Aziz Shukor - New Co - Author for Hairulovchessmaniacs !

Hairulovchessmaniacs welcome Abdul Aziz Abdul Shukor (-AAAS-) as the  new co-author . Aziz is a season chess player and his top achievement so far is winning the recent DATCC Weekender (FIDE Rated) ahead of players such as Abdullah Che Hassan, Kamaluddin Yusof, Justin Ong and few other strong players . His first post is here

Photo's Malaysia Chess Festival 2008

Below are the remaining photo's during the 2008 Malaysian Chess Festival.

Jax Tham - Playing in the 3rd AmBANK GROUP MALAYSIA CHESS CHALLENGE 2008

Aziz Shukor is playing in the 3rd AmBANK GROUP MALAYSIA CHESS CHALLENGE 2008. So far he has collect 4 points from 6th round and he will meet Pinoy - Jr. Rodolfo Panopio (FIDE 2187) in round 7!

IM Irwanto Sadikin ( FIDE 2453) from Indonesia playing in DATMO 2008.

Mr.Fadli Zakaria - aka stonemaster return from his "hibernation" !?

Mustapa Kamal Wedding and “Grandmaster Live”

From left: Zambri, Sam, Mus & Wife, Aziz Shukor, Kamaluddin and Saprin (answering chess call !?)

Photo from Sam

As my previous article a few days ago, Mustapaha Kamal wedding ceremonies was successfully held at his house in on Sunday, 18 May 2008, at Taman Seri Setia, Teluk Intan.

Several chess players and his good friends attend the wedding, among them is Sam , Mohd Saprin Sabri, Zambri Yusof, Abdul Aziz Shukor and Kamaluddin Yusof. They came all they way from KL and stop a few time for food, drinks and ….blitz!!! We call this “ Grandmaster live”

This term were used by us during our students time when we have all time in the world to play chess- no wife, childrens, works, responsibility to think accept play, play and play chess where ever you are.

I recall one of my memorable experience in late 90’s when I with my chess buddies ( Irwan, Rizal, Abu Zarim..) went to play in Terengganu
Open held at the 4 star Hotel Primula Park Royal Kuala Terengganu. At that time we are all university students and don’t have much money ( now also :)) to pay the expensive room fee . So we plan a strategy. Although at that time my strength is good enough to play in the Open, I choose to played in the novis where as all my friends play in the open category. My job is to win a good price money in the novice and others tried their luck on the Open which of course- offer more cash price!

At the end, our mission is accomplish, I managed to get 3rd places where as my other friend failed to get any cash price in the strong Open category which won by Julian Navaratnam! So, the money I won were used to pay our room fees and we happily enjoy our stay at the beautiful hotel near the beach.


Another interesting story at the Terengganu Open is our room is adjacent to WFM Angela Khegai (photo right) and another strong and cute Uzbekistan women players- WFM Irina Gorshkova (photo left) . At the middle of the night ( around 2 a.m) , we knocked their door to invite them for blitz game which was reject immedietly !!! – how crazy we are back then.

Aziz Shukor beat WIM Lisa Karlina Lumungdong !

My good friend Abdul Aziz Shukor achieved a good result in the recently concluded Royal Selangor Open 2008. He finished shared 7th-9th place with 6 points from 9 rounds. In the final round Aziz create an impressive performance by beating Indonesian WIM Lisa Karlina Lumongdong. Lisa is former bronze medalist winner in 23rd Southeast Asian Games 2005.

