As always, the following script is completely from my own perspective and has no intention to cause any harm, pain, illwill, distress whatsoever to any of the parties mentioned. Let’s go!
Competitor name: Chye Yian Hsiang (aka “Jhun” or “Chye”)
Profession: Liquidation Manager
Age: 32
Qualification method: Grand Prix Hong Kong 2015 Champion
My guess of his favourite card: Thoughtseize
From what I understand from Chye’s origin story, he started MTG around the time of the original Zendikar. So its kind of fitting that he’s now qualified for a return to the plane of Zendikar to battle with the world’s finest in Milwaukee.
Chye is no stranger to the Malaysian MTG community as he is dubbed by Terry Soh as the most hardworking Magic player in the country. He is a MTGO machine and drafts / sealed for any set more times compared to the whole Team Decards combine together, perhaps twice over.
You would see Chye in most major events from start to finish, either in the elimination matches or watching every matchup till the finale. Unlike others, watching games isn’t just entertainment to Chye, but it’s a form of learning. He studies his opponents, finding weaknesses and uses that advantage to get over the top. His dedication to the game allowed him to do well early on, getting his first Pro Tour nod for PT Dark Accession and making Malaysian nationals top 8 in 2011. You can read an article he wrote here:
http://www.1mtg.org/smf2/news-2/chye's-nationals-2011/
He continued his steady climb into amongst Malaysia's elite, and having the Soh brothers as his test partners certainly escalated his game to a different level. He made Top 8 for three consecutive WMCQ seasons between 2012 to 2014, twice per season. He never represented the country, but Magic is all about consistency. Still there was one thing that always eluded Chye - a Grand Prix Top 8.
Grand Prix Taipei 2014
As the draft begins, I peek at the rare and am excited to see a 4 casting cost card and am ready to windmill slam it as I mentally yell "AJAAAAAAAAAA......... lira Master Polymorphist??!!!??" - Chye, GP Taipei 2014
This was Chye’s moment. In a small Grand Prix field, Chye steamrolled through day one unscathed with a perfect 9-0 record. But soon after, things started falling apart. Chye recounts his experience in his own article here:
http://www.1mtg.org/smf2/magic-articles-reports/walking-off-the-plank-in-gp-taipei/
Since then, Chye came ever so close, just missing out on the final cuts in Grand Prix Shanghai 2015 and the massive Grand Prix Chiba. He also made it to the Top 8 of the Regional PTQ at Sparta only to suffer a heartbreaking loss in the quarterfinals. It’s a dagger to the heart when you turn one Thoughtseize, write down everything, opponent plays a Courser of Kruphix and keeps one mystery card the entire game. And when things are down to the final moment, the mystery card gets unveiled – Ugin, the Spirit Dragon.
Pro Tour Vancouver 2015
Chye and myself have never crossed path in any major event. But we have worked together for the Regional PTQ to qualify me for the PT and hence it was natural I sought his wisdom for the main event. In total, we put in almost 30 hours in offline testing and countless hours on MTGO (both constructed and draft). It was sheer determination for someone not even qualified. Unfortunately, my efforts were in vain and I fell short once more, buried in Day 2 of pro tour play.
Grand Prix Hong Kong 2015
I briefly recapped Chye’s run to the title in my previous article here:
http://vmtgstore.blogspot.my/search/label/PT%20Origins%20%26%20GP%20HK%20Part%202
But above all, Malaysia’s hardest working MTG player is finally rewarded. He goes home a champion with a trophy he dubs as “Wizards Murder Weapon” in his grip. He got a cool USD4,000 (only to discover he was conned USD6,000 after the new prize structure change for 2016) and bragging rights until someone else wins. Chye was already Malaysia’s hero and the GP win finally cements all the tales of heroism to his name. All is left now is the achieving greatness in a Pro Tour. To Zendikar Chye will travel and battle, and who knows - just maybe Chye may after all be the FIFTH member of the Oath of the Gatewatch!
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