CLUB ORGANIZES CHESS TOURNAMENT IN ENGINEERING CAMPUS

NIBONG TEBAL, 10 Mei 2015 – Chess Club from the Engineering Campus organized the annual Open Chess Tournament in USM’s Engineering Campus’ very own Main Hall here, recently.

Project Director, Aaron Ting Zai Chiun, 22, explained that the tournament aims to promote the spirit of chess among novices, professionals or players who simply enjoy playing the game for fun.

“The tournament adds spice to the board game and players can get quite competitive and complaints were issued and sparks between players filled the hall but each and every game started off and ended with a firm, friendly handshake”.

“We are hoping to be able to collaborate with the chess club in the main campus so that students from the main campus could participate in the tournament as well”, he said.

He added that although the number of USM students who participated in the tournament was scarce, but there was an increase compared to the number of students who participated in the tournament last year.

7 Swiss Round System was used and the number of participants reached a total of 123 persons and the area where participants played off with one another took up two-thirds of the hall while the remaining third of the hall was used as a rest area and a leisure area.

Parents, relatives, friends and teachers of the participants would mingle with one another in the rest area while some would sit down and have their own “tournament” in the leisure area where 7 chess sets were set up to kill boredom during the wait of each passing round.

Meanwhile, students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Titi Serong (SKTS), Parit Buntar, Farisha Azzahra Mohd Azwan, 9, said she had started playing chess since the age of 7.

"I like to play chess because it allows me to turn my focus and discipline in carrying out the task and want to gain experience," said Farisha.

Whereas, for Gunawati Ramanaidu, 43, who is the National Secondary School Teacher in Bertam, said she was prepared to bring her two children aged 8 and 10 years to any organized chess competitions.

"A lot of difference had happened to my daughter after dabbling in the world of chess, especially in terms of focus, thoughts and discipline", he said.

Concurring with the Gunawati is Norida Ramli, 48, Director of the Chess Club, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bakar Arang (SMKBA), Sungai Petani, Kedah.

"For me, students should be given the opportunity to be exposed to the atmosphere and the real competition like this," said Norida.

He said, "It is a harmful thing to not giving the students this opportunity. Some of the students have ratings."

Others who attended the event include the arbiter for the tournament, Mr. Tan Eng Seong from the Penang Chess Association (PCA) and the advisor for Engineering Campus’ Chess Club, Dr. Derek Chan.

The tournament ended with a prize-giving ceremony by Dr. Derek Chan, who is also a lecturer, School of Chemical Engineering.

Text: Aaron Ting Zai Chiun & Mohd Kamil Ashar / Photos: Bani Faidzzainami Baniyamin & Douglas Bong Lip seng