Penangite chess player Poh Yu Tian has been awarded the International Master (IM) title after achieving a rating of 2,429 at the 8th East Asian Youth Chess Championship (EAYCC) held here. At just 15 years old, he is the youngest Malaysian and the third from Penang to earn this title, making him the tenth Malaysian overall to do so. He also the 10th International Master in Malaysia.
Pictures of Poh Yu Tian in the 2023 Penang Open
Poh’s exceptional performance, including winning first place in the under-18 open category, becoming the champion of the rapid event, and 2nd place in Blitz event, earned him the honor of being the first recipient of the PMX Cup trophy. The trophy was presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter, Nurul Nuha Anwar, during the closing ceremony of the EAYCC on Saturday night (July 20).
Poh’s father, Poh Leong Pat, expressed his gratitude to the organizers for selecting his son for the trophy. “Yu Tian has completed three ‘norms’ with a rating of 2,429 for the IM title. The next goal is to achieve the ‘Grand Master’ title, which requires completing three more ‘norms.’ I believe he can do it,” he said.
In addition to Yu Tian, four other Malaysian chess players under the International Chess Federation (FIDE) also advanced their titles at the tournament. These players include Ainul Mardhiah Afif, who won the under-14 female category and earned the conditional Woman FIDE Master title; Kavin Mohan, who secured second place in the open under-14 category and earned the Candidate Master (CM) title; and Chow Yi Chen and Yap Ray Jin, who placed second and third in the open under-10 category, respectively, both earning the conditional CM title.
Penang Chess Association (PCA) president See Swee Sie highlighted that Penang was chosen to host the tournament to discover more young talent. “Competitions like this allow Malaysian players to gain ratings and improve their titles, as traveling abroad for competitions is costly. Hosting a tournament here provides valuable exposure and should be maximized,” he said.
“We see great potential in young players like Poh Yu Tian. Despite being only 15 years old, he has already achieved the IM title. We hope he will strive for the Grand Master title next, as Malaysia has yet to have a player reach that level,” he added.
The tournament, which began on July 12, saw participation from 358 players from 17 countries. It was jointly organized by the PCA and the Malaysian Chess Association (MCF). Malaysia sent 74 players who competed in six categories, ultimately securing second place overall with two gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. China claimed first place with five gold, three silver, and five bronze medals, while Vietnam took third place with two gold and two silver medals.
Additional note on CM title:
A Candidate Master (CM) and not the erroneous “Chess Master” is erroneously mentioned in the Bernama report which is repurposed and used in other major news outlets like The Star and New Striats Times, is a chess title awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). It ranks below the titles of Grandmaster (GM), International Master (IM), and FIDE Master (FM). Here are some key points about the CM title:
- Rating Requirement: To earn the CM title, a player must achieve a FIDE rating of at least 220012.
- No Norms Needed: Unlike higher titles, the CM title does not require achieving specific performance benchmarks, known as norms1.
- Stepping Stone: The CM title is often seen as a stepping stone towards higher titles, indicating strong potential in a player3.
- For for Continental/regional Aged Group championship -like Eastern Asia, the rating requirement is lower: 2000 for CM and 1800 for WCM.