Sveshnikov accepts offer to train RI's chess team<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former Russian national chess coach Grand Master (GM) Evgeny
\nSveshnikov is relishing coaching the Indonesian chess team for
\nthe upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.<\/p>\n
"Of course, I'm very happy to train a chess team in Indonesia.
\nI have vast experience in coaching in several countries outside
\nRussia," the 53-year-old Russian told an Indonesian delegation on
\nthe sidelines of the recent Aeroflot Open in Moscow, as reported
\nby Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) spokesman Kristianus
\nLiem.<\/p>\n
Sveshnikov coached the then-Soviet Union chess team for about
\nten years in the 1980s before assuming coaching roles in Latvia,
\nYugoslavia, Slovenia, the United States, Canada and Tunisia.<\/p>\n
The former head of the Russian Chess School said he had won
\nseveral tournaments during his playing career.<\/p>\n
"And what impressed me most was when I became the Soviet Union
\nchampion in 1979," he said in the interview, an excerpt of which
\nwas made available to The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
"One thing I shouldn't forget from my playing career is that I
\nhave faced six world champions 34 times with the results being
\nonly minus two," he said.<\/p>\n
Eka Putra Wirya, who led the Indonesian delegation in the
\nnegotiations, said that Sveshnikov had been tied to a one-month
\ncontract worth US$3,500.<\/p>\n
Among the entourage was GM Utut Adianto, who played at the
\nAeroflot Open and finished with 5.5 points from nine matches in
\nthe tournament, which featured 201 international players.<\/p>\n
Percasi plans to groom six men and six women for the upcoming
\nSEA Games, which will be staged in Vietnam and in which chess
\nmakes its debut at the region's biennial multi-event sporting
\nshowcase.<\/p>\n
Utut has been awarded an automatic place in the men's team
\nalong with 2002 Chess Olympiad gold medalist GM Cerdas Barus.<\/p>\n
The inventor of the Sveshnikov Variation will start his job in
\nOctober, with a one-month contract extension a likely option,
\nconditional on the coach's performance and the availability of
\nthe funds.<\/p>\n
"We will try him out for a month first then see whether it is
\nworth an extension for another period," Eka, who is Percasi
\nexecutive chairman, told the Post on Friday, adding it would ask
\nthe National Sports Council (KONI) for financial assistance.<\/p>\n
Eight gold medals are up for grabs in the chess competition in
\nthe SEA Games in Vietnam in December. Eka said the Indonesian
\nteam had set itself the target of winning at least two golds.<\/p>",
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