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.[1]
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.[5]
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.[7] 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.[8]
^Jayakumar, Shashi; Urcan, Olimpiu G. (2017). Singapore Chess: A History, 1945–1990. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. pp. 5–6. ISBN9789814733212.
^Jayakumar, Shashi; Urcan, Olimpiu G. (2017). "Appendix A: Winners of the Malayan Chess Championship (1949-1963)". Singapore Chess: A History, 1945–1990. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. p. 361. ISBN9789814733212.
^Jayakumar, Shashi; Urcan, Olimpiu G. (2017). Singapore Chess: A History, 1945–1990. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. p. 74. ISBN9789814733212.
