China students among chess competition participants
KOTA KINABALU: It is said that the game of chess is able to spark one’s creativity.
Known as a game for the intellectually gifted, chess is the best sport to exercise the brain, which can help promote brain growth, spark one’s creativity, increase problem solving and may help in improving reading skills, said Sabah Chess Association president Muammar Julkarnain.
“Chess is like a gymnasium of the mind.
“It can help in a child’s brain development which will make the child a better thinker, a better problem solver and explore his or her creativity.
“That is why we, at the Sabah Chess Association (SCA), believe chess should be introduced as part of the school co-curriculum as it can bring out a child’s hidden potential,” said Muammar at the KK City Junior International 2018 Under-18 Chess Championship at Tang Dynasty Hotel here recently.
The tournament was officiated by City Hall Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai.
Also present were Sabah Sports Council deputy director Valerie Wong, Sabah Tourism Board representative Evangeline and Skyler Lan Tian from Sky Chess Club of Chengdu, China,
The two-day tournament, which began on Feb 3, saw 20 Chengdu students from China, and 180 participants from Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia competing in a friendly chess tournament.
Although the event was for those under 18 years old, Muammar said the tournament would be played according to the Swiss System in nine rounds, with time control of 15 minutes plus 10 seconds increment.
“This is the standard chess game, and we also want our young participants to get used to the time frame to better prepare them in the future,” he said.
Muammar also said that a similar tournament would be organised in August this year and expected about 700 to 800 chess players to participate.
This was the second chess tournament organised by SCA, where the first tournament was the Sabah Chess Opening 2018 - Government Sector vs Private Sector at the Oceanus Waterfront Mall late last year.