Cerdas, star of the chess world<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Upon arriving at the reception area of the arrivals hall at
\nSoekarno-Hatta Airport last Monday evening, Cerdas Barus, 41, who
\nwas seen walking at the front row of the national chess team,
\nexclaimed,\"petah! petah.\"<\/p>\n
He repeated the word a few times, with his hand pointing to a
\nblack bag in his trolley. The welcome crowd, which included TV
\nand media reporters, could not make out what he meant until his
\nhands felt inside the bag and took out a trophy.<\/p>\n
It turned out that what Cerdas had meant to say was \"pecah\",
\nwhich means \"broken\".<\/p>\n
The medal, which had been awarded to Cerdas as the best
\nscoring player on board three at the Chess Olympiad in Bled,
\nSlovenia, had a fracture on one side of its square-shaped
\nplinth.<\/p>\n
\"It fell during our transit in Ljubljana and got broken,\"
\nKristianus Liem, a team official, said by way of explanation.<\/p>\n
Although he showed a bit of unhappiness, overall Cerdas was
\nenchanted. He gleefully acceded to requests for TV filming and
\nphotography, his hands busily being shaken in congratulation.<\/p>\n
Cerdas is a gifted chess player and unique too, for apart from
\nhis flair at the chessboard, he is disabled, with a speech
\ndefect.<\/p>\n
Communicating with him, one finds it hard to depend only on
\noral interaction. When he speaks, it is more like stammering.
\nBody language must be relied on to help understand him or make
\noneself understood.<\/p>\n
Knowledge about him can only be obtained through someone else,
\nbe they a player colleague or family member.<\/p>\n
In his 40s, Cerdas is, of course, not a rising star on whom
\nhopes for achievement can totally rely. But he appeared to have
\nthe capacity to make himself a star, as he did in Bled, Slovenia.<\/p>\n
Cerdas was indeed the star of the Indonesian chess team, which
\nparticipated at the Chess Olympiad from Oct. 24 through Nov. 10.<\/p>\n
He collected 8.5 points from 10 rounds after winning seven and
\ndrawing three games, while the team, which comprised five
\nplayers, finished in a moderate position with an overall 30
\npoints.<\/p>\n
The point collection has also ensured Cerdas has improved his
\ncurrent rating of 2479 to a level that earns him the title Grand
\nMaster.<\/p>\n
Following the previous running of the biennial chess event,
\nCerdas has maintained the gold tradition of Indonesia after Utut
\nAdianto, who is the country's number-one ace and whom the team
\ndid not play, won his gold medal on board one in Istanbul,
\nTurkey.<\/p>\n
Cerdas is a resilient player, according to Kristianus. \"He
\ndoes not lose his grip easily when under pressure. Such a quality
\nsomehow gives assurance to the rest of the team,\" Kristianus
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Born on Jan. 1, 1961, in Kabanjahe, about 80 kilometers west
\nof Medan, capital of North Sumatra province, Cerdas began to play
\nchess seriously at the age of 15.<\/p>\n
His first national tournament was in Bandung, West Java, in
\n1982 and five years later he was the champion in Palu, Central
\nSulawesi, a feat repeated in 1999 and 2002.<\/p>\n
In between, he changed allegiance in 1992 from his native
\nNorth Sumatra to his place of work, Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He has entered the chess Olympiad seven times, starting in
\n1984. Only this year did he gain recognizably high status.<\/p>\n
\"I'm happy,\" he said about his achievement, as interpreted by
\nSalor Sitanggang, a national player who is also a fellow Batak
\n(native of North Sumatra).<\/p>\n
Like every other player, Cerdas spends a few hours per day
\nsharpening up his skills. \"On returning from the office, he will
\npractice for two to two-and-a-half hours every day. He will stay
\nup late, until dawn, at times,\" Nurhayati Ginting, Cerdas' wife,
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Though it is far from satisfying, Nurhayati, who has borne him
\nthree sons, said that they enjoyed the financial rewards from
\nCerdas' chess.<\/p>\n
The 2002 season has seen Cerdas put in an impressive
\nperformance in a number of local tournaments, and on each
\noccasion he was entitled to a reasonable financial prize. He also
\nplayed well when other locals were unable to at an international
\ntournament in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
His chess skill has enabled him to work at state bank BNI,
\nwhich exempts Cerdas from having to go to the office every day
\nwithout fear of losing salary.<\/p>\n
His speech defect seems to have been more than compensated for
\nby his mental agility at the chessboard.<\/p>",
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