Fueling the Success of a Chess Talent

Dear Sir/Madam,

Since beginning his chess journey in 2017, Poh Yu Tian proves a rare talent of the game whose skill and technique are comparable to those of the Asian region and by global ranking. Within a short 3 years, Yu Tian has steadily and consistently gained rating/ELO points as governed by FIDE (The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation). By 1 Dec 2022, Yu Tian would have achieved an ELO rating of 2367 and ranked among the top 10 players in the world and no.1 in Asia for his age and the firm no.3 player in Malaysia.

Considered a late-comer with just a year into the game, YT won the National Youth and Junior U20 Chess Championship in 2017 (Champion U8 Category). YT followed that up with many other victories in several State and National championships. Not least was his win in the Penang State School Sports Council Chess Championship Under-12 Category (Champion-Individual Event) and Penang State School Sports Council (MSSPP) Chess Championship U12 Category (Best Board 1-Team Section). YT then repeated this feat by winning the MSSPP U12 category in 2019 and 2020 and went on to become the Champion of Malaysia School Sports Council (MSSM) Chess Championships Under-12 category in 2019 when he was 10. YT made his debut representing Malaysia at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games earlier this year in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Enroute to becoming the best performer of the Malaysian contingent to the 44th Chess Olympiad Chennai with 8.5 points in 11 games and a performance rating of 2322, YT managed to record a victory over Grandmaster Lubomir Ftacnik from Slovakia in the Round 2 encounter. With this performance, YT also secured himself the title of FIDE Master (FM) at the Olympiad. YT then repeated the feat of beating a Grandmaster in the 20th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2022: this time it would be GM Jan Gustafsson. YT eventually earned his maiden International Master (IM) norm with a score of 6/9.0. At this stage of his development (13 - 16 years old) is extremely critical as the competitors from strong chess nations such as India, Vietnam, China, Philippines, Americas and Russia tend to pull ahead by a large margin due to better training/coaching facilities, high quality tournaments, etc. We foresee Yu Tian to be involved in many overseas tourneys both by representing Malaysia (state and national) and on individual basis in the years to come. We are not of well-to-do family and while hoping to provide Yu Tian with better coaching and to send him to more overseas tournaments, we struggle financially. We do not want to let his talent go to waste. This is an earnest appeal from us for you to consider sponsoring Yu Tian’s coaching and participation facilities in particularly international tourneys.

The estimated cost per year for coaching fees and participation in international competitions:

• Estimated Costs per Year
  • Coaching (weekly lessons): RM 24,000
  • Participation in International Competitions (for 4 events)
    • Travelling (Flights): RM 40,000
    • Lodging: RM 20,000

Total per Year: RM 84,000

All major achievements of Yu Tian are presented in the Appendix 1 for your kind reference.

Please consider our plea and we appreciate your time reading this request. Thank you very much.

