gens una sumus

Speech at SCF Fundraising Dinner 2008
6 Sep 08, 6.30pm at The Grassroots' Club

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The local chess scene comprises of many different stakeholders. Personally, I am here tonight both as a council member and a former junior player. I will share more on that later.

The local chess scene has changed dramatically over the years. By the way, I am not that old - I just happen to have been around for a long time! 10 years, to be precise. When I first joined the SCF as a junior member back in 1998, the SCF had a total of 320 members. As of 2007, the SCF has a total of 1463 members. A big factor behind this increase has been the growing number of young people taking up chess.

This brings me to my next point. Chess is no longer viewed as a pastime for retirees. Of course, God-willing, I would like to continue playing chess after I retire. But society has changed, and young players have more opportunities than ever.

Not too long ago, I read on chessbase.com that our 12-year old FM Daniel Fernandez was the youngest participant in the 23rd Acropolis 2008 International Open Chess Tournament held in Athens, Greece. When I was 12 years old back in 1998, I did not even have a proper system of training.

Speaking of a proper system of training, much of what the SCF has put in place today is the brainchild of our current SCF President Mr Leong, or Ignatius. I am still not used to calling him Ignatius! I say this not in my capacity as a council member but in my capacity as a former junior player.

Some of us here tonight - especially among the younger players - may have never tasted defeat in a Singapore vs Malaysia match, be it individually or as a nation. But this did not come about by chance. I remember losing both my games in the 1998 Singapore vs Malaysia match held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I cannot remember what the final score was like, but Singapore lost very badly. Imagine what the coach ride back to Singapore was like!

In the aftermath of the 1998 Singapore vs Malaysia match, Ignatius set out to establish the National Junior Training Squad. It was then that a proper system of training was put in place. I was privileged to be part of the first batch of trainees in the National Junior Training Squad, which has since developed into the National Youth Squad (Gold and Silver) and the National Junior Development Squad today.

It took a while before this proper system of training began to bear fruit. In fact, Singapore lost the next two Singapore vs Malaysia matches, in 1999 and 2000. When the SCF held its last fundraising dinner in March 2001, Singapore was trailing 3-9 in the Singapore vs Malaysia series. However, Singapore has since won the last seven Singapore vs Malaysia matches to take the overall lead. Hopefully, the funds raised tonight and beyond will reflect our progress over the years!

I have spent the last few minutes talking about results. But chess, like life, is not about results. Chess, like life, is about the journey. I mentioned earlier that I am here tonight both as a council member and a former junior player. Similarly, not all of us are here tonight as professional players, trainers, arbiters or administrators. And that is perfectly fine.

During my primary school, secondary school and junior college days, I devoted my time to chess as a co-curricular activity. It was an extremely rewarding experience - not only from a material perspective, but also in terms of the friends I made and the lessons I learnt about life through chess. I am currently studying in the UK and have not played in any tournaments for a while. But as a council member, I guess you could say that I am still devoting my time to chess as a co-curricular activity!

In closing, tonight’s fundraising dinner is really about you, too! As the motto of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) goes, gens una sumus, or ‘we are one family’. As members of one body, I encourage each of you to contribute to the local chess scene as you are able to. This need not be limited to giving financially. It could include telling your friends about chess or introducing your children to chess. Of course, there is always the opportunity to serve on the Exco!

On behalf of the SCF, I thank you for your support and wish you a pleasant evening.

Thank you.