1/9/2023 – The Covid pandemic in the last two years have led to a chess boom online, and the young guns have benefited the most from having ‘extra time’ on hand due to being at home a lot throughout the years 2020 and 2021. They seem to have done well to widen their learnings of the game, making large gains on the rating scale. Edwin Lam Choong Wai, chess enthusiast and coach, has a suggestion how FIDE should handle this. We would be interested to hear you opinion on the subject.

1/6/2023 – December was typically a busy month for chess all over the world. While the world watched in awe at the world’s top, top exponents battle it out in the final month of the year 2022 to try and stop Carlsen’s dominance in the World Rapid and Blitz championships, there was no less excitement over the chess board in the classical format in other parts of the world. One was the return of over-the-board version of the Penang Heritage City International Chess Open, after the Covid-imposed hiatus in the past three years. Report by By Edwin Lam Choong Wai.

4/22/2021 – While over-the-board chess is at best only gradually making its way back in most parts of the world, due to the still raging Covid-19 pandemic, chess life in New Zealand has normalised quite a bit in the past few months. This allowed New Zealanders to organise a tournament to celebrate the 100th birthday of the International Master and author Bob Wade, who was born on April 10, 1921, in Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. British GM Gawain Jones (pictured) won the memorial. | Photo: Lennart Ootes (Archive)

5/15/2019 – In Malay "Bisik-bisik" means whispering privately but candidly about a certain topic, and this is what Edwin Lam did with GM Daniel Fernandez. Fernandez, who regularly annotates games for ChessBase, was born in England, lived in Singapore as a junior, has a mathematics degree from Cambridge, England, speaks several languages and currently studies in Australia. | Photo: Daniel Fernandez at the Sydney International Open 2019 | Photo: Helen Milligan

5/4/2019 – "Bisik-bisik" is the Malay language word to denote whispering privately but candidly about a certain topic. EDWIN LAM's series of conversations with top chess personalities has gone through a hiatus after his latest instalment with none other than Garry Kasparov. The whispering now continues, with the presence of International Arbiter Chan Kwai Keong a.k.a. KK Chan. | Pictured: AYCC 2019 U-18 Open winners Abdisalimov Abdimalik (centre), Krishnater Kushager and Mitrabha Guha. | All photos: KK Chan

4/6/2019 – Waskaduwa beach in Sri Lanka is fast becoming the Colosseum of Asian junior chess battles. Now it's hosting the Asian Youth Chess Championships 2019. EDWIN LAM and KK CHAN check in from on site. | Pictured: The tournament hall where 571 kids from around Asia battle wits against one another | Photo: KK Chan

12/27/2018 – And now for something a bit different...EDWIN LAM offers a noir-ish fictional introduction to the impending New Zealand Open. The set-up is fake but the tournament is very real, even if set in the fantastic wonderland of New Zealand. | Pictured: The young and young-at-heart playing in bubbles on scenic Lake Rotorua | Photo: Edwin Lam

12/22/2018 – The week-long Penang Chess Festival 2018 took place from December 3rd to the 9th in the Malaysian city of Penang. This was the tenth edition of the event, which included both an Open and a Challengers section, a blitz turnament and the Wah Seong Penang Chess League. Despite the presence of a GM and several IMs, FIDE Master Muhamad Agus Kurniawan took first place in the main section after scoring 7½ points in nine rounds. | Photos: Penang Chess Association

12/5/2018 – The 10th edition of the Penang International Chess Open has just kicked off in the Malaysian state of Penang. EDWIN LAM pays tribute to Dato’ Tan Chin Nam, a key instigator of the tournament, who died in October. | Pictured: Dato’ seen here having a game of chess against FM Ignatius Leong. Next to them were FM Geoffrey Borg playing Black against WIM Li Ruofan at the 2007 Malaysia Open | Photo: Edwin Lam

11/3/2018 – One month from today, and a decade after the inaugural Penang International Chess Open in June 2009, the 10th edition of the Open returns in the Malaysian state of Penang! It is bigger and richer. How much richer? How about USD $12,000 in total prize money! | Pictured (left) Penang has been recognised as a World Heritage site since the year 2008 / (right) Filipino GM Darwin Laylo is one of the registered grandmasters. | Photos: Penang Chess Association

10/21/2018 – It is with sadness that we relay news of the passing of Dato' Tan Chin Nam on Oct 21st 2018 at the age of 92. He was involved in supporting the development of chess in Malaysia as well as in many other countries across Asia. In remembrance of his contributions to chess as well as to many other areas (e.g. the restoration of the famous Queen's Victoria Building (QVB) in Sydney, the development of Mid Valley City (which is still today ranked the 8th largest shopping mall in the world), horse racing, etc, EDWIN LAM (pictured with Dato' in 2008) offers his 2006 article "Grand Maitre de Succes" published in Australian Chess magazine.

9/16/2018 – The Southeast Asia chess scene has given an important step forward this year, as Laos organised its first international tournament. The landlocked country launched the 'Chess in Schools' program six years ago and has been working towards growing the game's stature. In the first Laos International Open, Armenian GM Karen Grigoryan was declared the winner, while the success of the event prompted the organisers to run a second edition later this year. Update September 21| Photo: Laos Chess Federation

1/13/2018 – Edwin Lam Choong Wai reports from the inaugural Laos International Open which was held from January 3rd to 7th in Vientiane, near the country's southern border with Thailand. | Pictured: Chess is booming amongst the juniors in Laos, thanks to the "Chess in Schools" program | Photo: Laos Chess Federation

12/19/2017 – Indian IM Rathnakaran (pictured) won the Penang Chess Festival 2017 which tool place from December 4th to the 10th, in Malaysia, ahead of GM Karen Grigoryan and 132 other players in the 9th Penang International Open, the biggest chess event at a World Heritage site. The festival also featured a Challenger's category as well as blitz and team events. Edwin Lam reports from the scene. | Photo: Penang Chess Association

10/27/2017 – Laos is not a country that garners many international headlines, much less regarding its chess scene. But Singaporean contributor Edwin Lam reports that they seem to have made good progress, particularly in the area of Chess in Schools, which has the strong support of the government. Most importantly, they are hitting key milestones in chess education at the grassroots level, amongst administrators (for instance via FIDE Arbiters' seminars), and in tournament play (running local events). And come this January, 2018, they will be hosting Laos' first-ever international open!

10/21/2017 – Lu is the Penang Hokkien slang for “You”, and A-bui is the equivalent for the English phrase “have not yet”. Hence, the headline above stands for: “Have you not registered yet?” If you haven't, here is your chance to play in the forthcoming Penang Heritage City International Chess Open 2017 that will take place in December at the World Heritage site in Malaysia.

7/26/2009 – Of all the events in the Asia-Pacific region, the IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysia Open is establishing itself, not only as an annual tradition, but as a location for chess tourism and tough over-the-board battles. For those looking for a reason to take part, consider the tourist options, and the strong contingent of players converging on the area. Pictorial report by Edwin Lam.

9/11/2004 – After eleven grueling rounds in six days, China's Ni Hua took clear first place in the strongest chess tournament ever held in Malaysia. Players from all over the world came to this fascinating nation for a memorable event. Edwin Lam brings us a remarkable report with food, fun and photos.