08/03/2026

ON SUNDAY March 8, 2026 theSunday Special VII

O N a weekday afternoon, the room is quiet except for the soft scrape of plastic pieces against a board. No shouting. No whistles. No sweat-soaked jerseys. Yet, if you look closely, something intense is happening. A boy stares at the board, brow fur rowed, fingers hovering just above a knight. Across from him, another child sits perfectly still, eyes locked, waiting. Between them is not just a chessboard, but a battlefield of decisions, risk and restraint. “This is what people don’t see. They think chess is just moving pieces. But ev ery move tells a story,” said Ahmad Yusri Sahadi, an International Chess Federation (FIDE) Instructor and co-founder of X Chess Academy. Ahmad has been part of that quiet battle for most of his life. A game learned at home Ahmad was introduced to chess at a young age by his father, who was then the head coach of a state chess team. The game quickly became more than a pastime. As a teenager, he went on to win state level MSS championships in Kelantan and Kedah, representing his state at national tournaments for several years. Chess, however, was never his only path. He pursued an International Business degree at Ohio State University in the United States and upon returning to Malaysia, built a career as an oil and gas industry executive. From the outside, it was a conventional success story. But something was missing. “In 2018, I resigned,” Ahmad said simply. Together with his younger brother, a medical graduate from Ireland, he founded X Chess Academy. The mission was clear from the start: To empower a generation of thinkers. A year later, in 2019, Ahmad was awarded the title of FIDE Instructor by the governing body of international chess competitions. It was recognition not just of his playing strength, but of his ability to teach the game. More than a board game Ask Ahmad what most people misunder stand about chess and his answer comes quickly. “Chess is a simulation of decision making. There is art behind strategy. There is meaning behind every move,” he pointed out. At its core, chess is the art of managing ULVN 3OD\HUV ZHLJK XQFHUWDLQW\ VDFUL¿FH material to create opportunity and navi gate complexity with limited information. “It’s not just about finding the best move. It’s about understanding why a move works and what it costs you,” Ahmad explained. This is the beauty of chess that often goes unnoticed. The board may be silent, but the thinking is anything but.

Inside the beautiful art of modern chess

BY ASHRAF WAHAB

Technology didn’t kill chess. It expanded it.”

A historic moment for Malaysian chess In 2024, Malaysian chess reached a his toric milestone when Yeoh Li Tian became WKH FRXQWU\¶V ¿UVW *UDQGPDVWHU For Ahmad, the achievement was more than symbolic. “It opened many eyes. It proved that Malaysia can compete at the highest level,” he said. Parents who once saw chess as a hobby came to view it as a serious intellectual VSRUW ZLWK ORQJ WHUP EHQH¿WV “It changed perceptions. Chess is no longer seen as something niche,” he added. Training methods have evolved dra matically over the years. Modern players, Ahmad notes, are far more data-driven than previous generations. “They learn from engines, databases and structured training models. They adapt faster and are more open to technol ogy,” he observed. That does not mean the old ways are obsolete. “The older generation had strong in tuition and creativity. Our job as coaches is to combine both worlds.” Ahmad explained. X Chess Academy operates at 5 physi cal locations across Malaysia, but also conducts online classes and chess camps. Their students are taught to use digital tools, but never blindly. Technology sup ports intuition, not replaces it. Competing with video games In an era where children are drawn to fast-paced video games, keeping chess relevant might seem like a challenge.

Ahmad disagrees. “Chess has survived for thousands of years. It adapts,” he said. Where once games were played face to-face on wooden boards, today players compete across continents in real time through digital platforms. “Technology didn’t kill chess. It ex panded it,” Ahmad emphasised. Online chess has lowered barriers to HQWU\ DOORZLQJ SOD\HUV RI DOO OHYHOV WR ¿QG opponents, study games and improve at their own pace. Platforms like Chess.com and Lichess, Ahmad says, are powerful tools when used correctly. “They can also be distractions if used without discipline,” he cautioned. At the academy, these platforms are integrated into training in a structured way. Students analyse games with en JLQHV ZRUN RQ VSHFL¿F WKHPHV VXFK DV tactics, endgames or openings and play opponents matched to their skill level. “The key is guidance. Without struc ture, players just chase quick wins,” Ahmad shared. Teaching patience in a fast world That desire for instant success is one of the biggest challenges Ahmad faces as a coach. “Students want results immediately. They want fast victories,” he said. Chess does not work that way. Progress is slow, incremental and often invisible. To keep students motivated, Ahmad applies what he calls the ‘micro-win’ approach. Every class is designed so that students experience at least one small improvement they can feel. “When progress becomes visible, moti vation follows naturally,” he noted. To support consistent training beyond the classroom, X Chess Academy has also published a series of chess puzzle books, ¿YH RI ZKLFK DUH FXUUHQWO\ DYDLODEOH

For Ahmad, the most meaningful mo ments are not trophies or titles. One student stands out. “He came to us because he had focus is VXHV DQG ORZ FRQ¿GHQFH ´ $KPDG UHFDOOHG Over time, the student improved not only in chess but also in discipline and self-belief. Eventually, he won a state-level tournament and went on to study at a fully residential school. “It wasn’t about the medal. It was about the transformation,” he pointed out. Moments like that remind him that chess is not just a game. Lessons beyond the board Chess, Ahmad believes, teaches skills that extend far beyond sixty-four squares. Thinking before acting. Managing pressure. Planning for the long term. 8QGHUVWDQGLQJ WKDW IDLOXUH GRHV QRW GH¿QH the end. “In chess, you can lose today and still come back tomorrow,” he remarked. It is a mindset he tries to instil in his students. “Never resign,” he added with a smile. I Q WKH QH[W ¿YH WR WHQ \HDUV $KPDG hopes Malaysia will become a chess hub in Southeast Asia. Not just in terms of tournaments, but a complete ecosystem involving schools, media and corporate support. He envisions chess being integrated into school syllabuses and dreams of seeing at least three more Malaysian *UDQGPDVWHUV HPHUJH “And thousands of young players trained through a proper system,” he said. As the class ended, the children packed DZD\ WKHLU ERDUGV 7KH URRP ¿OOV ZLWK chatter once more. The battle is over, for now. But the thinking continues.

Chess is a simulation of decision-making.”