Malaysian GM

The New Generation Arrives: Reflecting on Malaysian Chess's Golden Era

2025-09-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

September 24, 2025

What a time to be alive as a Malaysian chess enthusiast! As I sit here watching FM Kavin Mohan's stunning victory at the Malaysian Open unfold, I can't help but feel a profound mix of emotions—pride, excitement, and perhaps a touch of bittersweet reflection.

From Dreams Deferred to Dreams Realized

For those who've followed this blog since 2008, you'll remember my unwavering belief that IM Mas Hafizulhelmi would become Malaysia's first GM. I chronicled every tournament, every near-miss, every valiant effort. When I wrote about his "highly ambitious" pursuit back then, I genuinely believed we were witnessing history in the making.

We weren't wrong about witnessing history—we just didn't know the timeline would extend beyond one remarkable player.

IM Mas never achieved that elusive GM title, but as I wrote in August when celebrating GM Yeoh Li Tian's historic breakthrough, Mas was the pioneer who showed us what was possible. He opened that door, even if he didn't walk through it himself.

The Torch Burns Brighter

Now, barely a month after honoring Li Tian's ascension to Malaysia's first GM, we have FM Kavin Mohan delivering another stunning performance. Seeded 16th, going unbeaten against a field of 80+ international players, and earning his second IM norm in just one month? This isn't just rapid improvement—this is meteoric.

And let's not forget IM Poh Yu Tian, another rising star with immense potential brewing in our chess scene.

A Generation That Doesn't Know Limits

What strikes me most about this new generation—Li Tian, Yu Tian, and now Kavin—is their fearlessness. They don't carry the weight of being "the first" or "the pioneer" that Mas carried on his shoulders. They've grown up in an era where Malaysian chess excellence isn't a question of "if" but "when."

Li Tian showed us the GM title was attainable. Now Kavin is showing us that rapid improvement at the master level is possible, that multiple IM norms can come in quick succession, that seeding means nothing when talent meets preparation.

The Beautiful Irony

There's something beautifully poetic about this moment. I spent years hoping, writing, and believing that Mas would be our first GM. He didn't achieve it, but his journey created the foundation for others to not just achieve it, but to make it look almost... normal.

Normal for Malaysian juniors to compete with GMs and win. Normal for our players to earn multiple norms in rapid succession. Normal for Malaysia to produce not just one GM, but potentially several in quick succession.

Looking Forward

As I watch Kavin's celebration photos from the Malaysian Open, I'm reminded that this is just the beginning. If he can secure one more IM norm and maintain his rating, we'll have our second IM with clear GM potential. Yu Tian continues his own ascent. And who knows what other young talents are developing in clubs and tournaments across Malaysia right now?

The dream that began with IM Mas in 2008 has evolved into something none of us could have imagined—a golden generation of Malaysian chess talent that doesn't just dream of titles, but expects to earn them.

Congratulations again, FM Kavin Mohan. Thank you for reminding us that in Malaysian chess today, the extraordinary is becoming beautifully ordinary.

The torch doesn't just burn brighter—it's lighting up the entire chess landscape.

A Journey from IM Mas to Malaysia's First Grandmaster: Congratulations Yeoh Li Tian!

2025-08-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

Kimma Open 2018

In 2008, this blog closely followed the pursuit of International Master Mas Hafizulhelmi (IM Mas) to become Malaysia’s first Grandmaster (GM). IM Mas efforts was viewed as highly ambitious and got the attention of all chess enthusiast in Malaysia.

Though the GM title ultimately eluded IM Mas, his journey was anything but a failure. Each effort showed us what was possible and, in doing so, lit the way for future generations. If not for the minimal reason just to show such dreams could be pursued.

Now, in 2025, that dream has finally been realized. Yeoh Li Tian, after years of perseverance and astounding achievements, has ascended to become Malaysia’s first Grandmaster. This historic milestone is much more than a personal victory; it is the culmination of a journey that began with IM Mas and all those who paved the way before.

Yeoh Li Tian’s success is like a baton passed across a relay of generations. Today, as we celebrate GM Yeoh Li Tian’s triumph, let’s also pay tribute to IM Mas Hafizulhelmi, the first Malaysian who dared to try by opening that door.

Congratulations, GM Yeoh Li Tian! And thank you, IM Mas, for your pioneering spirit. The torch burns brighter than ever, lighting the way for future Malaysian chess stars.

Mas Hafizulhelmi's Grand Quest!

2008-04-27T07:10:00.001-07:00

Grand quest

Taken from The Star newspaper column by Mr Quah Seng Sun. (Friday February 22, 2008)

Mas Hafizulhelmi

Chess by Quah Seng Sun

DO YOU know that in the early 1990s – I believe it could be sometime between 1992 and 1994 – there was a Chess Palace in Malaysia?

Well, it was not exactly a palace in the real sense of the word, but a bungalow off Jalan Semarak in Kuala Lumpur that had been converted into a chess centre and used for tournaments and coaching sessions to chess players.

