Thursday, 11 June 2026
Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Event 1 Report - SMS Deen Team Open Rapid
372 players from 12 countries
The SMS DEEN Merdeka Open Rapid Team Chess Championship was one of the biggest team events held in Malaysia, with 372 players from 12 countries, such as Australia, Indonesia, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and New Zealand taking part.
Results and pictures here.
Detail Chess-Results here.
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| a team fom Penang |
| Title | Count |
|---|---|
| GM | 5 |
| WGM | 2 |
| IM | 16 |
| WIM | 3 |
| FM | 14 |
| WFM | 4 |
| CM | 9 |
| WCM | 2 |
| Total | 55 |
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| Hilton's Friend with GM Alexei Barsov on board 1 |
Not only the biggest it's also the strongest team event ever held in Malaysia for the year and it is consistently so for previous years too which explain it's popularity.
1. Home Field Advantage? Not So Much.
 |
| all 9 rounds over but these players can't get enough and continue playing blitz |
Of the 372 players who competed, a staggering 283 hailed from the host nation, Malaysia. But as history has shown it is the foreigners who always take the crown year after year and this year was no different. Last year however, with multiple events clashing with the festival, a Malaysian team made history by winning it for the first time in it's 19 year history.
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| the winning team SKUA GADING SERPONG from Indonesia |
This year returned to its traditional winners of the event - Indonesia. The Indonesian team, SCUA GADING SERPONG, clinched the title. One thing to note is that the players from these teams came here just for the team event and left right after. Most of them did register for Blitz but had to cancel as they didn't have time to play,
as well as make it to the airport in time.
The "Best Malaysian Team" prize went to APEX CHESS ROYALE (SELANGOR), which finished 10th in the overall final rankings.
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| Best Malaysian Team |
2. A Superstar Player Isn't a Silver Bullet.
The event featured a roster of titled players, but none were rated higher than Australian Grandmaster (GM) Smerdon, David C, who entered with a formidable 2541 rating. His presence on the top board of team DATCC LOYALISTS seemed to signal a deep run.
Instead, his team finished in 24th place. The data tells us why. While GM Smerdon put up a solid 6.5/9 points, the team's results on lower boards were mixed, including a score of just 2.5/9 on board three
3. An All-Female Squad Outplayed Dozens of Top Teams.
One of the most impressive performances of the championship came from the PHILIPPINE ARCHERS-TAMARAWS CHESS TEAM. This all-female squad, featuring titled players like Woman International Master (WIM) Bernadette Galas and Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Shania Mae Mendoza, navigated a highly competitive field to secure a remarkable 6th place finish in the final standings.
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Their outstanding result not only placed them ahead of dozens of other teams but also earned them the "Best Ladies Team" special prize. Their performance was a standout achievement, proving their strength and skill in a demanding open tournament format.
4. The Tournament's Top Scorer Landed in 7th Place.
If the tournament had an award for individual dominance, the data leaves no doubt who would win it. International Master (IM) Ervan, Mohamad, playing for team SCUA MASTER, achieved an incredible individual score of 8.5 points out of a possible 9 games.
Despite this near-perfect performance, his team finished in 7th place overall. Of course, this highlights again that it is the collective score that ultimately determines who stands on the podium.
5. The Team Names Tell a Story of Community and Fun.
Beyond the intense competition, the data reveals a vibrant and fun-loving community. A quick scan of the team list shows a flair for creativity and humor, with memorable names like HANS NIEMANN FANS CLUB, THE GEEZER GAMBIT, and NOT GOOD BUT NOT BAD.
This spirit was formally celebrated through a diverse array of special prize categories that went beyond pure performance. Awards for "Best Family Team," "Best Veteran Team," "Best School Team," and "Best Under 16 Team" show that the tournament was as much about celebrating the community as it was about crowning a champion. Most notably, the inclusion of a "Best OKU Team" prize for players with disabilities underscores a powerful commitment to inclusivity and the shared love of the game.
