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By Edwin Lam Choong Wai
IM Poh secured first place ahead of strong European contenders, including IM Pavel Shkapenko, FM Alexander Chernyavsky, and IM Alexey Polschikov. Filipino player Jan Francis Mirano rounded out the top five finishers. Other notable players in the top standings included WIM Wang Chuqiao from China, CM Zulkipli Zaidan of Malaysia, IM Sharan Rao and IM Mohd Nubairshah Shaikh from India, and IM Ronny Gunawan from Indonesia. By winning the championship, IM Poh took home the grand prize of RM 10,000.
IM Poh Yu Tian receiving his Champion's trophy from Mr. Zainul Hanifa of Inari (the main sponsor of the 16th Penang Open), alongside members of the Penang Chess Association and the Penang State Government.
IM Poh’s victory in his hometown tournament capped off a remarkable year for the teenager. Earlier in 2024, he triumphed in the 8th Eastern Asian Youth Chess Championship (EAYCC) in July and claimed victory at the 19th Malaysia Open Chess Championship in September. He made history as the first Malaysian to win both the Malaysia Open and the Inari Penang Heritage City Open in the same year.
Being the top seed came with immense pressure, but IM Poh rose to the challenge.
IA Abdul Hamid Majid (left) presenting the ‘lucky pen’ used by World Champion D. Gukesh to IM Poh Yu Tian.
At the opening ceremony, International Arbiter Abdul Hamid Majid presented IM Poh with a unique gift—the pen used by World Champion D. Gukesh to win the 2024 World Chess Championship. This symbolic gesture heightened the spotlight on IM Poh.
IM Poh Yu Tian with the pen used by World Champion D. Gukesh.
Despite the expectations, Poh remained unfazed. His primary goal was simple: to play chess. For those who know him well, his calm approach came as no surprise. In a conversation with his father in May 2024 (before he achieved the IM title), Poh’s father shared: "He just plays. We seldom talk about norms or titles."
While Nike has its slogan "Just do it!", IM Poh embodies a “Just Play!” philosophy that has kept him focused and composed.
IM Poh started strong, winning his first three rounds. In the fourth round, he faced IM Alexey Polschikov in a game that ended in a draw. The match can be viewed on the Penang Chess Association’s Facebook page: https://fb.watch/wTfgEm8p8c/.
He secured victories in the next two rounds before meeting IM Pavel Shkapenko in round 7. Playing with the black pieces, Poh held his ground in a grueling three-and-a-half-hour Sicilian Defense match that ended in a draw.
In round 8, he defeated IM Sharan Rao with the white pieces and wrapped up the tournament with a quick draw against FM Alexander Chernyavsky in the final round, clinching the championship by a margin of 0.5 points ahead of the second, third, and fourth-place finishers.
Born in 2009, Poh Yu Tian began playing chess in 2017 and quickly made a name for himself by winning the Malaysian National Youth Chess Championship (Under-8 category) that same year. He continued to shine in tournaments across Penang and Malaysia in the following years.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted over-the-board chess events, but it didn’t slow Poh’s progress. He sharpened his skills through online chess tournaments and participated in online simultaneous exhibitions with top players worldwide. In 2020, he even managed to draw against GM Daniel Fernandez of England in a seven-board simul event.
The year 2022 was a breakthrough for Poh. He represented Malaysia at the Chennai Olympiad, scoring 8.5 points out of 11 rounds, including a remarkable win against GM Lubomir Ftacnik. He earned his FM title during the Olympiad. Later that year, he competed in the Bangkok Open, where he defeated GM Jan Gustafsson and drew with GM David Smerdon of Australia in the final round. By the end of 2022, Poh’s rating reached 2367, placing him among the top 10 players globally in his age group and the highest-ranked in Asia for his age.
Chessbase 18’s assessment of IM Poh Yu Tian’s gameplay, highlighting his strong middlegame and endgame skills.
Poh’s favorite chess book is Fischer’s My 60 Memorable Games. According to his father, Poh has studied Karpov’s games extensively, adopting a "choking" style that grinds down his opponents in the endgame. His rival at the EAYCC, FM Ivan Travis Cu of the Philippines, praised Poh’s ability to dominate endgames.
Remarkably, Poh has balanced his academic commitments with his chess career. Despite preparing for his IGCSE exams, he dedicates up to five hours on weekends to chess study and training.
His hard work has clearly paid off, with a string of successes throughout 2024. Now that he holds the IM title, his sights are set on achieving the Grandmaster (GM) title. The upcoming year could be pivotal, with major tournaments such as the Vietnam Open (February 2025), Bangkok Open, GRENKE Chess Classic, and Sharjah Masters lined up for the first half of the year.
IM Poh Yu Tian’s journey from a promising youth player to an international champion demonstrates his incredible potential. The "Pearl of the Orient" may well be on his way to becoming Malaysia’s next Grandmaster.
In conclusion, here is a selection of IM Poh’s games from the 16th Inari Penang Open, analyzed using ChessBase 18’s Tactical Analysis feature.
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