Asfia (seated centre), Len (seated second left) and other members of the event organising committee gather for a group photo after the press conference on the international chess tournament to be held in celebration of Sarawak DUN’s 150th anniversary.
KUCHING: Over 200 people are expected to take part in an international chess competition, set to take place at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex, to mark the DUN’s 150th anniversary.
According to Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh who is event organising chairman, the registered participants are from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. Prizes worth up to RM40,000 are up for grabs.
“The event aims to empower and foster rapport between our assemblymen and the people, while allowing the public to visit the DUN and its compound,” he said during a press conference on the event at DUN Complex here yesterday.
The categories to be competed are VVIP, Head of Department, Open/Veteran/Under-17 and Under-15 (male and female) and Under-12/ Under-10/ Under-Eight (male and female).
The format of the game, according to Len, will be nine rounds for each player – with a time control of 15 minutes and a three-second increment per player.
Meanwhile DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said being an international event, the competition could become a platform and also the catalyst to turn Sarawak into a destination for chess tournaments.
“We’re looking into promoting Kuching as the destination for international chess events in the future, and for the competition to be included on the tourism calendar,” he said.
The last chess competition was held in 2002 at the old DUN building.