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| Malaysia Vietnam Friends |
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| Best Under 16 team |
Saturday, 27 September 2025
Event 8 (Dato Tan Chin Nam Age-Group) Results
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Section | Total Participants |
U10 | 60 |
U12 | 56 |
Open | 42 |
U14 | 41 |
U08 | 37 |
U18 | 29 |
TOTAL | 265 |
Rank | Name | Federation | Rating | Points |
1 | IM Concio Michael Jr. | PHI | 2418 | 5.0 |
2 | IM Kushagra Mohan | IND | 2300 | 5.0 |
3 | GM Laxman R.R. | IND | 2219 | 5.0 |
4 | Velarde Jerish John | PHI | 2052 | 5.0 |
5 | CM Gireman Ja | IND | 2099 | 4.5 |
6 | IM Nguyen Quoc Hy | VIE | 2239 | 4.5 |
7 | FM Kamalsyah Muhammad | INA | 2147 | 4.0 |
8 | Paglinawan Zeus Alexis | PHI | 1880 | 4.0 |
9 | Saravanan Keertieshvar | MAS | 1701 | 4.0 |
10 | FM Bacojo Mark Jay | PHI | 2320 | 4.0 |
11 | Hong Mingren | CHN | 1931 | 4.0 |
12 | Chen Baize | CHN | 1628 | 4.0 |
13 | AFM Meiyazhagan Kaviinayan | KOR | 1821 | 3.5 |
14 | Romero Gladimir Chester | PHI | 2008 | 3.5 |
15 | N. Tarun | IND | 1522 | 3.5 |
Under-18 (U18) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners
Rank | Name | Federation | Rating | Points |
1 | Vo Hoang Quan | VIE | 1808 | 5.5 |
2 | ACM Narzabal Joemel | PHI | 1915 | 4.5 |
3 | Getubig Lyn | PHI | 1741 | 4.5 |
4 | Regidor Kaye Lalaine | PHI | 1827 | 4.5 |
5 | Orlina Lance Nathaniel | PHI | 1920 | 4.0 |
6 | Thoriq Fauzan Robbani | INA | 1593 | 4.0 |
7 | Ordizo Ericka | PHI | 1710 | 4.0 |
8 | AFM Chan Ming Jun Brandon | MAS | 1584 | 4.0 |
9 | Magpily Franiel Angela | PHI | 1726 | 3.5 |
10 | Nizami John Paul | MAS | 0 | 3.5 |
11 | Siva Prakash Subhaashini | MAS | 1476 | 3.5 |
12 | Bombales Ann Beatrice | PHI | 1661 | 3.0 |
13 | Suze Zi Jian | MAS | 0 | 3.0 |
14 | Kong Hong Ren | MAS | 1566 | 3.0 |
15 | Soon Yong Han Keyne | MAS | 1523 | 3.0 |
Under-14 (U14) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners
Rank | Name | Federation | Rating | Points |
1 | Peh Yi Feng | MAS | 1681 | 5.5 |
2 | Wong Jayden | MAS | 1504 | 5.0 |
3 | Lingga El Noia | INA | 0 | 5.0 |
4 | Aashrita Balaji Guttula | IND | 1478 | 4.5 |
5 | Nah Yi Rong Rayden | MAS | 1542 | 4.5 |
6 | Mohd Ridzuan Seth | MAS | 1613 | 4.0 |
7 | AIM Lieyanto Ryu Manson | INA | 1823 | 4.0 |
8 | Chin Ze Han | MAS | 1669 | 4.0 |
9 | Ting Zhi En | MAS | 1675 | 4.0 |
10 | Capilitan Zhaoyu | PHI | 1692 | 4.0 |
11 | Mohd Azzath Feizal Ansari | MAS | 1549 | 4.0 |
