In the 15th Penang Heritage City International Chess Open 2023 that concluded on the 22nd of December 2023, the rise of teens of South East Asia was truly apparent. Besides local favourite FM Poh Yu Tian, the other regional juniors that shone during the event included 17-year-old Indonesian IM Arfan Aditya Bagus, 14-year-olds Ivan Travis Cu and Sidabutar Uriel Noah Oloan besides Uzair Shahar of Malaysia. Edwin Lam Choong Wai reports. | Photos: <a href=https://www.facebook.com/PenangChess/">Penang Chess Association’s Facebook page</a>
After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions on international travels and over-the-board chess, one of the longest-running chess festivals in Asia is back! It is a mix of Classical, Rapid as well as Blitz events in a multi-day spectacle, rather than the narrower focus on Classical time formats at other long-running chess festivals. Cash prizes in excess of US $28,000 are up for grabs, titled chess players are given exemptions of entry fees.