Malaysia draw with Lithuania !

23rd December 2010 - Malaysia men team produced a stunning result in round 3 by drawing 2-2 against a much higher rated opponents - Lithuania. The ex-Soviet republic fielded 3 GMs and one IM but suffer a scary moment when their very experience first board - GM Eduardas Rozentalis was ground down by IM Mashafizul - with black ! Our 2nd and 4th board ( Mok and Peter Long) also deliver a good result - drawing against GM and IM respectively. Peter who seldom play nowadays show that he still have the touch by holding IM Dariuz Zagorskis .

Unfortunately however for our new NM - Tan Khai Boon who failed to held his nerve and used his piece advantage against his GM opponent who has 3 extra pawns. Kai Boon lost when a draw would give Malaysia an overall victory.

All in all, a draw against the 39th seeded is a good achievement for the men team and for Mas, he has now collected 1.5 points out of two against GMs opponent and he is now in a right track for his first GM norm.

The women team however fail to achieve the same feat as their male counterpart when they are beaten 1-3 to Austria. The women (girls actually) however had something to be proud when WCM Nur Nabila Azman Hisham and NWM Fong Mi Yen draw against WFM opponents.

Nabila mother - Zazaluma Harun received his daughter result by phone during the Women & Sports Award 2010 dinner held at the Olympic Council Malaysia (OCM) tonight. The dinner was also attended by me and Haslindah Ruslan - Vice President of MCF who is nominated in the Women and Sports Award for Leadership but more about it later in my future post.

A good performance so far for both team especially the men and all the best for round 4 - Malaysia Boleh !