2025 and 2024 Seniors Participants – a comparison

Last year’s Seniors:

Overall Winners:

• 1st: GM Alexei Barsov (UZB)
• 2nd: GM Buenaventura Villamayor (SGP)
• 3rd: IM Angelo Young (PHI)
• 4th: FM Ismail Ahmad (MAS)
• 5th: Eggers Paul S (USA)

Age Group Winners:

• Senior (65–74):
  • 1st: IM Jimmy Liew Chee-Meng (MAS)
  • 2nd: IM Chan Peng Kong (SGP)
• Above 75:
  • 1st: Pitre Hanniegn (USA)
  • 2nd: Kuich Gero (SUI)

Best Malaysian:

• 1st: Chay Joon Hoong
• 2nd: Lee Soi-Hock
• 3rd: Lim Kian Hwa

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2025 Seniors Participants

Full Starting List:

No.	Title	Name	FIDE ID	Federation	Rating
1	IM	Chan, Peng Kong	5800129	SGP	2084
2	IM	Liew, Chee-Meng Jimmy	5700019	MAS	2017
3		Lee, Soi-Hock	5715903	MAS	1889
4	CM	Spiller, Paul S	4300718	NZL	1885
5	CM	Milligan, Helen	2401312	NZL	1877
6		Rohland, Michael Karl	2647397	CAN	1866
7		Gibson, Steve	2409690	SCO	1851
8	FM	Ismail, Ahmad	5700655	MAS	1831
9	FM	Gibbons, Robert	4300700	NZL	1826
10		Pulley, Alvin	2008807	USA	1826
11		Chay, Joon Hoong	5792231	MAS	1824
12	AIM	Tharation, Prem Kumar	5750784	MAS	1734
13		Chan, Kok Leong	5727570	MAS	1717
14		Kerr, Grant	4305620	NZL	1708
15		Lim, Kian Hwa	5700744	MAS	1634
16	AIM	Muzzaffar, Ahmad	5700175	MAS	1633
17		Kuich, Gero	1322079	SUI	1592
18		Greenwood, Martin C	423670	ENG	1567
19	ACM	Idris, Ali Amir	5703387	MAS	1553
20		Sheridan, Wallace	3206769	AUS	1520
21		Lim, Beng Seng Ronald	5855888	SGP	0
22		Yu, Antonio Jr	521041598	PHI	0

2024 Seniors Participants

Rk.		Name	Rtg	FED	Pts.
1	GM	Barsov Alexei	2317	UZB	8
2	GM	Villamayor Buenaventura	2306	SGP	8
3	IM	Young Angelo	2168	PHI	7.5
4		Chay Joon Hoong	1810	MAS	6
5	IM	Liew Chee-Meng Jimmy	2142	MAS	5
6	FM	Ismail Ahmad	1809	MAS	5
7		Lee Soi-Hock	1878	MAS	4.5
8	IM	Chan Peng Kong	2097	SGP	4.5
9		Eggers Paul S	1778	USA	4.5
10		Pelias Allan O.	1752	PHI	4.5
11	IM	Bagamasbad Efren	2014	PHI	4.5
12	CM	Milligan Helen	1939	NZL	4.5
13		Krewson Frederick	2036	USA	4.5
14		Lim Kian Hwa	1685	MAS	4.5
15	AIM	Tharation Prem Kumar	1708	MAS	4.5
16	AIM	Muzzaffar Ahmad	1700	MAS	4.5
17		Pitre Hanniegn	1725	USA	4
18		Rohland Michael Karl	1896	CAN	3.5
19		Chan Kok Leong	1719	MAS	3
20		Ruslan Haslindah	1525	MAS	2.5
21		Kuich Gero	1628	SUI	2.5
22		Lim Beng Seng Ronald	0	SGP	2
23		Saw Lye Guan	1604	MAS	1
24		Heriadi Ichwan	1893	INA	1

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Key Observations and Comparison

• Repeat participants:
  • CM Helen Milligan
  • IM Chan Peng Kong
  • IM Jimmy Liew Chee-Meng
  • Lee Soi-Hock
  • Lim Kian Hwa
  • AIM Ahmad Muzzaffar
  • Chay Joon Hoong
  • Kuich Gero (SUI)
  • FM Ismail Ahmad (MAS)
  • Chan Kok Leong
  • Idris Ali Amir
• Of note:
• Kuich Gero (SUI) was an age-group prize winner in 2024 and is also listed in 2025.
• FM Ismail Ahmad (MAS) and others like Chan, Kok Leong, and Idris, Ali Amir also return for 2025.
  
• Missing in 2025:
  • GM Alexei Barsov (UZB), GM Buenaventura Villamayor (SGP), IM Angelo Young (PHI), and Eggers Paul S (USA) are not listed among the 2025 entries as of now.
    
• New/Returning Names for 2025:
  • There is an increased international diversity with new players from New Zealand (NZL), Scotland (SCO), Canada (CAN), Australia (AUS), and England (ENG).
  • No Grandmaster is listed for 2025 so far, indicating a possible drop in rating strength at the very top versus 2024.
    
• Ratings and Strength:
  • The top 2025 seed is IM Chan Peng Kong (SGP, 2084), compared to 2024’s GM Barsov (not in 2025 starters).
  • The field in 2025 is generally composed of IMs, FMs, CMs, and national masters with a few unrated.

Last year’s total was 24 and this year it’s 22 – a drop of only 2 players. Coincidentally there are notably 2 missing grandmasters in GM Bong Villamayeur and GM Alexei Barsov the field is weaker but basically the core group of regulars who were here from previous years are taking part again.

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