20th Malaysian Chess Festival 2025

Name: 20th Malaysian Chess Festival 2025
Start: 2025-09-12T09:00:00+08:00
End: 2025-09-12T20:00:00+08:00
Location: KL Gateway Mall

Schedule

Fri Sep 12 2025 at 09:00 am to 08:00 pm

UTC+08:00

Location

KL Gateway Mall | Kuala Lumpur, KL

Get ready for the landmark 20th Malaysian Chess Festival 2025! This highly anticipated event, recognized as the region’s longest-running international open, will feature nine diverse tournaments over ten days.

The festival runs from September 12th to 21st, 2025, at the KL Gateway Mall, Kuala Lumpur. It's easily accessible via LRT. Organized by DAT Chess Centre (DATCC), the festival caters to all ages and skill levels.

Key events include:
• Team Championships: SMS Deen Merdeka Open Rapid Team and DTCN Merdeka Junior (Under-12) Team.
• Blitz Showdowns: Merdeka and Festival Blitz.
• Age-Group Competitions: DTCN Open Rapid Age-Group (U-06 to U-16) and DTCN Malaysia Day Age Group (U-8 to U-18), crucial for junior development.
• Premier Individual Opens: The flagship 20th Dato Arthur Tan Malaysian Open Chess Championship (FIDE rated, open to all), the Daniel Yong Chen-I Memorial Malaysia Chess Challenge (for players below FIDE Rtg 2000), and the Dato Tan Chin Nam International Seniors' Open (for players 50+/45+). Early bird discounts apply to these major opens.
This festival is a critical catalyst for local chess development and a tribute to the late Dato' Tan Chin Nam, the "father of Malaysian chess". It consistently attracts large numbers, with around 1,400 entries in 2024. A significant highlight was 15-year-old IM Poh Yu Tian becoming the youngest and first Malaysian to win the main event in 2024.