KUCHING: A total of 142 players contested the Sarawak Unity Moves Chess Week 2026 Standard Classical tournament at The Spring Shopping Mall, with participation from both local and international players.
The two-day event, from Apr 4 to 5 also saw 130 players competing in the Blitz format, drawing participants from countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and the Netherlands.
Kuching Chess Association president Chuang Kuang Hong said said the response has been encouraging, with strong participation in both formats.
“We were also honoured to have two FIDE Masters joining the competition, with one from the Philippines winning the Standard Classical category and another from Indonesia emerging as the Blitz champion,” he said.
FIDE (International Chess Federation) Master Villanueva Nelson of the Philippines clinched the Standard Classical title, taking home RM2,000, while Muhammad Fadhlullah Mohamed Ameenudeen finished second and Brilliant Chiew Zhi Cheng third.
Chuang said the tournament also drew around 400 attendees overall, including players, parents, teachers and members of the public.
“Several games were closely contested, and our local players even managed to secure wins against the FIDE Masters.
“This is the sixth tournament organised by PCBK (Persatuan Catur Bahagian Kuching) since August last year. We aim to strengthen the chess ecosystem and provide more competitive opportunities as we prepare for Malaysia Games (SUKMA), where we hope to win at least one gold medal,” he added.