The place has since been torn down for redevelopment but that double-storey building was a very popular place for chess activities.

I was at the Chess Palace in 1993 during one of the visits by the late grandmaster Eduard Gufeld to the country. The Malaysian Chess Federation had organised a big simultaneous chess exhibition and lots of children were running all over the place.

Mas Hafizulhelmi is now working to become the first Malaysian Grandmaster.

One particular kid did not join in the fun. Maybe he wanted to but I don’t really know. Anyway, he took his place at one of the tables in Gufeld’s simultaneous games. That was when Mas Hafizulhelmi first caught Gufeld’s eye.

Gufeld was a chess trainer and he had a knack for recognising talent. After playing with then 12-year-old Mas Hafizul, Gufeld said that the boy had the potential to become Malaysia’s first grandmaster (GM).

So far, 15 years after that encounter with Gufeld and despite progressing well in the game, Mas Hafizul has yet to fulfil his full potential with chess taking a backseat to his studies.

Nevertheless, he is already an international master. For a long while, he was even the highest rated Malaysian player in the World Chess Federation’s international rating list.

Professionally, he is a chemical engineer with Petronas, having returned from the Loughborough University in England with a degree in chemical engineering. But right now, with the blessings of his employers, he is five months into an 18-month quest which would hopefully turn him from a GM-hopeful into a real one.

“I’ve had this ambition to play chess really well since I was 10 years old,” he told me once. “Chess fascinates me like no other game and the fact that there are no grandmasters in Malaysia gives me the impetus to be our first grandmaster.”

During his formative years, he had plenty of opportunities to play with many foreign GMs and international masters. His early results against them made him understand that this aim could be within his reach.

Also, Mas Hafizul was fortunate to have a very supportive father who encouraged him to play as often as he could. I remember the numerous conversations I had with Cikgu Rahman as he tried to rationalise his son’s chess progress, comparing Mas Hafizul’s standard with other junior chess players of his age from around the world.

“My father actually wanted me to take a one-year break after my SPM examinations to pursue my ambition but Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik, who was the Malaysian Chess Federation president at that time, advised him to let me complete my studies first,” Mas Hafizul said.

He enrolled in a local college and later obtained a Petronas scholarship to study in Britain.

But chess was never out of his blood. While at Loughborough, he played on first board for the university chess team. He also continued to represent the country in several international chess events, notably the SEA Games in Vietnam in 2003 and the Philippines in 2005.

Since starting this quest, he has already played in five international events in this region, starting with the second Asian Indoor Games championship in Macau last October in which he finished with the bronze medal in the standard chess event. He also helped the team to an overall fourth place in the team event. In addition, he is slated to undergo several training programmes with Australia’s GM Ian Rogers.

Last December, he played in the Commonwealth chess championship in Delhi and finished 40th out of 282 competitors from the Commonwealth countries and also in the Singapore masters tournament where he was placed in 21st position among 44 players.

He then took part in the Indonesian leg of the Asean masters chess circuit in Tarakan last month and earlier this month, returned from the Fajr open chess tournament in Uromieh, Iran.

Mas Hafizul will probably not be the first person to tell you that chess is all hard work but it is especially harder when there is a target to achieve at the end of his 18-month programme. He does have the talent to succeed and there will always be ups and downs in any chess player’s playing career.

Still, there are 13 more months for him to prove himself and ample opportunities for him to improve. As Malaysians, we are cheering him on and rooting for him to get the results he wants.

Quah Seng Sun can be contacted at ssquah@gmail.com. Read his blog for the occasional chess articles at http://ssquah.activeknights.orgor join Malaysia’s biggest chess mailing list by registering yourself at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chess-malaysia.

Mas for GM button

2008-04-25T06:34:00.001-07:00

We support IM Mas Hafizulhelmi's quest for GM. There are too many nay sayers to Mas hard work and too few people who voice out their support for this brave young GM aspirant.

it's impossible for him to achieve it if he doesn't have support from Malaysians. So if you are a Malaysian blogger, please put this button on your website to show your support for our brave hero,

MAS BOLEH !!!

Copy and paste this code into your blog to have the above button link as show of support for IM Mas.

IM "Monster" Mas

2008-04-25T04:20:00.001-07:00

I read with disgust in GilaChess blog as many people start to ditch IM Mas in the comments section. For me, IM Mas is a talent still laying dormant. We got a glimpse of it when he was a junior. Even GM Gufeld indentified him as Malaysia's future and first GM.

But as we know, studies took over and his chess went undeveloped for the sake of securing his studies and career.

Now that his career is secure with a good job at Petronas, Mas has come back to his first love which is chess. Will he succeed ? I for one believe he will. His present results does not really do him justice as his deep talent has not yet surfaced. Glimpses of it is there... the rest is coming. Watch out people!! IM Mas monster is about to rise from the deep.

You know what the say about calm waters.