM Oliver Barbosa, GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili of Georgia, GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia and GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam.

As one of the top Filipino bets in the tough 32-player field, Gomez outwitted Cebu's Yap in a tense battle to gain a share of the limelight with Barbosa, Azmaiparashvili, Megaranto and Dao with perfect 3 points each.

To attain the tie, Barbosa drew with Dao, Azmaiparashvili crushed FIDE Master Anjas Novita of India, and Megaranto toppled Jarred Neubronner of Singapore. -- Marlon Bernardino

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com

Singapore International Chess Festival

Singapore International Chess Festival (SICF) 2010 features 6 events of regional and world level.

The 1st Asean Chess Championships 2010 will have two categories, Open & Women. It takes place from 26-30 Dec over 9 rounds. It is a prestigious event with a prize fund of S$18,000. It will also serve as SCF's 1st qualifying event for consideration for selection for the 2011 SEA Games. It also offers chances for various international title norms including Grand Master and Woman Grand Master.

The 1st Asean Open Championship has 27 participants, among them 8 Grand Masters (GM), 7 International Masters (IM), 6 FIDE Masters (FM) and 1 Candidate Master (CM). The average international rating of all participants is 2385. 5 Asean countries are represented: Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia & Malaysia.

The 1st Asean Women Championship has 14 female participants, among them 3 Woman Grand Masters (WGM, 3 Woman International Masters (WIM), 5 Woman FIDE Masters (WFM) and 1 Woman Candidate Master (WCM). The average international rating of all participants is 2160. 5 Asean countries are represented: Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia & Malaysia.

The Singapore Open 2010, open to all players, will be played 26th-30th December, with 9 rounds and a prize fund of S$ 6,000, and also offers opportunities for gaining WCM, WFM, CM & FM titles, and norms for WIM, IM, WGM and GM titles. It has 68 participants, among which 3 GM, 4 IM, 4 FM, 3 WFM and 1 CM. The average international rating of all participants is 1803. 14 countries are represented:

China, England, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka & Thailand.

Also part of the SICF is the Inaugural Singapore International Youth Chess Championships (26-30 Dec 2010). This event, also over 9 rounds, has 4 age group categories (U8, U11, U14, U17) played over Open and Girls subcategories. The SIYC offers a total prize fund of S$44,000, with a S$ 1,500 1st prize in each subcategory. GU8 section has 26 participants from 6 countries, U8 – 53 from 9 countries, GU11 – 46 from 7 countries, U11 – 82 from 6 countries, GU14 – 24 from 6 countries, U14 - 43 from 9 countries , GU17 – 7 from 3 countries and U17 – 19 players from 8 countries.

The 7th Singapore FIDE (World Chess Federation) Arbiters’ Seminar [26- 30 Dec 2010] offers training and international certification of chess arbiters. Lecturers are International Arbiters, with highest world-level expertise. The 6 participants hail from Macau, India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The 7th Singapore FIDE Trainer’s Seminar [26-30 Dec 2010] offers training and international certification of chess coaches.

Lecturers/Seminar Leaders are FIDE Senior Trainers, with highest world-level expertise. There are 8 participants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, China and the Philippines.

A longstanding and keenly contested over-the-board rivalry will also be contested at the 21st Singapore vs Malaysia Chess Challenge (31 Dec 2010 - 1 Jan 2011). The traditional match will feature 38 players on 38 boards in 10 age-group categories, from Girls Under 8 up to Veterans above 55 years of age.

The 5 events will be hosted by Stansfield Residence, 27 Mount Vernon Road, Singapore 368052, with the Trainers’ Seminar being held in the premises of the Singapore Chess Federation, 51 Bishan Street 13 #02-01A SIGC, Singapore 579799.

All results with other information are available in full details at www.singaporechess.org.sg.