One man against 88 chess players
By C.S. NATHAN
CHESS master Collin Madhavan set a new Malaysian record in Seremban recently by playing against 88 contenders at the same time in what is known as a simultaneous chess match.
Madhavan broke his own record in the Malaysia Book of Records of previously playing against 71 participants at a similar event in Kuala Lumpur in December.
A simultaneous chess match is when a player (usually an expert) takes on the challenge of playing against a certain number of players at the same time. Not only a display of chess skills, the match also is a test of memory as the main player has to keep track of all on-going games.
Hosted by property developer RB Land and co-sponsored by www.quantum.88.com, the RB Land Simultaneous Chess Challenge 2008 saw participants, young and old attempting to outmanouvre Madhavan during the eight-hour long match.
Madhavan who was up against formidable contenders including two FIDE (World Chess Federation) rated players and 36 students from the state MSSM team won the match with a final score of 67 over 21.
Madhavan won 54 games, agreed to 26 draws and lost eight games, with a 76% playing record.
Madhavan said he expected to do better in the match but time constraints had caused him to offer more draws than usual.
“It was an exciting challenge – a test of my own mental and physical strength. Maintaining a high winning tally is essential for a chess master but more important is the game itself.
“I wanted the participants, especially the children to walk away from the game feeling proud of their achievement. It’s not everyday they get to play, let alone win or draw in a game against a chess master,” he said.
Here is the full article.
Malaysia is very weak in chess. I think they don’t even have one FIDE Master.
I’m sure he’s stronger than you. You’re just jealous because you’re not good enough to smell his jock strap.
I hear his jock strap smells like roast beef and potato.
Is true that Malaysia is quite weak in chess. Malaysia is in 75th place in FIDE ranking.
Malaysia don’t have any real success to be proud off so far accept maybe a few individual glory like when the country No.1- IM Mashafizul beat former Vice World Champion- GM Victor Korchnoi in Turin Olympiad 2006 and GM Ian Rogers in late 90’s at Saintly Cup in Australia. He also have beat several GM’s but unfortunately still not consistently enough to gain a GM norm- so far.
However I would like to inform that Malaysia do have 3 IM’and 5 FM, 2 WIM .
Chess in Malaysia is not the no.1 sports in this country. Although Malaysia have only 25 million people, Malaysia did have a World Champion in Squash ( Nicol David), a world class bowler (bowling), ex F1 driver and A1 Grand Prix winner. No. 2 men (single) world badminton player and several others success. But chess still didn’t achieve any major glory probably because majority of Malaysia and its government still consider chess as a recreation games.
I wish Malaysia to get a grandmaster soonest! Good luck to all! The picture with happy children is enough, without having any GM, too!!
Poor Malaysian chess players! Being placed 75th in the FIDE ranking is inviting abuses from the elitists Anonymous (chess players?). Only people whom are familiar with jock straps must be the Scots or the Americans. The formal is the original inventor and the later being the big producer. “window licker” is really hitting below the belt. This must be the first time I heard of any chess player had despicably associate chess with men’s genitals! Wonder what Malaysian chess players had done to you to deserve such lowly comments. Where is the fairness and civility?
Collin is just trying to popularise the game among the masses in Malaysia. Unlike Iceland, chess is not having much general interest among the Malaysian public, and therefore, is not adequately financed and promoted. We are very thankful that Collin is willing to expose himself (pun not intended) to challenges of critical public opinion while setting out to do what he believes is the correct way to get more people to play chess. This is the first time in the Malaysian chess scene where simul matches are conducted under private initiatives. We had found our own corporate sponsors outside the armpit of any organised chess bodies. The fact that we are able to reach out to the media to report about our events indicates we are on the right track.
There will be more simul matches to come and hope that the government and the corporate will let lose their purse strings to finance more chess events that cut across the social strata; the elitists and the disadvantaged alike…
Lee Siew Fai,
Aw jeez mate,
there you go blaming the Scots and Yanks, next on your list will be the Irish and Hungarians…
I klicked on Window Licker’s name and was surprised by the wierdest music video I have ever seen. Watch all of it. Roast beef and potatoes indeed. (^_^)!
anonymous,
Who are you to judge Malaysia is very weak? Anand? Topalov? Come and join our weak tournament and judge yourself.
krazl
http://www.krazl.com