SIM Yip How

General
CAREER CHOICE
After spending more than six years working in a telecommunications company in Malaysia, in 2013 he decided to become a full-time xiangqi player. "In 2013, I met the world xiangqi grandmaster from China. We engaged in two friendly matches while I shared with him my desire to one day become a grandmaster. He told me that given my current standards, achieving that title would be difficult. He advised me that if I was so passionate about xiangqi, I should pursue it professionally. He assured me that I could compete in China. That's when I realised how much I loved the sport. I therefore left my work in order to play xiangqi full-time and start a coaching career." (Facebook profile, 26 Jul 2022; newsarawaktribune, 09 Jul 2022)

ACADEMY AND COACHING
In 2016 he established the New Star Chess Academy in Seremban, Malaysia. He has also served as head coach of the Malaysian youth national xiangqi team and the Negeri Sembilan Xiangqi Association. (Facebook profile, 26 Jul 2022; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2021; Persatuan Xiang Qi Negeri Sembilan Facebook page, 30 Sep 2020; YouTube channel, 11 Sep 2020)

EARLY DAYS
He stopped playing xiangqi for a period as a child, but resumed when he was in high school. "All I did was play video games. However, when I got to Form 4, I realised how talented my classmate was in everything he did. So I changed because I aspired to be like him. I disciplined myself and gave up playing video games. I even resumed my xiangqi practice. I opted to skip university in order to pursue my passion for xiangqi." (newsarawaktribune, 09 Jul 2022)