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19 Jan 2022
Head Course Development (DSTA Academy) Goh Yong Han and Principal Engineer (Chief Information Office) Francis Teo may work in completely different domains, but that doesn’t get in their way when it comes to their favourite past time – chess!
Our very own chess champs, Francis (left) and Yong Han, have been competing together for almost a decade.
The pair, together with their colleagues from MINDEF and the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, successfully defended their winning title for the second year in a row and emerged victorious at the Public Service Chess Team Championships in December 2021.
The latest edition of the annual competition was held entirely online, with 11 teams from across the public service pitting their chess prowess against one another over six rounds.
The team with their trophy and medals.
“One highlight of the competition was in round four, where we had to secure a win to maintain our chances of defending our title. The match was in the balance until the very end, when Francis successfully scored a vital point to break the tie. In another game, there was a point where my queen was en prise, but in a strange case of chess blindness, neither side saw this for the next three moves, and the game ended in a draw!” recounted Yong Han with a laugh.
Both chess aficionados, Yong Han and Francis are frequent participants of the Public Service Chess Team Championships. Yong Han was first introduced to the competition years ago by a friend from MINDEF, who happened to be captain of the team representing MINDEF back then. Francis joined the team a while later.
Over a decade later today, chess is not just an enjoyable hobby for both of them, but it is also something that helps them meet many like-minded friends. For instance, their frequent chess games online have pitted them against chess lovers from all over the world, and also allowed them to forge and strengthen bonds with their colleagues in DSTA and the public sector.
“We’ve gotten to know other chess buddies in DSTA, and we talk about chess moves and the competitions we’ve participated in before. I cherish the fun times playing together as a team, as well as the many friendships forged over the years!” Francis said, who also shared about the times he has hung out with Yong Han outside of chess.
Yong Han echoed this sentiment, adding that it is always a delight to catch up with old and new friends from across the public service. It does not come as a surprise when the two say that they plan to continue playing chess for as long as they can.
A great move, we say!