12 | Ali Amir Zhariff Redza | MAS | 1593 | 4.0 |
13 | ACM Syed Qamma Syed Muhd Rafiq | MAS | 0 | 3.5 |
14 | Daiwik Hemant Mehta | IND | 1467 | 3.5 |
15 | Ng Wen Chuan Mark | MAS | 1571 | 3.5 |
Under-12 (U12) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners
Rank | Name | Federation | Rating | Points |
1 | Abundo Don Lester | PHI | 1624 | 5.5 |
2 | AIM Siahaan Naro Hugo Boaz | INA | 0 | 5.0 |
3 | Yang Hong Jie | MAS | 1644 | 5.0 |
4 | Bolico Steve Zacky | PHI | 1637 | 4.5 |
5 | Aninao Geoff Riam | PHI | 1612 | 4.5 |
6 | Belen James Matthew | PHI | 1531 | 4.5 |
7 | Vincent Ricardo Edvin | INA | 0 | 4.5 |
8 | Lim Eiliyah Ayaan | PHI | 1569 | 4.5 |
9 | Neoh Cayson | MAS | 1578 | 4.5 |
10 | Abhijay Barua | IND | 1675 | 4.0 |
11 | Peh Yi Zheng | MAS | 1486 | 4.0 |
12 | Koh Jii Herng | MAS | 1524 | 4.0 |
13 | AFM Mohd Eizuddin Muhd Emran | MAS | 1479 | 4.0 |
14 | Arin Bhivgade | IND | 0 | 4.0 |
15 | Low Hui Lin | MAS | 1438 | 4.0 |
Under-10 (U10) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners
Rank | Name | Federation | Rating | Points |
1 | AFM Pramudya Dylan Andrian | INA | 1676 | 5.5 |
2 | Koh En Jie Jonathan | SGP | 1712 | 5.0 |
3 | Anbu Selvam Theshmitaa | MAS | 0 | 5.0 |
4 | Rosli Muhd Rayyan | MAS | 1431 | 5.0 |
5 | Tan Pak Yen | MAS | 0 | 5.0 |
6 | Ayasofya Medina | INA | 0 | 5.0 |
7 | Mohd Nazrin Mohd Arrian | MAS | 1611 | 4.5 |
8 | Justin Tan | INA | 0 | 4.5 |
9 | Miguel Antonio Roque M | PHI | 0 | 4.0 |
10 | Muhd Hazim Muhd Ammar Aryan | MAS | 1508 | 4.0 |
11 | Tee Yuan Zhi Matthias | MAS | 1489 | 4.0 |
12 | Hasna Khansa Safia | INA | 1426 | 4.0 |
13 | AFM Sow Yew Jet | MAS | 1564 | 4.0 |
14 | Sivanesan Atharvaganesh | MAS | 0 | 4.0 |
15 | Lo Kai Hsiang | MAS | 0 | 4.0 |
Under-08 (U08) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners
Rank | Name | Federation | Rating | Points |
1 | Mohd Nur Al Sufi Muhd Ayub | MAS | 0 | 6.0 |
2 | Liu Haoyang(Gd) | CHN | 1432 | 5.0 |
3 | Sinan Aghayu | INA | 0 | 5.0 |
4 | Tan Zhe Yu Cayden | SGP | 1526 | 4.5 |
5 | Kairav Kumar Lakshen | MAS | 0 | 4.5 |
6 | Edrick Ricardo Edvin | INA | 0 | 4.0 |
7 | Chew Yu Kai Xavier | MAS | 0 | 4.0 |
8 | Maniraja Danusshraja | MAS | 0 | 4.0 |
9 | Chang Yi Chen | MAS | 0 | 4.0 |
10 | Brandon Fong Yu Hien | MAS | 0 | 4.0 |
11 | Daniel Teh Chong Eu | MAS | 0 | 4.0 |
12 | Muhammad Amru Bin Mohd Azhari | MAS | 0 | 3.5 |
13 | Azil Zhanif Annisa Zaahira | MAS | 0 | 3.5 |
14 | Bran Paul Aparato | MAS | 0 | 3.5 |
15 | Mohd Norhafizi Eusuff Muhd | MAS | 0 | 3.0 |