KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) will increase its support for the development of chess to help potential young players achieve international success.
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker gave the ministry’s assurance that it will provide appropriate assistance to help young chess players achieve success at a higher level.
He said this after handing over a RM2,000 incentive to International Master (IM) Yeoh Li Tian, 22, and Fide Master (FM) Poh Yu Tian, 13 in appreciation for their success at the international level.
He also hoped that chess activities and competitions could be enhanced in this country.
“We realise that Malaysia should play an active role in organising international-level chess programmes and competitions to allow more homegrown players to reach world-class standards.
“Li Tian and Yu Tian are the future of the country in the chess arena and I pray that they will continue to make all Malaysians proud in the future,” he said at the get-together and appreciation ceremony for the two players here today.
National number one Li Tian, a gold medallist at the 2019 SEA Games, is ranked in Asia’s top 100 and has earned two Grandmasters (GM) norms, leaving him needing just one more norm to make history as Malaysia’s first GM.
“I have not set a specific time frame to earn the GM title, but I think the next two or three years will be a very important period because Malaysian players will normally be busy with their careers after finishing their studies,“ he said.
Yu Tian, meanwhile, obtained the FM title at the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India from July 28-Aug 9, with Malaysia finishing 72nd out of 188 countries.
He also stole the spotlight when he managed to stun 64-year-old GM Lubomir Ftacnik of Slovakia in the second round of the Olympiad.
What made his victory even sweeter was that Yu Tian defeated Lubomir, who is the author of the book 'The Grunfeld Defence', by using that same technique.
“Actually, I surprised him in the opening and he made some mistakes, so I had the advantage. But later I still found it quite hard to capitalise on the advantage,” said Yu Tian.-Bernama
