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Free Malaysia Today
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Chan's rise from chess player to coach
Jackie Chan teaches chess to young school students in the country. (Jackie Chess Academy pic) PETALING JAYA : Would you believe it if someone told you that Jackie Chan started a chess academy? Well… not that Jackie Chan. Malaysia's Jackie Chan. In conjunction with International Chess Day, FMT Lifestyle spoke with the Malaysian founder of Jackie Chess Academy, who is nurturing several young talents in the country. Chan, a 32-year-old self-taught chess player, first tried his hand at the game at seven, after his aunt bought a chess set for his older siblings. 'I didn't even know what they were playing back then, but I would watch my siblings and copy their moves,' Chan told FMT Lifestyle. 'Surprisingly, with the first game I played, I beat my sister.' From that moment on, there was no stopping him. At primary school, he beat all his classmates, losing only to his teacher. By secondary school, Chan was joining tournaments, moving from school level to state level, and eventually national level. 'Every time I went for a competition, I was eager to win.' In fact, Chan's competitive spirit earned him quite a reputation. 'My school friends used to say, 'Jackie, when you sit at the table, nobody wants to sit in front of you because you will want to win.' I was so addicted to chess back then.' At university, Chan continued his winning streak, becoming the top player at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Kampar, and achieving the highest score in the Majlis Sukan Sekolah Malaysia chess tournament during his school years. 'I was quite famous for my name,' Chan added, referring to the 'other' Jackie Chan – the Hong Kong martial artist, actor and filmmaker. 'When I joined tournaments, they would say, 'Jackie Chan in the house!'' Chan offers online chess lessons, and organises chess tournaments as well. (Jackie Chess Academy pic) After university, Chan paused his chess-winning spree to focus on work. But just two months before the pandemic, he returned to the game, winning champion titles at the Kuala Lumpur Open twice in a row. Surprisingly, coaching happened by accident. 'During the pandemic, I started teaching just one student online. From there, it grew slowly to around 10 students.' Chan was then invited to coach at Kecas UTM, the university's chess club, and a few of them later trained with him privately. As they began to excel in competitions, word spread among parents, which eventually opened doors for Chan to teach in schools. Today, he runs his own chess academy, which he launched in March 2024. He charges just RM20 per month, making chess accessible to more kids, including those from lower-income backgrounds, and differently abled students. He now teaches in government schools across Kuantan, Jenjarom and KL. Chan teaches at each school a couple of times a month, with each session lasting about two hours. His largest class has around 40 students, divided into beginner and advanced groups. Many of his students, who began with no knowledge of chess at all, have gone on to win tournaments at both school and district levels. Chan stressed that his teaching style is more practical than theory-based. Chan teaches students of SK Taman Bukit Maluri and SK Jenjarom, among others. (Jackie Chess Academy pics) Earlier this year, he organised his first online chess tournament, approved by the education ministry and Malaysian Chess Federation, which officially counts towards students' co-curricular points. About 300 students joined, playing on the 'Lichess' platform, a free and open-source online chess server. Strict anti-cheating measures include cameras installed behind players to capture both their faces and the screens. 'Next year, I plan to hold these tournaments more frequently,' he said, even hoping to sponsor chess sets and clocks to schools to encourage more tournaments. Despite the long hours, he has been teaching almost every evening for the past year, and plans to launch a WhatsApp channel, so those who can't join live lessons can still pick up tips and tricks. 'When I see students win medals and trophies, it feels like I'm back in their shoes – their success is my success,' he shared. 'If they fail, I fail as a coach.' But having matured from his seven-year-old self, he has realised that playing chess is not just about winning. 'Chess contributed a lot to my personal development. It helped me with my daily decision making, because you have to calculate and plan every move. 'So, I hope that my students will improve not just as chess players, but also as people,' he said. Follow Jackie Chess Academy on Facebook.
New Straits Times
01-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Rising star Izz Naqiuddin bowls to KL Open victory
SUBANG JAYA: Rising national bowler Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin continued to stake his claim as a future star after clinching the Mixed Open title at the Kuala Lumpur Open on Sunday. The 21-year-old topped a strong 36-bowler field with 1,993 pinfalls over 10 games at Sunway Mega Lanes, finishing ahead of Ahmad Azriq Izam (1,951) and Ahmad Aidil Abdul Halim (1,882). The field included national stars like Rafiq Ismail and Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam, as well as regional heavyweights Ryan Lalisang, Yannaphon Larpapharat and Australia's Sam Cooley — making Izz's win all the more impressive. "It felt great to come out on top today, especially in a field that had my idol Rafiq Ismail," said Izz, who earned RM30,000 in prize money. "I bowled consistently, didn't have to adjust much. I'm happy because hard work pays off." The victory marked Izz's third career title after winning the Penang Pesta International in 2023 and the Sonic Classic in Singapore last year. The win was also a timely response after a poor title defence at the Sonic Classic and a 16th-place finish at the Malaysian Open last month. Izz was a surprise pick for last year's Asian Championships in Bangkok, selected ahead of regulars like Timmy Tan and Ahmad Muaz Fishol, and he justified it by helping Malaysia win team silver. Now eyeing a spot at the World Championships in Hong Kong or Sea Games in Thailand later this year, Izz hopes this title will boost his case. "This gives me confidence. Only six make the squad, and it would be my debut if I get in," he said. "I'm saving most of the prize money but plan to buy something nice for my dad too." Nur Syazwani Sahar also impressed, retaining her women's Open title with a 10th-place finish (1,776). The 26-year-old had only returned from the United States last Friday after finishing joint 13th at the USBC Queens, where she competed against nearly 200 bowlers. "I started with a perfect game, but a bad pair of lanes threw me off. I regrouped and aimed for a 200 average, finishing with a 243," she said. "Given the jet lag, I'm pretty satisfied." Syazwani took home RM7,850 — RM7,000 for the women's crown and RM850 for her overall finish — and now shifts focus to next week's Singapore Open, where she's targeting a top-10 result. Faten Najihah Ahmad Faik and Lavinia Kho finished as the second and third-best women respectively. Among other notable national stars, Ahmad Muaz Fishol (1,815) and Hafiz Zainuddin (1,813) placed sixth and seventh, while Tun Hakim (1,786) was ninth. Rafiq (1,732) and Timmy Tan (1,706) ended 16th and 19th.
The Star
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Rafiq eyeing comeback at KL Open which offers big prize money
PETALING JAYA: Any bowler will happily settle for runner-up finishes but not Rafiq Ismail (pic). The 27-year-old wants to make the Kuala Lumpur Open as the stage to make up for his disappointment after not winning any championship so far this season.
