Event 9 : Festival Blitz results

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — September 6, 2026 — The finale of the 21st Malaysian Chess Festival delivered high-octane drama as the Festival Blitz Chess Championship 2026 wrapped up Sunday evening at Level 2, KL Gateway Mall. In a tournament stacked with Grandmasters and International Masters, the Philippine contingent executed a breathtaking masterclass, storming to a historic 1-2 podium finish led by champion IM Michael Concio Jr. and runner-up IM Mark Jay Bacojo.

Concio's Unstoppable 8.0/9 March

Fresh off a grueling classical week, IM Michael Concio Jr. (blitz rating 2385) played with laser-sharp tactical clarity. Concio tore through the field with 7 wins and 2 draws (+7 =2 -0), remaining completely undefeated across the 9-round Swiss. In the decisive mid-tournament rounds, Concio toppled top Indian junior GM Ilamparthi A R in Round 6, followed by a clinical win over India's IM Kushagra Mohan on Board 1 in Round 7. Solid draws against compatriot IM Christian Gian Karlo Arca and Bacojo in the final two rounds sealed clear first place on 8.0/9.

Bacojo and Kushagra Share the Podium

IM Mark Jay Bacojo (2269) capped off a sensational day by securing clear 2nd place on 7.5/9. Bacojo went undefeated as well (6 wins, 3 draws), taking down Bangladesh IM Fahad Rahman and Chinese prodigy IM Jiang Haochen along the way, before defeating GM Ilamparthi with Black in Round 8. India's blitz specialist IM Kushagra Mohan (2335), who had also medaled in the earlier Merdeka Blitz, claimed 3rd place on 7.5/9 (47.5 Buchholz tiebreak), rebounding from his Round 7 stumble against Concio to score consecutive wins in the final two rounds against Liu Jiang and IM Fahad Rahman.

Final Standings — Top 15

Rk	Title	Player	FED	Rtg	Pts	TB2 (Buch)
1	IM	Concio, Michael Jr.	PHI	2385	8.0	49.5
2	IM	Bacojo, Mark Jay	PHI	2269	7.5	49.5
3	IM	Kushagra, Mohan	IND	2335	7.5	47.5
4	GM	Ilamparthi, A R	IND	2418	7.0	52.5
5	IM	Arca, Christian Gian Karlo	PHI	2414	7.0	51.0
6	GM	Mitrabha, Guha	IND	2558	7.0	47.0
7	IM	Saravana, Krishnan P.	IND	2150	7.0	43.5
8	FM	Arnav, Agrawal	IND	2338	7.0	42.5
9	IM	Jiang, Haochen	CHN	2502	6.5	48.0
10		Jiang, Liu	CHN	2086	6.5	42.5
11	IM	Arfan, Aditya Bagus	INA	2269	6.0	48.5
12	IM	Mohammad, Fahad Rahman	BAN	2310	6.0	48.0
13		Cheng, Gongpu	CHN	2120	6.0	47.0
14	FM	Xu, Ziyuan	CHN	2137	6.0	47.0
15	IM	Ratnakaran, K.	IND	2290	6.0	45.0

Malaysian Performances: Chong Jin Cheng Leads the Charge

Leading the Malaysian challenge was Chong Jin Cheng (1971), who finished an impressive 16th overall on 6.0/9 with a Buchholz tiebreak of 43.5. Chong scored 5 wins and 2 draws, defeating multiple seasoned opponents. Hot on his heels was Nur Izzuddin Zakaria (1683), who delivered one of the tournament's biggest rating upsets by also scoring 6.0/9 to take 20th place overall. Other notable Malaysian scorers included CM Chow Yi Chen (5.5/9, 24th), Lau Sau Ching (5.5/9, 26th), and AIM Iffat Huzaiman Mohd Hazriman (5.5/9, 27th).

The Festival Blitz brought an exhilarating close to the 21st Malaysian Chess Festival 2026. It's the fun event but frequently less covered and relegated to a chess-results record. But here it is for a first time a proper report for the final event in the Malaysian Chess Festival!

