Lim Zhuo Ren and Alia Anin Azwa Bakri is our new National Junior Master!

Lim Zhuo Ren (photo right) won the recently concluded National Junior Championship. The event saw five players from a total of 73 players tied with 7 points each after 9 rounds. Mark Siew Kit Tze,  Muhammad Syakir Shazmeer Azhar, Lim Zhuo Ren,Wong Jian Wen and Sumant Subramaniam played in a play-off to determine the National Junior Champion. The format is double round robin  with  time control of 15 minutes plus 10 seconds increment.

The girls section also saw a playoff between WFM Alia Anin Azwa Bakri (photo left) and WCM Nur Nabila Azman Hisham who were tied with 8 points each from 9 rounds. 34 players took part in the girls section.

In the end, Alia won the playoff and add another title to her belt - National Women Junior Master (NWJM). Is interesting to note that Alia has already got the senior titles - National Women Master (NWM) and Women FIDE Master (WFM) before winning the National Junior Master.

Below is one of  the beautiful game from the champion.


Lim Zhou Ren (2074) vs Thong Yung Cheng (1967)
National Junior Championship, Round 9, 19.12.2010

Analyzed by centaur (Hairulov+Rybka 4)



1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5 h5 6. Be3 Nh6 7. Qd2 b5 8. Nf3 Theory suggest8. h3  The idea is to restrict the space for black's light square bishop.


8... Bg4 9. Nh4 Nd7 10. h3 Be6 11. Bd3 Nf5 12. Bf2 Nxh4 13. Bxh4 Qb6 14. Qf2 14. a4!? is an interesting idea for e.g. 14...Qxd4 (14... b4 15. Ne2) 15. Bf2 Qb4 16.axb5 


14... a6 15. Ne2 c5 16. c3 Bf5 17. Bxf5 gxf5 18. Qf3 e6 19. g4 White strong points is his kingside control so he open lines for his heavy pieces. 


19...hxg4 20. hxg4 fxg4 21. Qxg4 Bf8 22. Kf2 22. O-O-O  is better probably safer. 


22... b4 22... Rc8  followed by cxd4 and b4 is a strong idea. 


23. Bg5 Rxh1 With hindsight, black should have avoid trading his rook on the kingside and play 23... Rg8  instead. 


24. Rxh1 bxc3 25. Rh7 Threatening Qh5-Qxf7++ checkmate! 


25...cxb2?

Perhaps this is  the losing move. Black can still play after 25... Ra7


26. Qh5 Nxe5 A desperate measure to cover the f7 square.


27. fxe5 Ra7 28. Rh8! 

Threatening Rxf8+ followed by Qh8++ checkmate! 28...b1=Q 29. Rxf8+ Kd7 Of course 29... Kxf8?? and 30. Qh8# Checkmate. 


30. Qxf7+ Kc6 31. Qe8+ Rd7 32. Rf7 Kb5 32... Qb7 33. Qxe6+ Kb5 34. Rxd7 


33. Qxd7+ Kc4  Black king desperately searching for shelter. Other move also lost for e.g.33... Ka5 34. Rf3 Threatening Bd2+!  34...Q6b5 35. Qd8+ Qb6 36. Bd2+  Ka4 37. Nc3+ fork. 


34. dxc5 Qxc5+ 35. Be3 d4 36. Qxe6+ Kd3 37. Qf5+

Black will lost his queen on b1. Rybka said it's checkmate on 11 (maximum).


37...Kc4 38. Qxb1 dxe3+ 39. Kg1 Qxe5 40. Rf4+ 1-0