Abdul Aziz Shukor –WIM Lisa Karlina Lumungdong (2147) [E92]
Royal Selangor Open, Round 9, 05.05.2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 7.dxe5

The exchange variation. Aziz said that he choose this variation to avoid any heavy preparation by his opponent. 7...dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Bg5 Re8 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.cxd5 c6 12.Bc4 cxd5 13.Bxd5 Na6 13...Nd7 with the idea of 14...Nf6 is maybe better. Black threaten to exchange his knight for one of white bishop and pressure the e4. 14.a3 Nc7 15.Ba2 Theory gave 15.Bc4 Be6 as the normal continuation. 15...Ne6 probably 15...Be6 is better. Neutralize the a2 bishop and if 16.Bxe6 Nxe6 black knight will have good outpost at f4 and d4; 15...Be6 16.0–0 16.0–0!? Aziz said that he need to give a concession for this move because surrending the bishop pairs in simplified position is quite unadvisable. However he believe that his active rooks and other pieces would give him enough compensation. 16...Nxg5 16...Nd4 17.Rfd1= Bg4 18.Nxd4 Bxd1 19.Nb5÷ is unclear 17.Nxg5 Rf8 17...Re7!? Guarding the 7th rank is better. 18.Rad1 Bg4 18.Rac1! Aziz quickly head for black 7th rank. 18...Bh6

19.Nxf7!? An interesting exchange sacrifice although 19.f4 Is probably stronger because if 19...Bxg5 (19...exf4? would be a mistake due to 20.Nxf7! Rxf7 21.Rc7) 20.fxg5 The f file is open to white rook and increase pressure to black king. 20...Be6 21.Bxe6 fxe6± 22.Rc7 and white has huge advantage because he is controlling black 7th rank. 19...Bxc1 19...Rxf7?? would be a first-class blunder 20.Rc7+- 20.Rxc1 Kg7 20...Rxf7? looks very interesting, but 21.Rc7+- 21.Rc7 According to Aziz, he prefer not to take the e5 pawn and restrict black king from gaining space. 21.Nxe5 Is the choice of Fritz. Typical greedy monster which can convert winning advantage easily! 21...Kf6 22.h4! This move gave the white knight a square to retreat and threaten to weaken black kingside pawn. 22...Be6 23.Bxe6 Kxe6 24.Ng5+ Kd6 25.Rxh7 Kc6 26.Rh6 Rf6 27.h5 Rg8 27...Kc5 28.Nf3 Rc8± 28.Kf1 28.Nf3!? Re6 29.Nh4+- 28...Kd6 29.Ke2 Rg7 30.Nf3 Re6? ¹30...Ke7² and Black can hope to live 31.Nh4+- Rc7?? Black crumbles in face of a dire situation 31...Kd7 32.Nxg6 Kc7+-; 31...gxh5?? 32.Nf5+ Kd7 33.Rxe6 Kxe6 34.Nxg7+ 32.hxg6 Rc8 32...Re8 is no salvation 33.g7+ Kc5 34.Nf5+- 33.g7 33.Nf5+ and White has reached his goal 33...Kd7 34.Rh7+ Kc6 35.Ne7+ Rxe7 36.Rxe7 Rg8 37.g7+- 33...Rg8 34.Nf5+ Kd7 35.Rh8 Ree8 36.Rh7 Re6 37.Ke3 Rg6 38.g3 a5 39.Rh8 39.f4+- is probably better and makes sure everything is clear] 39...Rd8 Not me, but my friend Fritz said that "Black has lost his nerve... understandable when you consider his position. terrible, but the game is lost in any case" :) 39...R6xg7 40.Rh1 Rg5 41.Rh7+ Ke6 42.Rxb7 a4+- 40.Rf8 1–0

Aziz Shukor : Fire On Board!

Aziz Shukor Playing like Alexei Shirov!

Below is one of the interesting game in Malay Open 2008. Black sacrifice two piece for unclear compensation and won!