DATMO -Round 1 results

Board No	White Name	White Title	White Rating	Result	Black Name	Black Title	Black Rating
1	Munkhbayar, Gijir	FM	2119	0 - 1	Iniyan, Pa	GM	2609
2	Saparya, Ghosh	WFM	2106	0 - 1	Mitrabha, Guha	GM	2540
3	Ilamparthi, A R	GM	2517	1 - 0	Siddharth, Sai	-	2085
4	Archita, Agrawal	-	2079	0 - 1	Siddharth, Jagadeesh	GM	2513
5	Vijay, Rege	-	2074	½ - ½	Savchenko, Boris	GM	2477
6	Jiang, Haochen	IM	2457	1 - 0	Mahmood Shah, Mukhriez Shah	CM	2069
7	Mohammad Fahad, Rahman	IM	2443	1 - 0	Wang, Jiyan	-	2056
8	Lee, Jing Xi Jonathan	-	2054	½ - ½	Grigorjev, Iljya	IM	2432
9	Ayush, Sharma	IM	2426	1 - 0	Shitiz, Prasad	-	2038
10	Priasmoro, Novendra	GM	2422	1 - 0	Pradiksha, P S	WCM	2021
11	Mohit, S	AIM	2011	0 - 1	Gorovets, Andrey	GM	2420
12	Nazari, Arad	IM	2419	1 - 0	Enkhnamuun, Batkhishigt	WCM	1998
13	Nguyen, Hong Anh	WIM	1971	0 - 1	Bersamina, Paulo	IM	2407
14	Bacojo, Mark Jay	IM	2395	1 - 0	Tin, Shan Wen	-	1971
15	Kz, Abdullah Khairi	-	1970	0 - 1	Liu, Xiangyi	IM	2392
16	Mohammad, Nubairshah Shaikh	IM	2383	1 - 0	Vedant, Yogesh Kale	-	1963
17	Shen, Ree Herng	CM	1945	0 - 1	Viani, Antonio Dcunha	IM	2377
18	Concio, Michael Jr.	IM	2375	½ - ½	Chen, Baize	-	1942
19	Naranzaya, Zorigoo	-	1939	0 - 1	Nguyen, Duc Hoa	GM	2374
20	Arfan, Aditya Bagus	IM	2362	1 - 0	Stalker, Ian	-	1936
21	Nandinjiguur, Chinzorig	WCM	1934	0 - 1	Arca, Christian Gian Karlo	IM	2358
22	Cairel Adrin, Rumi Arjuna Malique	-	1917	0 - 1	Peng, Hongchi	-	2352
23	Nguyen, Van Huy	GM	2348	1 - 0	Tenuun, Tseesuren	-	1911
24	Wee, Yin Lin	-	1909	0 - 1	Avinash, Ramesh	IM	2345
25	Parv, H Hakani	-	1902	0 - 1	Ang, Ern Jie Anderson	FM	2319
26	Casiguran, Phil Martin	FM	2317	1 - 0	Gagloyev, Alan	-	1895
27	Tabor, Erwin D.	-	1894	0 - 1	Nitin, S.	IM	2316
28	Madhesh, Kumar S	FM	2313	1 - 0	Yap, Ray Jin	-	1887
29	Leong, Khai Shen	-	1886	0 - 1	Jiang, Liu	-	2303
30	Aakash, G	FM	2301	1 - 0	Wang, Yi(Bj)	-	1886
31	Batbileg, Boldbaatar	-	1874	0 - 1	Lim, Zhuo Ren	FM	2288
32	Karthikeyan, P.	GM	2283	1 - 0	Vakada, Sriram Jayin	-	1863
33	Asadel, Nadiv	-	1857	0 - 1	Nouri, Alekhine	FM	2279
34	Gajwa, Ankit	FM	2245	1 - 0	Nik Norhisham, Nik Muhd Haziq	-	1854
35	Araki, Dai	-	1839	1 - 0	Niharika, Challa	WFM	2245
36	Saravana, Krishnan P.	IM	2241	1 - 0	Ong, Way Justin	AGM	1836
37	Ishmeet, Singh	-	1817	½ - ½	Asaka, Samuel	-	2241
38	Li, Bo	IM	2229	1 - 0	Gnanaseelan, Jude Dorison	-	1788
39	Azmir, Alif Mikhael	-	1774	0 - 1	Arnav, Agrawal	FM	2191
40	Chen, Meng Boon Marcus	-	2190	1 - 0	Kapoor, Tanush	-	1774
41	Munkhbaatar, Surenmandakh	-	1774	½ - ½	Buyankhishig, Batpelden	WFM	2181
42	Swain, Ashirwad	CM	2180	1 - 0	Baidar, Buyandelger	AFM	1773
43	Berata, I Kadek Winayaka Sentanu	-	1770	0 - 1	Chow, Yi Chen	CM	2161
44	Cheng, Gongpu	-	2157	1 - 0	Wang, Xin Yu Aimee	-	1751
45	Jivan Rao, Gauthm	-	1748	0 - 1	Cong, Dingzhou	FM	2156
46	Yu, Shi	-	2151	1 - 0	Jeyaram, Andika	-	1719
47	Hua, Bochu	-	1696	½ - ½	Alok, Sinha	-	2148
48	Lai, Duc Minh	AGM	2147	1 - 0	Soboleva, Anastasia	-	1665
49	Narayanan, Sri Shiva Kumar	-	1519	0 - 1	Yanayt, Eugene	FM	2137
50	Wang, Yinuo(Ln)	-	2137	1 - 0	Mohd Shahrul Annuar, Muhd Aariz Daniel	-	1518
51	Rahmawati,	-	1517	0 - 1	Ratnakaran, K.	IM	2135
52	Xie, Jiaxiang	-	2358	0 - 1	Kushagra, Mohan	IM	2446
53	Aditya, Varun Gampa	FM	2323	½ - ½	Nguyen, Quoc Hy	IM	2424
54	Laddad, Aadhavan Atish	-	2108	½ - ½	Tan, Jun Ying	IM	2412
55	Manon, Reja Neer	IM	2408	½ - ½	Chong, Jin Cheng	-	2075
56	Mohd Shahrul Annuar, Nur Aara Daniel	-	0	1 - 0 (bye)	bye	-	-

