| Fadhil Yunus |
AWANGKU Mohd Hafidzon bin Pengiran Haji Mohd Omar emerged champion in the 34th National Day Blitz Chess Championship 2018 after recording a total of eight points at the Brunei Chess Centre of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex yesterday.
The 25-year-old was visibly pleased with the title after following up his national championship success last year.
Awangku Mohd Hafidzon has only made a comeback to the national scene after an 11-year hiatus last year having started playing at the tender age of three.
“I played chess since I was three and then when I was 13, I quit for 11 years and I just returned playing chess,” he said in an interview with the Bulletin.
The chess player left the game after the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy in 2006 due to unavoidable circumstances.
But having enjoyed immediate success since making his return, he is now preparing for the 43rd Chess Olympiad which will be held at Batumi, Georgia sometime in late September.
“I’ve started practising since late last year for the Olympiad. It will be a team event but individual prizes will be given if you perform well,” he said.
The Chess Olympiad will be played in a classical style against some of the top players in the world.
“During the Olympiad, the world champions and all the elite players all around the world will be playing. It is the most prestigious tournament,” he said.
Awangku Mohd Hafidzon will have no complaints if he gets to be drawn with a top-ranked player.
“I would like to face the strongest player and I will not be intimidated and just play,” he confidently said.
Awangku Mohd Hafidzon shared that he grew up with chess enthusiasts originating from Vietnam and the Philippines that have gone on and establish themselves as an elite player.
He said that he quit at a time when he was at a peak though he has now the chance to take part in another overseas competition.
The other winners included Muhd Iqbal Abqari who won the under-20 category, Pengiran Abdul Rahman PLW Yussof in the above-50 category, Md Mirza Ihtifazhuddin bin Md Haslin in the under-16 category and Nur Zahirah Zazali in the under-12 category as well as Kyla Marie who was labelled Best Lady in the tournament.
Meanwhile, there were also incentives given to two Brunei chess players who excelled at the KKCity Junior Chess Invitational last month namely Abdul Zahirul Haq bin Zazali, the winner of the tournament and Kamarul Ariffin bin Haji Kipli, who came third.
Haji Zainal Abidin bin Haji Ali, President of the Brunei Chess Federation (BCF) presented the prizes.