PENANG’s 15-year-old Poh Yu Tian closed the year in style by clinching the Open title at the 16th Inari Penang Chess Festival, held at the UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College.
Having earned the prestigious International Master (IM) title in July at the 8th Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship (EAYCC) and the Malaysian Open title in September, Yu Tian further solidified his reputation as one of the region’s brightest young talents with his Dec 27 victory. The tournament drew 90 skilled players from around the world.
The triumph boosted Yu Tian’s FIDE rating by 7.3 points, bringing his performance rating to 2455 and marking a career high. He began the event with a FIDE standard rating of 2444. As the champion, Yu Tian claimed the top prize money of RM10,000.
“Although I felt some pressure, I focused on playing my usual game. I plan to participate in some tournaments next year, but I haven’t decided which ones yet. My goal is to improve my rating and achieve some Grandmaster norms,” Yu Tian told Buletin Mutiara in an interview.
“I would like to thank my family, supporters, and my main sponsor, Cerebrill, as well as Marcus Chess.”
En route to the title, Yu Tian showed exceptional skills to triumph over formidable opponents, including Vishant Vishant Naidu Patini of Malaysia (Round 1), AIM Yun Rui Lee of Malaysia (Round 2), Tianyu Jiang of China (Round 3), Jan Francis Mirano of the Philippines (Round 5), IM Ronny Gunawan of Indonesia (Round 6) and IM Rao Sharan of Indonesia (Round 8).
In addition, he maintained his composure with draws against three formidable Russians – IM Alexey Polschikov (Round 4), IM Pavel Shkapenko (Round 7) and FM Alexander Chernyavsky (Round 9).
Yu Tian’s 7.5 points secured him the championship, while Shkapenko, Chernyavsky, and Polschikov took second to fourth places, each scoring 7.0 points. Other notable performers included Mirano, WIM Chuqiao Wang (China), and CM Zaidan Zulkipli (Malaysia), who ended in fifth to eighth places with 6.5 points apiece.
Malaysians dominated the Challenger section with Isaac Tan claiming victory with 7.5 points. Compatriots Yoggenraj Ramakrishnan and Xin Ran Claire Wang followed closely, finishing second and third with 7.0 points each.
The tournament also spotlighted 10-year-old Gabe Butarbutar Georgio, a chess prodigy from Jakarta, Indonesia. Coached by IM Dede Lioe, Georgio tied for 4th to 10th place with 6.5 points and ultimately secured fourth place after tiebreaks. His performance underlined his potential as a future chess star.
Other notable 6.5-pointers were Yeoh Wei Shen of Malaysia (5th), Wong Kah Meng of Malaysia (6th), Bernardino (7th), Abdur Rahman Mohd Afif of Malaysia (8th), Dhanpal Rajkumar Manish of Malaysia (9th) and Rezuan Khaizuran of Brunei (10th).
The Challenger section drew 110 participants, underscoring the event’s broad appeal and competitive spirit. Standout performers included Chew Ming Thomas Hoe of Singapore, who scored 6.0 points and won the top Veteran player award.
Penang Chess Association president See Swee Sie thanked Inari Amertron for serving as the main sponsor, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) for supporting the event through the FIDE Open Aid Project, as well as the state government, other sponsors, partners, and volunteers for their invaluable contributions in ensuring the event’s success.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix courtesy of Penang Chess Association