Resident GM in Malaysia

Resident grandmaster
CHESSBy QUAH SENG SUN

Chess development in the country will be given a boost with the arrival of Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman.

THERE are a number of interesting chess activities coming up in the next two or three weeks.

First up is the news that we shall have Bangladeshi grandmaster Ziaur Rahman stationed here in Malaysia for the next one year. Ziaur is Bangladesh’s second grandmaster and the leading player in his country at present. He is expected to arrive on our shores sometime next week and will be based at the Datuk Arthur Tan Chess Centre (DATCC) in Kuala Lumpur.

Why would we need a foreign grandmaster here in Malaysia? Well, it is to boost chess development in the country. We need someone who is experienced enough to be a catalyst to raise our game. Ziaur happened to be available and he was interested in the challenge.

Moreover, he comes with good credentials. He is an active player in the regional chess circuit so he’s not one to rest on his laurels. He led Bangladesh at the Asian team chess championship in Kolkata last December, took part in an international chess event in Delhi in January, and made an impressive second-place finish in the Chennai open chess tournament this month.

Ziaur’s international rating of 2548 is high enough to suit Malaysia’s needs. We don’t need a super-GM here but we do need a professional who is strong enough to impart his knowledge and experience to our players.

Here is the full article.

KL rapid grand prix: The Kuala Lumpur Chess Association and Polgar Chess Asia are hosting the second leg of the KL rapid grand prix on March 6 and 7. The event features four legs from February to May, followed by the grand final in June.

All legs will be played at the Royal Selangor Club’s Card Room at Dataran Merdeka, KL. More details at www.klchess.com