Officially known as the 16th Penang Heritage City International Chess Open 2024
1. Event Overview
- Name: 16th Penang Heritage City International Chess Open 2024 (Open Category)
- Dates: December 23rd to December 27th, 2024
- Location: UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, George Town, Penang
- Format: 9-round Swiss-System tournament
- Time Control: Standard, 90 minutes per player plus 30 seconds increment per move.
- Rating: International Rating Calculation.
- Organizer: PCA (Penang Chess Association), Federation Malaysia (MAS)
- Key Personnel:Tournament Director: See, Swee Sie / En Hamid Majid
- Chief Arbiter: IA Lim, Poay Sim
- Deputy Chief Arbiter: FA Ahmad, Muhd Saiful Asyraf
- Arbiters: IA Quah, Seng Sun, IA I Wayan Ekanata Da…
2. Participation and Demographics
- Total Players: 91 Participants
- Average Rating/Age: 1830 / 24 years old
- Represented Countries: 18 Countries, including: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China, England, FIDE, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, United States of America, and Vietnam
- Federation Breakdown: Malaysia had the most participants (38), followed by Singapore (21), and Indonesia (7).
- Title Holders: 17 titled players participated, including 9 International Masters (IM), 1 Woman International Master (WIM), 3 FIDE Masters (FM), 2 Woman FIDE Masters (WFM), and 2 Candidate Masters (CM)
3. Tournament Results
- Winner: IM Poh Yu Tian (Malaysia), with a score of 7.5 points. His final ranking was 1st, with a performance rating of 2455, and a FIDE rating change of +7.3.
- “Malaysia’s youngest International Master, 15 year old International Master, Poh Yu Tian won with 7 points, half a point clear of his nearest rivals”
- Top Finishers:
- 2nd: IM Shkapenko Pavel (FIDE) – 7 points
- 3rd: FM Chernyavsky Alexander (Russia) – 7 points
- 4th: IM Polschikov Alexey (Russia) – 7 points
- Tie-breaks: Used in the following order: 1) Direct Encounter; 2) Buchholz Tie-Break (Game Points, Cut 1); 3) Buchholz Tie-Break (Game Points)
- “Tie Break1: Direct Encounter (DE) Tie Break2: Buchholz Tie-Break Variable (2023) (Gamepoints, Cut1) Tie Break3: Buchholz Tie-Break Variable (2023) (Gamepoints)”
4. Facts
- Malaysian Success: Poh Yu Tian’s victory is significant as it is potentially the first time a Penang native has won the event, marking the 2nd time a Malaysian has won the Penang Open and first time a Malaysian has won in 15 years. Additionally, he is the only Malaysian to win the Malaysian Open in 2024, breaking a record of 18 editions without a Malaysian victory.
- “It may be the first time a Penangite won the event from all the other 15 editions of the Penang Open. Also might be the 2nd time a Malaysian has won this event. IM Mok Tze Meng won the very 1st Penang Open and after that it was won by foreigners. Poh Yu Tian is also the only Malaysian to win the Malaysian Open this year. No Malaysian has won the event in the past 18 editions of the Malaysian Open.”
- International Participation: The tournament drew a diverse group of players from across Asia and beyond, highlighting its international appeal.
- Strong Field: Even with the absence of GMs, the presence of multiple titled players indicates a relatively strong and competitive field.
- Youth Champion: Poh Yu Tian, at the age of 15, is the youngest player to ever win the event
- 10 boards was broadcasted live for every round.
- All Open games are available for download via chess-results tournament page
- First time in Malaysia, a player also streams his games via twitch.tv
6. Additional Resources:
- The Chess-Results.com pages provide detailed lists, round pairings, and individual player performance data.
- https://chess-results.com/tnr1083107.aspx?lan=1&art=4
Conclusion
The 16th Penang Heritage City International Chess Open 2024 was a well-attended despite being held at an unfortunate date during Christmas. It was highlighted by a historic victory by the young Malaysian International Master Poh Yu Tian. It shows a strong interest in chess within Malaysia and the broader region. The successful organization and the availability of online resources point to a modern and accessible tournament structure.
