Chess Puzzle (5) Solution

Below is the solution for chess puzzle(5) :-

Hairulov -Mustapa Kamal Zamhuri

Malay Masters 1999, Round 5, UIA Gombak

In the actual game i found 36.Bd5! Re8 36...exd5 37.Qxd5+ Be6 (37...Kf8 38.Qxd6+) 38.Rxe6 Be7 39.Nf5!! Honestly i didn't calculate this move suggest by the Monster Fritz. My intended move is however good enough to mantain the advantage - (39.Qe5 Bf8 40.Ne4) 39...Rxd5 40.Nxe7+ Kf7 41.Rf6+ Ke8 42.Nc6+ Qe6 43.Rexe6+ Kd7 44.Re7+ Kc8 45.Rff7 Rd7 46.Rxd7 Re8 47.Rc7#checkmate 37.Ne4? Unfortunately i missed the idea of 37.f5! now and a few moves later as suggest by Mustapa Kamal after the game 37...Be7 38.Ng3 Bd6 38...exd5 39.Rxe7 Rxe7 40.Rxe7 Kf8 41.Qe3 Qd8 42.Qe5 Qxe7 43.Qxh8+ Kf7 44.Qxh7+ winning 39.Bb7? once again i missed 39.f5! 39...Qc7 40.Ne4? again - 40.f5! 40...Be7 41.Nc3 Bd8 42.Nd5!? 42.Bd5! Is superior 42...Kf8 (42...exd5 43.Rxe8+ Bxe8 44.Rxe8+ Kf7 45.Rxh8) 43.Nb5 Bxb5 44.cxb5 42...Qd6 43.f5! gxf5 44.Qh5?! The correct move is 44.Nf4! Bc7 45.Nxe6 Bxe6 46.Bd5! (Of course not 46.Rxe6?? Qh2# checkmate ) 47...Bxd5 48.Rxe8+ Kf7 49.R1e7+ Qxe7 50.Rxe7+ Kxe7 51.cxd5 44...Kf8! The notation in the tournament bulletin end here but if my memory serve me well the game continued with 45.g6 This lead to a draw after 45...hxg6 46.Qxg6 Rg8 47.h7 Rxg6 48.h8Q+ Rg8 48...Kf7 49.Qh7+ Rg7 50.Qh5+ Kg8 51.Rg1 Rxg1+ 52.Kxg1 Qg3+ 53.Rg2 49.Qh6+ Kf7 50.Qh5+ Kf8 ½–½

I like this game very much. Although i didn't found the perfect continutions , finding the ideas of sacrifices piece for the initiative in critical position gave satisfaction for me. I would like to thanks Mus (photo above) for "helping" me to "produced" this game. With his stubborn defense i can enjoy the game ten years later !

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.

Mustapa Kamal will marry...at last!!!

At last, 432 months old (36 years) local chess player-Mustapa Kamal Zamhuri photo right (2119 Fide rated) decide to end his “bachelor title” and tie the knot this coming Sunday.

All his chess friend are invited to the wedding ceremony on Sunday, 18 May 2008, at No.401, Taman Seri Setia, Teluk Intan.The wedding will start at 12.00afternoon till 3.30 pm .

Further details contact him at 056224690 or 0125172401

My Merdeka 1996 Game

I found one of my old game at the MERDEKA 1996 Team Tournaments against Mustapha Kamal in 1996. I remember having a completly winning position. However after executing the "brilliant" combination, i relax and slowly swindle by Mus.

The most interesting position is on my 15^th move

Hairul - Mustapa Kamal
MERDEKA Team Open 1996

Mus has just play his rook on b4 to c4. He probably think that the rook is poison due to 15.Qxc4? Bxf2! 16.Rxf2 and Qxc4 winning but after a long think i found a nice combination starting with

15.Nxf7! Rh5 the rook can't be taken because if 15...Kxf7 16.Qxc4 Bxf2+? 17.Rxf2+ an important tempo 17... Kg8 18.Qxc7 (15...0–0 is the only chance to get some counterplay 16.Nd6 Bxd6 17.exd6 Qc6+-) 16.Qxc4 Kxf7 17.Qxg4 a completely winning position. Fritz evaluate white advantage up to 6.02 ( or equivelent to a rook + a pawn) !!! however from this point, i started to relax and lost the game at last.