Appendix 1

• In the 14th Penang Heritage City International Chess Open 2022, Yu Tian managed to finished tied for 3rdplace as the highest Malaysian finisher behind 2 Grandmasters
• Yu Tian won the 1stPrize for Board 1 with a perfect 8 out of 8 in the Penang Chess League Team Tournament 2023
• Yu Tian earned his maiden International Master (IM) norm in the 20th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2022 and pushed his Standard Rating to 2367 and become the No.1 player in Asia and No.6 in the world for his age on 1 Dec 2022.
• Finished 4th (top Malaysian) in the 17th IGB Dato' Arthur Tan Malaysian Open Chess Championship 2022; undefeated with 6.5/9.0 and a performance rating of 2401
• The best performer of the Malaysian Contingent to the 44th Chess Olympiad Chennai 2022 with 8.5/11 and performance rating of 2322
• Awarded the title of FIDE Master (FM) in the 44th Chess Olympiad Chennai 2022
• National Rapid Chess Championship 2021 (Champion)
• National Blitz Chess Championship 2021 (Champion)
• Malaysian Chess Championship 2022 (1st Runner Up)
• Eastern Asia Youth Online Chess Championship 2021 - Under 16 Boys (Champion – Team)
• FIDE Online Rapid World Cup Cadets & Youth - O12 (2nd Place – Individual)
• Zone 3.3 Zonal Chess Championship 2021 (2nd Best Malaysian Finisher)
• MCF-KUPTM National Hybrid Online Individual Open Chess Championship 2021 (Champion – Individual)
• Asian Nations Cup Online Under-14 Chess Championship - 2021 Open (3rd Place – Team)
• National Youth And Junior U20 Chess Championship 2017 (Champion U8 Category)
• FIDE Online World Cadets & Youth Rapid Chess Championships U12 Open Finals (5th Place)
• Asian continental selection: FIDE ONLINE WORLD U10-18 RAPID CHAMPIONSHIPS U12 open (3rd Place)
• 1st National Inter State Online Chess Championship 2020 (3rd Place)
• 1st National Individual Online Rapid Chess Championship 2020 (Final) (2nd Place)
• Malaysian Chess Federation Online Blitz Chess Tournament Q3 (2nd Place)
• National PolyCC Open Online Chess Championship 2021 (Champion)
• Penang Chess Association 1st Tornelo Team Tournament (Champion – Team)
• SELANGOR XTIV VIRTUAL CHESS SERIES 2021 SERIES 4 – Open (6th Place)
• SELANGOR XTIV VIRTUAL CHESS SERIES 2021 SERIES 4 – U12 (Champion)
• SELANGOR XTIV VIRTUAL CHESS SERIES 2021 SERIES 3 – Open (Champion)
• SELANGOR XTIV VIRTUAL CHESS SERIES 2021 SERIES 3 - U12 (Champion)
• SELANGOR XTIV VIRTUAL CHESS SERIES 2021 SERIES 2 – Open (3rd Place)
• SELANGOR XTIV VIRTUAL CHESS SERIES 2021 SERIES 2 - U12 (Champion)
• Hari Sukan Negara Negeri Perak 2021 Chess Tournament (Champion)
• Gold Medal Board Prize (Board 1) Datin Yee Wai Fong Merdeka Junior Team Chess Championship 2018
• Datin Yee Wai Fong Merdeka Junior Team Chess Championship 2018 (Champion)
• Silver Medal Board Prize (Board 1) Datin Yee Wai Fong Merdeka Junior Team Chess Championship 2019
• Datin Yee Wai Fong Merdeka Junior Team Chess Championship 2019 (Champion)
• Union Team 2019 (Open Category) (Champion)
• 46th Selangor Open Chess Tournament 2019 (Open Category) (16th Place)
• 7th Youth Park Blitz Chess Competition (Open Category) (Champion)
• 1st Kulim Central - UniKL Alumni Chess Championship 2019 (Open Category) (6th Place)
• Malaysia School Sports Council (MSSM) Chess Championship 2019 U12 Category (Champion – Individual)
• Penang State School Sports Council (MSSPP) Chess Championship U12 Category 2019 (Champion – Individual)
• Hari Sukan Negara Alor Gajah 2021 Chess Tournament (Champion)
• Malaysian Chess Festival 2017 (Champion-U8 Category) –Penang State School Sports Council (MSSPP) Chess Championship U12 Category 2017 (Best Board 1-Team Event) –Penang State School Sports Council (MSSPP) Chess Carnival 2017 U9 Category (Champion - Individual)
• Penang State School Sports Council (MSSPP) Chess Championship U12 Category 2017 (2nd Runner Up-Team Event)
• Penang State School Sports Council (MSSPP) Chess Championship U12 Category 2017 (Champion-Individual Event)
• Malaysia School Sports Council (MSSM) Chess Championship 2017 U12 Category (4th Place-Individual)
• Malaysia School Sports Council (MSSM) Chess Championship 2018 U12 Category (2nd Place-Individual)
• Penang State School Sports Council (MSSPP) Chess Carnival 2018 U9 Category (Champion - Individual)
• Penang Age Group 2018 Under-13 Category (Champion)
• Penang State School Sports Council (MSSPP) Chess Championship U12 Category 2018 (1st Runner Up - Individual)
• 5th Johor Causeway Open Rapid 2016 (1st Runner Up - <1400 Rating Category)
• Wah Seong Penang Chess League 2017 (Best Board 1 – Team)
• Wah Seong Penang Chess League 2017 (Champion U9 Team)
• Marcus Chess Academy Chess Tournament 2017 (Champion - U12 Category)
• Chess In The Park MBPP 2017 (Champion - U12 Category)
• 23rd USM Chess Team Open Tournament 2017 (Champion - U9 Team)
• 24th USM Chess Team Open Tournament 2018 (Champion – U9 Category)
• 24th USM Chess Individual Open Tournament 2018 (Champion – U9 Category)
• Malaysian National Youth Chess Championship 2018 (5th Place - U14 Category)
• KLK Taiping 2018 Open (4th Place – Open Category)
• National Scholastic Chess Championships 2017 U9 (2nd Runner-Up)
• 22nd Grand Asian Chess Challenge (GACC) Open Chess Championship 2018 (2nd Runner Up – Open Category)