Brunei Win Silver At Chess Olympiad
By Grace Jiu

Bandar Seri Begawan - AK Hirawan won a silver medal at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy which ended on June 6. Brunei were the only country from Asean that secured a medal.

The highest ranking countries playing in the tournament at the start were Russia, India and Armenia. Brunei was represented by six players whose age ranged from 14 to 22 years, making them the youngest team in the Chess Olympiad.

This was the third time Brunei participated in the Chess Olympiad. The first was in Istanbul in 2000 and in Slovenia in 2004. This medal represents the first medal ever awarded to Brunei since joining the two-yearly Chess Olympiad.

Ak Hirawan who played on the Board 6 performed exceptionally well by earning 6.1/2 points out of a maximum seven points to earn a silver medal.

Another player Yee Soon Wei also obtained 6.1/2 points on Board 5 but was placed fourth. Another half a point would have placed him for a silver.

Ak Hirawan is Brunei's current top chess player. In order to perform at a higher level, he would need to play in a competitive environment especially in Europe. Ak Hirawan is seeking generous sponsors to support his ambition to become the first Grandmaster of Brunei Darussalam.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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