A Chess Spectacle in Penang: The 16th Inari Penang Chess Festival

The 16th Inari Penang Chess Festival: A Penang Chess Extravaganza

What a wonderful 16th Inari Penang Chess Festival! It just ended! This year’s festival, which took place at the UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College in George Town from December 23rd to the 27th, 2024, was an exciting showcase of talent and smart thought. There were 210 individual competitors from all around the world, including 9 international masters in the open and challenger divisions, and 88 teams in the team event.

FIDE anniversary cake

People from all over the world flocked to the event; competitors hailed from places like Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Chinese Taipei, Russia, Brunei, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Australia, England, and the USA. Seeing such a wide range of chess players in one place is fantastic! See Swee Sie oversaw the competition as its director for the Penang Chess Association (PCA). To make sure the event went off without a hitch, she and her committed team toiled away.

Poh Yu Tian, a local prodigy from Penang, performed during the festival, which was a huge hit. In addition to his two previous titles—International Master (IM) in July and Malaysian Open in September—Yu Tian solidified his position as a rising star in the chess world by winning the Open title at the festival. He drew with dangerous Russian opponents and won impressively against top rivals, giving him 7.5 points out of 9. His performance rating increased to 2455, a 7.3-point rise, thanks to this win. He has reached a new professional peak with this. In addition, he was awarded the top reward of RM10,000. Given that this might be the first Penangite winner and only the second Malaysian winner of the event, the young master’s accomplishment is all the more astounding. The inaugural Penang Open champion from Malaysia was IM Mok Tze Meng.

With 7.5 points, Isaac Tan won the Challenger section. Xin Ran Claire Wang of Malaysia and Yoggenraj Ramakrishnan of India both came in second with 7.0 points apiece. It should be noted that Gabe Butarbutar Georgio, a student of IM Dede Lioe from Jakarta, Indonesia, who is ten years old, came in fourth position. There is enormous promise in this young talent as well. The vast attraction of the competition was evident from the 110 players in the Challenger class.

**Isaac Tan** – Winner of Challengers section

The link between chess and mental acuity was another focal point of the event. As an example, See Swee Sie found that chess can help autistic children relax. True to form, 14-year-old autistic chess player Ainul Mardhiah Afif was named Malaysian Women’s Chess Champion and best lady in the 2024 Penang Open.

Prize money for women and elders was increased at the Inari Penang Chess Festival in honor of FIDE’s centennial, which was made possible by the FIDE Open Aid Project. With a larger arena, upgraded equipment, and live broadcasts of ten boards, the event also marked a significant improvement to the playing environment. A big stride forward for media and chess publicity in Malaysia was the unique decision to enable chess streamer Yunusmetov, Hakeem, to broadcast his games live.

The festival’s success can be attributed to the dedicated efforts of the PCA, sponsors, and volunteers. The Penang Chess Brilliancy Fund was established to assist young chess players in Penang, and Inari Amertron was the principal sponsor. Witnessing the expansion and improvement of chess in Penang and Malaysia is truly thrilling! Chess in Penang has great potential thanks to its dedicated fans, influential leaders, and widespread media coverage.