Cerdas, Awam draw for four-way lead in Pusam Cup<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda, East Kalimantan<\/p>\n
Grand Master (GM) Cerdas Barus drew with FIDE Master (FM) Awam
\nWahono in their sixth-round match on Thursday, thus preventing
\nanyone from pulling ahead to the top of the Pusam Cup chess
\ntournament.<\/p>\n
The two chess masters had been jointly leading in the
\ntournament, having defeated their respective opponents in the
\nfifth round late Wednesday, and having entered their game on
\nThursday. Another win by either player would crown him king.<\/p>\n
The battle came to a compromise, and they had to be content
\nwith a half-point each, which allowed GM Edhi Handoko and Denny
\nSonjaya to catch up, with 5.5 points each on top of their
\nprovisional standings.<\/p>\n
During the post-match analysis, Cerdas, who has a speech
\nimpediment, showed that he had overlooked a good move in the
\nmiddle game, when he should have opted to move the queen to a3
\ninstead of bishop to e3.<\/p>\n
Cerdas, who played White, demonstrated how the queen move
\nwould have destroyed Black's queen-side to his advantage.<\/p>\n
Awam said holding a Grand Master player like Cerdas to a draw
\nwith Black was a modest ending for him. "With us holding the
\nopposite-colored bishops in such a position, a draw is
\nunavoidable. I'm satisfied with the result," he said.<\/p>\n
Edhi, who faced Cecep Kosasih, and Denny, who was paired
\nagainst Salor Sitanggang, showed better composure over their
\nopponents, each managing to establish an edge of one pawn ahead
\nin the endgame for their wins.<\/p>\n
Edhi devised a sharp Tarrasch Variation in defense and
\ncapitalized on Cecep's weak move to launch a lethal counteract.
\nDuring the endgame stage, he trickishly exchanged his rook with
\nbishop to pave way for an unstoppable promotion of his advancing
\npawn on the a-file.<\/p>\n
Denny accepted a pawn sacrifice by Salor in the opening stage,
\nwhile Salor established better spacing for his moves as
\ncompensation and advanced with pressure.<\/p>\n
However, he faltered in the next moves, and Denny wrested the
\ninitiative and his plus-pawn decided the game.<\/p>\n
Reigning champion Susanto Megaranto continued his rising
\nperformance by beating Laksana Agusta to collect 5 points, equal
\nto that won by International Master (IM) Ivan Situru, Sudung
\nTampubolon and Sugeng Prayitno.<\/p>\n
His junior teammates Tirta Chandra and East Kalimantan-based
\nTaufik Halay also chalked up wins to stay half a point behind
\nhim, with 13 other players including GM Ardiansyah and FM Hamdani
\nRudin.<\/p>\n
The participants played the seventh-round matches late on
\nThursday. They are to have a break on Friday before resuming play
\nwith the last two rounds on Saturday.<\/p>",
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