Analyze by hairulov and fritz

Izzudin - Abdul Aziz Shukor [E01]
Malay Open 2008 , Round 6, 10.02.2008

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.g3 white choose to play the Catalan 5...Nbd7 6.Bg2 Bd6 7.0–0 0–0 8.c5!? I think this push is too early. Furthermore white centre pawn is quite fragile after black make a breaking move like e5 later. Theory gave 8.Qc2 ; 8.b3; 8.Nd2 as the main options. 8...Bc7 9.Bg5 e5 Good idea but the timing is not right. Black should play 9...h7-h6 first 10.Bg5xf6 (if 10.Bg5-d2 then 10...e6-e5) 10...Qd8xf6 and then 11...e5 10.dxe5 10.e2-e4! e5xd4 11.Qd1xd4 d5xe4 12.Nc3xe4 h7-h6 13.Bg5-h4 g7-g5 14.Ne4xg5! h6xg5 15.Bh4xg5 And the bishop pin is quite uncomfortable for black! 10...Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 12.Qc2 h6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 13...Bxf6 14.e4 d4 15.Rfd1³ 14.e3 Re8 14...Bf5 15.e4 Bg6 16.Qb3 Bxc3 17.bxc3 dxe4 18.Rae1µ 15.Rfd1Bf5 16.Qc1 Qg6 17.Ne2 Be4 17...h5 18.h4³ 18.Nd4 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 f5 20.a4 a5 21.Rb1 Re7 22.b4 axb4 23.Rxb4 Rf8 24.Qb1 Rff7 24...Bxd4 25.Rdxd4 Qf7 26.Rb6² 25.a5 h5 26.h4 26...Bxg3!?! Fritz doesn't support this move because it can "calculate" the refutation easily but a human player usually failed to find the refutation because of the emotion, tension, time pressure and many other factors so i give credit for Aziz because of his braveness to unleash this intuition sacrifice. 27.fxg3 Rxe3 28.Nf3 28.Rxb7 is not to be advocated because of the following mating combination 28...Qxg3+ 29.Kh1 Qh3+ 30.Kg1 Rg3+ 31.Kf2 Rg2+ 32.Ke1 Qh1# 28...Re2+ 29.Kf1 Looks like all is in order for white. Black attack seems no strong enough and white is ready to trade the rooks to simplify the game into a won endgame. However, Aziz have something special in the menu.... 29...Qxg3 This is the only chance for black to try his luck. Other tame move like 29...Rfe7 is not good enough. 30.Kxe2 Re7+ 31.Kd2 Qxf3 Aziz is a rook down but he has three extra pawn and hold the initiative as the compensation! 32.Kc2 32.Rxb7?? simply mating in 3 32...Re2+ 33.Kc1 Qf4+ 34.Rd2 Qxd2# 32...Qf2+ 33.Kb3 Qxc5? 33...Re4± 34.Ka4?? with this move White loses his initiative 34.Re1 f4 35.Rxe7 Qxe7+- 34...Re2? ¹34...Re8= would allow Black to play on 35.Re1+- Rf2 36.Rxb7?? throws away a nice position ¹36.Rc1 and White gets the upper hand 36...Qe7 37.Rxb7 Qxh4+ 38.Rb4+- 36...Qc4+ ¹36...Rf4+ and Black can celebrate victory 37.Qb4 Rxb4+ 38.Rxb4 Qc2+ 39.Rb3 Qa2+ 40.Kb4 Qd2+ 41.Kc5 Qxa5+ 42.Kxc6 Qxe1–+ 37.Ka3 Qc3+ ¹37...Rf3+ nails it down 38.Qb3 Rxb3+ 39.Rxb3 Qxh4 40.Re8+ Kh7–+ 38.Ka4= c5?? gives the opponent counter play ¹38...Qc4+!? should be considered 39.Ka3 Rf3+ 40.Qb3 Rxb3+ 41.Rxb3 Qxh4–+ 39.Re8+ ¹39.Rb3!? Qc4+ 40.Ka3+- 39...Kh7± 40.Rb3 Rf4+? ¹40...Qc4+ 41.Ka3 Rf1± 41.Ka3?? spoils everything ¹41.Kb5 and White wins 41...Qd4 42.Re7+- 41...Qxa5+–+ 42.Kb2 Rf2+ 43.Kc1 Qd2# 0–1

After the game, Aziz and i analyze the game. I told Aziz that an artist create his/her drawing as a masterpiece but chess player create his own masterpiece with his game .