Full results here: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1474019.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=1&flag=30&SNode=S0

♟️ SMS Deen Merdeka Open Rapid Team Chess Championship 2026

 

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👥 264 players | 🏛️ 66 teams | 🔁 9 intense rounds of rapid chess

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🏆 Co-Leaders Watch
👑 BRAINBOX - FEEL MY HOLY ATTACK & INDONESIA A
Both sit at a perfect 8 Match Points — setting up a thrilling title race.

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🚀 Breakout Surprise of the Tournament
⭐ INDONESIA B (an all-WIM squad)
Stormed into 3rd place after a stunning 4-0 sweep over SMS DEEN TEAM 1 — proving that experience and synergy can topple any giant.

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🇲🇾 Malaysian Hopes
How are the top local talents faring against elite international grandmasters and masters?

• 🧠 FM Lim Zhuo Ren

• 🏅 GM Yeoh Li Tian

• 🔥 IM Poh Yu Tian

All three are flying the flag high in a fiercely competitive field.

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📋 Round 5 – High-Stakes Board Pairings
⚔️ The pressure intensifies as the top boards clash. Who will blink first?

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🔮 What’s Next?
⏳ With 5 rounds remaining, every move matters. Expect tactical fireworks, rising stars, and possible upsets as the leaderboard takes its final shape.

Event 8 (Dato Tan Chin Nam Age-Group) Results

The Dato Tan Chin Nam Malaysia Day Age Group Championship (Event 8) is the second event catered for juniors in  the 20th IGB Malaysian Chess Festival 2025. Held on Malaysia Day, this rapid-play tournament provided a vital competitive platform for aspiring kids across various age groups, as well as a fun-filled -challenging Open category. A total 265 participants took part in this one-day event.

Photos

Section	Total Participants
U10	60
U12	56
Open	42
U14	41
U08	37
U18	29
TOTAL	265

The Open Category featured a strong field of titled and rated players from various federations, all competing for the top honors. This section provides a detailed summary of the final tournament rankings for the top 15 competitors and a complete list of the officially recognized prize winners.

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

The official prize winners for the Open Category are as follows:

• Champion: IM Concio Michael Jr.

• 2nd Place: IM Kushagra Mohan

• 3rd Place: GM Laxman R.R.

• 4th Place: Velarde Jerish John

• 5th Place: CM Gireman Ja

• 6th - 10th Place: IM Nguyen Quoc Hy, FM Kamalsyah Muhammad, Paglinawan Zeus Alexis, Saravanan Keertieshvar, FM Bacojo Mark Jay

• Best Woman: Ordizo Kate Nicole

• 2nd Best Woman: Lim Yijia Claire

Following the conclusion of the Open category, attention now turns to the promising junior talent showcased in the Under-18 age group.

