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After 25 years and countless moves, Malaysia finally gets its first chess Grandmaster
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — For the first time in the nation’s history, Malaysia can proudly call one of its own a Grandmaster (GM), the highest title awarded in the world of chess.
Yeoh Li Tian, a 25-year-old prodigy from Petaling Jaya, officially earned the coveted GM title after securing his third norm and surpassing the 2500 FIDE rating mark by winning the GM-IM Invitational Chess Championship 2025 held here today.
The title, awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), is a lifelong honour and places Li Tian among an elite group of fewer than 2,000 Grandmasters worldwide.
Speaking to Bernama, Li Tian, who began playing chess at the age of three, admitted that his journey was long and grueling, marked by sacrifices and perseverance.
“I always tell people that I have no childhood. So I guess that that will be my biggest sacrifice. Since young, like even in primary school, I go to school, come back, do my homework and then I start working on chess,” he said.
When asked about achieving the GM title on home soil, he said the moment was even more meaningful after narrowly missing the opportunity during the 2022 SEA Games in Hanoi.
“I felt really relieved and happy to actually get my last norm back in Malaysia. I hope that it inspires more chess players to play chess,” he added.
Looking ahead, Li Tian remains uncertain about his next steps but hinted that he might compete in the upcoming SEA Games in Thailand at the end of this year.
“Malaysia Chess Federation (MCF) already approached me for this SEA Games. I think there’s a high chance that I will be playing,” he said.
Meanwhile, MCF President Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi described Li Tian’s achievement as a historic milestone in the nation’s chess history.
He added that the MCF is now more determined than ever to nurture and produce more Malaysian GM, with the goal of elevating and strengthening the local chess scene.
“I feel the achievement is a new positive and healthy development for the game of chess in the country.
“We do not want this achievement to stop here and if can, we want more GM from Malaysia to emerge, just like ehat has been produced by neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines,” he said.
