I was really fortunate to be given the opportunity to play a role in the 15-player clocked Simul-exhibition by Singapore's #1 rated chess player, Kevin Goh. You can see some pictures taken for the event on his facebook post here.
I am pretty sure the more renowned and professional local chess personalities will do a better report and coverage of this event at a later time. For now, I am in a slight rush in order to publicise this before the day ends ^o^
Key Features of the Event
- Time Control was 60 minutes initial time + 30 seconds increment each move starting from move #1
- While the convention is for the champion to play as White for all boards, Kevin decided to increase his the level of challenge and was playing with 8 Blacks and 7 Whites. Players drew lots to decide who gets White / Black boards.
- I was the only adult player there =)
- We were playing on wooden DGT chess sets (which allowed for live transmission of moves / broadcasting), and the pieces and board were gorgeous!
My Personal Takeaway from the Event
- I was privileged enough to be involved in both the equipment set up AND as 1 of the 15 players. Mr Tan Tian Wah is not just a great local chess arbiter, but also an excellent technician in handling the DGT equipment. I was following all the instructions on the DGT manual (like how I try my best to strictly follow FIDE laws of chess word for word as a new arbiter), but he knew so much more with regard to actual applications and considerations! For gamers, the best analogy would be that I am following the recommendations and information in the official game guide, while Mr Tan genuinely knows all the "secrets" in the game inside out. I certainly look forward to learn more from him in future local chess events, both in terms of serving as chess arbiters and also setting up DGT equipment for large scale / prestigious events.
- While we were whitewashed 15-0 by Kevin, I am glad that my game was the last to finish. More importantly, I really enjoyed the post-game review. Again, I was lucky enough for my game to be picked as 1 of the 3 games he decided to go through after the 15 simul games were completed.
- The funny thing is, while this was a clocked simul, I was the one who fell into time trouble, completing a move with 1 or 2 seconds left on a couple of occasions. I burst out laughing when, in the late stage of the event (only a few boards remain), Kevin walked to me and say, "I'll come back to deal with you later ^o^" He was having close to 17 minutes additional time (19 minutes v.s. 2 minutes) LOL
http://view.chessbase.com/cbreader/2019/7/21/Game638800109.html
My Prize from the Simul Event -- Signed by Kevin Goh Wei Ming!
Just to contextualise the last liner a little: Recently, I have come to LOVE Jeon So Min, a South Korean Actress who is also a cast member of the long-running variety show, Running Man. My love for her is strong enough for me to want to pick up the Korean language. Because learning a new language is time consuming and challenging for adults, I have decided to cut down on my weekly time spent on chess. But I will never "quit" chess.
p.s. But So Min is NOT just a Korean girl. I love everything about her. Her quirkiness, her big eyes, her quick wits to react to unexpected, impromptu situations. She's an energizer that can brighten up one's day. My day. So to my chess friends, despite my reducing chess activity, please know that I'm all well and happy. I just have another live besides chess =)
Yours sincerely
Ong Yujing (Eugene)
a.k.a. newbie_learner
Siglap South CC Chess Quartet
No comments:
Post a Comment