Under-18 (U18) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners

The Under-18 category served as a key battleground for the most senior junior players. A commanding 5.5/6 performance by the champion from Vietnam set a formidable benchmark in a division where every point was fiercely contested. This section details the final tournament standings and the official award recipients.

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

The official prize winners for the Under-18 Category are as follows:

• Champion: Vo, Hoang Quan

• 2nd Place: Narzabal, Joemel

• 3rd Place: Orlina, Lance Nathaniel

• 4th - 10th Place: Thoriq Fauzan Robbani, Chan Ming Jun Brandon, Magpily Franiel Angela, Nizami John Paul, Siva Prakash Subhaashini, Bombales Ann Beatrice, Suze Zi Jian

• Best Girl: Getubig, Lyn

• 2nd Best Girl: Regidor, Kaye Lalaine

• 3rd Best Girl: Ordizo, Ericka

The performance in the U18 category sets a high standard, which we now follow with an analysis of the highly competitive Under-14 division.

Under-14 (U14) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners

In the crucial Under-14 the host nation's talent was on full display, with Malaysian players securing the top two spots after six demanding rounds. 

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

The official prize winners for the Under-14 Category are as follows:

• Champion: Peh, Yi Feng

• 2nd Place: Wong, Jayden

• 3rd Place: Lingga, El Noia

• 4th - 10th Place: Nah Yi Rong Rayden, Mohd Ridzuan Seth, Lieyanto Ryu Manson, Chin Ze Han, Ting Zhi En, Mohd Azzath Feizal Ansari, Ali Amir Zhariff Redza

• Best Girl: Aashrita, Balaji Guttula

• 2nd Best Girl: Capilitan, Zhaoyu

• 3rd Best Girl: Heng, Xiang Qing Elizabeth

Under-12 (U12) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners

The competition was exceptionally close, with a logjam of six players finishing on 4.5 points, all vying for top honors just behind the leaders.

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

The official prize winners for the Under-12 Category are as follows:

• Champion: Abundo, Don Lester

• 2nd Place: Siahaan, Naro Hugo Boaz

• 3rd Place: Yang, Hong Jie

• 4th - 10th Place: Bolico Steve Zacky, Aninao Geoff Riam, Belen James Matthew, Vincent Ricardo Edvin, Neoh Cayson, Abhijay Barua, Peh Yi Zheng

• Best Girl: Lim, Eiliyah Ayaan

• 2nd Best Girl: Low, Hui Lin

• 3rd Best Girl: Ho, Xing Ern Megan

We now transition to the equally competitive Under-10 category report.

Under-10 (U10) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners

While the champion carved out a narrow lead, the race for the remaining podium spots was extraordinarily tight, with five players finishing level on 5.0 points.

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

The official prize winners for the Under-10 Category are as follows:

• Champion: Pramudya, Dylan Andrian

• 2nd Place: Koh, En Jie Jonathan

• 3rd Place: Rosli, Muhd Rayyan

• 4th - 10th Place: Tan Pak Yen, Mohd Nazrin Mohd Arrian, Justin Tan, Miguel Antonio Roque M, Muhd Hazim Muhd Ammar Aryan, Tee Yuan Zhi Matthias, Sow Yew Jet

• Best Girl: Anbu Selvam, Theshmitaa

• 2nd Best Girl: Ayasofya, Medina

• 3rd Best Girl: Hasna, Khansa Safia

This report now proceeds to the results of the youngest age group, the Under-08 category.

Under-08 (U08) Category: Final Standings and Prize Winners

The Under-08 category, showcasing the youngest of all the age group and potential champioons of tomorrow. The tournament culminated in a dominant 6.0/6 performance from the champion, who achieved a perfect score one point ahead of his nearest rival !!

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

The official prize winners for the Under-08 Category are as follows:

• Champion: Mohd Nur Al Sufi, Muhd Ayub

• 2nd Place: Liu, Haoyang(Gd)

• 3rd Place: Tan, Zhe Yu Cayden

• 4th - 10th Place: Kairav Kumar Lakshen, Edrick Ricardo Edvin, Chew Yu Kai Xavier, Maniraja Danusshraja, Chang Yi Chen, Brandon Fong Yu Hien, Daniel Teh Chong Eu

• Best Girl: Sinan, Aghayu

• 2nd Best Girl: Azil Zhanif, Annisa Zaahira

• 3rd Best Girl: Ler, Hong Jin

Prize Giving Photos