Chess players start chase for SEAG slots<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda, E. Kalimantan<\/p>\n
The 2003 Pusam Cup chess tournament starts today in Samarinda,
\nEast Kalimantan, while the organizers are already looking ahead
\nto raise the tournament level next year.<\/p>\n
The tournament features 160 players from 20 provinces. They
\nwill play nine rounds for a week-long competition, with a total
\nRp 37 million up for grabs. One-hour-and-a-half of thinking time
\nis allowed for the players.<\/p>\n
Tournament director Joni said that the event also would
\nprovide an automatic National Master (NM) title for players who
\ncould win 5.5 to 6 points from a possible 9.<\/p>\n
"In previous events, the players would usually have first to
\nwin a certain number of points before being given the title. We
\nare bestowing the credit directly to successful players this time
\naround, thanks to Percasi's (the Indonesian Chess Association's)
\nsupport for the tournament," he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, with the second year of organization under way, the
\norganizers are already looking overseas to improve the level of
\ncompetition. "We are interested in bringing in foreign players to
\njoin the competition next year. We shall work out a scheme,"
\nchairman of the organizing committee Erwin Dwi Budiawan, said.<\/p>\n
Apart from the prizes, the fact that the tournament has
\nprovided the participants with a chance of possible inclusion in
\nthe national team must add spice to the competition hype, given
\nthat the Pusam Cup serves as a selection field ahead of the 2003
\nSoutheast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam.<\/p>\n
"This is the opening tournament for team selection. We have
\nplanned an overall six tournaments ahead of our training camp in
\nAugust. The winner and runner-up in each tournament will be
\nshort-listed and fight for places in the national team," Percasi
\nrepresentative Grand Master (GM) Utut Adianto said.<\/p>\n
The biennial, multi-event sporting event between the Southeast
\nAsian nations, the 2003 SEA Games, will run in December, to which
\nPercasi plans to send six women and six men players. As the
\ncountry's number one player, Utut is already assured a place in
\nthe next squad.<\/p>\n
"We hope the players will display their best sportsmanship at
\nthe Pusam Cup and the top two winners will be those tested well
\nduring the event," Utut said.<\/p>\n
GM Ardiansyah, GM Edhi Handoko and GM Cerdas Barus lead the
\nparticipant list as the hot contenders at the tournament, along
\nwith 2002 champion, 16-year-old Susanto Megaranto.<\/p>\n
Three International Master (IM) title-holders and five FIDE
\nMasters (FM) also make up the list.<\/p>\n
The tournament is scheduled to play an entire nine rounds,
\nwith a control time of 1.5 hours allowed each player.<\/p>",
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