# Malaysian Chess Championship

The Malaysian Chess Championship is organized by the Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF; Malay: Persekutuan Catur Malaysia). Known as the National Closed Chess Championship prior to 2016, the first edition was held in 1974. A separate Malaysian Women's Chess Championship has also been held annually since 1990. FIDE Master Christi Hon has won the national title a record five times, while Woman International Master Siti Zulaikha Foudzi has won the women's title a record eight times. It has occurred twice that a pair of siblings have won the national and the women's titles in the same year: Kamal Ariffin Wahiddudin and Nurul Huda Wahiduddin in 1991, and Zarul Shazwan Zullkafli and Nur Shazwani Zullkafli in 2007.

## National championship winners

    YearChampion 1974Choo Min Wang 1975Chan Swee Loon 1976Goh Yoon Wah 1977Tan Bian Huat 1978Christi Hon 1979Tay Chong Thai 1980Jimmy Liew 1981Christi Hon, Goh Yoon Wah 1982Christi Hon 1983Christi Hon 1984Jimmy Liew 1985Peter Long, Francis Chin 1986Peter Long, Francis Chin 1987Christi Hon, Lee Soi Hock 1988Kamal Abdullah 1989Kamal Abdullah 1990Ng Ek Leong 1991Kamal Ariffin Wahiddudin 1992Mok Tze Meng 1993Yeoh Chin Seng 1994Mas Hafizulhelmi 1995Mas Hafizulhelmi 1996Lim Yee Weng 1997Lim Yee Weng 1998Ng Ee Vern 1999Jonathan Chuah 2000Ng Tze Han 2001Lim Chuin Hoong (Ronnie Lim) 2002Wong Zi Jing 2003Nicholas Chan 2004Nicholas Chan 2005Marcus Chan 2006Jonathan Chuah 2007Zarul Shazwan Zullkafli 2008Lee Kim Han (Edward Lee) 2009Evan Timothy Capel 2010Tan Khai Boon 2011Lim Zhuo Ren 2012Roshan Ajeet Singh 2013Aron Teh 2014Fong Yit San 2015Yeoh Li Tian 2016Yeoh Li Tian 2017Wong Yinn Long 2018Fong Yit San 2019Kamal Abdullah 2022Tan Jun Ying 2023Lim Zhuo Ren 2024Wong Jianwen

## Women's championship winners

    YearChampion 1990Audrey Wong 1991Nurul Huda Wahiduddin 1992Nurul Huda Wahiduddin 1993Eliza Hanum Ibrahim 1994Roslina Marmono 1995Khairunnisa Wahiduddin 1996Eliza Hanum Ibrahim 1997Eliza Hanim Ibrahim 1998Eliza Hanum Ibrahim 1999Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2000Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2001Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2002Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2003Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2004Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2005Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2006Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2007Nur Shazwani Zullkafli 2008Alia Anin Azwa Bakri 2009Tan Li Ting 2010Fong Mi Yen 2011Nur Nabila Azman Hisham 2012Nur Najiha Azman Hisham 2013Nur Nabila Azman Hisham 2014Renitha Narayanan 2015Nur Nabila Azman Hisham 2016Nur Nabila Azman Hisham 2017Nur Nabila Azman Hisham 2018Tan Li Ting 2019Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahraa Azhar 2022Siti Zulaikha Foudzi 2023Ainul Mardhiah Mohd Afif 2024Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahraa Azhar

## Precursors
### Malayan championship

Prior to the formation of Malaysia, a Malayan Chess Championship was organized by the Malayan Chess Federation which was founded in 1949. It was usually hosted in Singapore and was open to players outside the Federation of Malaya. The first winner, Johannes Fernhout [simple], was a Dutchman from Java.

### Malayan championship winners

    YearLocationChampion 1949PenangJohannes Fernhout [simple] 1950SingaporePat Aherne 1951SingaporeJ. C. Hickey 1952SingaporeG. H. Brownbill 1953SingaporeTay Kheng Hong 1954SingaporeRichard Lim 1955Kuala LumpurDavid B. Pritchard 1956SingaporeM. Davis 1957SingaporeJ. C. Hickey 1958SingaporeJ. C. Hickey 1959SingaporeJ. C. Hickey 1960SingaporeR. E. Fontana 1961Kuala LumpurTan Lian Ann 1962SingaporeTan Lian Ann 1963SingaporeTan Lian Seng

### Malaysian championships prior to 1974

In April 1965, the Singapore Chess Federation and the Chess Association of Malaya hosted "the first Malaysian chess championship" in Singapore, which was open to "people in all Malaysian States." The winner was Tan Lian Ann of Singapore. Afterwards, national championships in Malaysia were held irregularly due to a lack of organizers. Before the Malaysian Chess Federation replaced the Chess Association of Malaya, the last national tournament took place in 1972–1973 in Kuala Lumpur and was won by Chan Mun Fye.