Dr. Lim Kok Ann

A view out my front window

     The miserable weather of yesterday continues as the wet, heavy snow continues swirling and piling up. I was awakened twice last night when the snow plow went past our house and I heard it go by again after I got up.  

     Few chessplayers today have probably ever heard of Dr. Lim Kok Ann (January 27, 1920 - March 08, 2003) of Singapore. He was the first to discover and describe the virus responsible for the Asian flu pandemic in 1957-1958. 

     The Asian Flu outbreak of 1957 resulted in school closings and many people bedridden with fever. At the height of the epidemic, he succeeded in isolating the virus. That was just one of his many other achievements which included conducting the first clinical trials with the then new oral Sabin polio vaccine as well as work on enteroviruses and many others. 

     Lim Kok Ann was Christian and Boy Scout. "It’s more important to serve God than man,” he said and the Scouts were an important influence on his early life because of their ideals of honesty and service to others. 

     A microbiologist, he worked with Nobel prize winners in the world’s leading research laboratories and served as Dean of the Medical School of the University of Singapore. At one time he was known as the youngest Professor in the University of Singapore. For many years, he was also a member of the the University’s governing body. 

     Dr. Lim was the first Singapore chess champion (1949) and the founder of the Singapore Chess Federation. That same year he began promoting the game. As a chess activist he taught the game to others, organized tournaments, collected funds and it was mostly due to his efforts that in 1992 Singapore sent a team that included three IMs to the Olympiad in Manila. 

     Lim's daughter Stella is a well known playwright, novelist, short story writer and poet, whose works are frequently used as literature texts in Singapore schools. But that should not be surprising because his family had a long list of prominent people. 

     His grandfather, father and uncles, all highly successful in the medical field, banking and military, were known for their incorruptibility, integrity and lack of concern for material wealth. 

     But not all of his family members were so upstanding. Two uncles were flamboyant characters and a third was a powerful influence in the shady world on the waterfront. 

     Another uncle was one of Singapore’s top racing drivers in the 1930’s. He was an exuberant personality who enjoyed his life and collected fighting fish, fighting cocks, fighting kites, matchbox labels, racing cars and...beautiful women. 

     After Dr. Lim's retirement, he won the National and British Veteran titles twice and devoted his time to teaching chess classes as well as coaching. His goal was to make Singapore a chess playing nation and his slogan was “A Chessboard in every home.” 

     In 1982, after retiring he left Singapore to become the Secretary General of FIDE when Florencio Campomanes had just become the first Asian President of FIDE and invited Lim to help him in reorganizing and modernizing the organization. Lim rose to become the Secretary-General of FIDE.

Lim Kok Ann (2220) - Thomas Leonard (2155)

Result: 1-0

Site: Caledonian Masters, Edinburgh

Date: 1997

Dutch Defense

[...] 1.d4 e6 2.♘f3 d5 3.e3 ♗d6 4.♗d3 f5 5.♘bd2 ♘f6 6.c4

6.O-O O-O 7.♕e2 ♘bd7 8.b3 ♘e4 9.♗b2 Byrne,C-Kantor,L/Szombathely 1993 is equal.

6.♘e5 O-O 7.f4 c5 8.c3 ♘bd7 9.O-O Bauer,W-Schmid,H (2205)/ Dresden 2004 is equal.

6...c6 7.c5 ♗c7 8.b4 O-O 9.a4 This is going to a game where white is attackin g Q-side and black on the K-side...or at least that's how is appears now. 9...♘bd7 10.O-O ♘e4 11.♗b2 ♕e7 12.♘e5 ♘xe5 13.dxe5 ♕g5 This turns out poorly . Better was 13...a5 nd then exchanging of d2 after 14.f3. 14.f4 ♕g6 15.♖c1 ♘xd2 16.♕xd2 ♗d7 17.♔h1 A clear indication that white is no longer interested in a Q-sider and is going for a K-sider instead. 17...b6 It would have been better to retreat both Bs to the back rank from which they could at least help defend against white's coming K-side advance. 18.♗d4 ♖fc8 19.♖g1 ♕h5 20.g4 Clearly black is in trouble with his Rs and Bs serving little purpose. 20...fxg4 21.♕e2 g6 22.♖xg4 ♔f7 Black hopes to bring his Rs to the defense of his K, but it's already too late as white has a won game. 23.♖cg1 ♖g8 24.♕f2 ♗d8 Preventing Rh5, but it comes too late. 25.e4 Allowing his light squared B to join the attack. 25...dxe4 26.♗xe4 bxc5 If black avoids this white can switch back to an attack on the Q-side (a common strategy) and black will still be lost. 27.♗xc5 ♖b8 28.♕d4 Threatening Qxd7 mate 28...♔e8 29.♗xa7

29.♕d6 ♖b7 30.f5 exf5 31.♗xc6 ♔f7 (31...fxg4 32.♕e6+ mates next move) 32.♗d5+ And all black can do is delay mate.

29...♖c8 30.♗c5 ♗c7 31.♕f2 ♕h6 32.♕g2 ♗d8 33.♖d1 ♕h5 34.♕d2

34.♖xd7 is crushing. 34...♕xg4 35.♕xg4 ♔xd7 36.♕d1+ ♔c7 37.b5 ♔b8 38.♕d7 ♖c7 39.♗d6 ♔b7 40.♗xc7 ♗xc7 41.♕xc6+ ♔c8 42.♕xe6+ ♔d8 43.♗c6 g5 44.♕d7#

34...♖g7 35.♖g3 g5 36.♕d6 ♕f7 37.fxg5 ♗xg5 38.♖f3 ♗f4 39.♖df1 ♖g4 40.♖xf4 Facing mate in three black resigned. (40.♖xf4 ♖xf4 41.♖xf4 h6 42.♕f8+ ♕xf8 43.♖xf8#)

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