Awam Wahono draws final match to win 2003 Pusam Cup

Awam Wahono draws final match to win 2003 Pusam Cup

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda, East Kalimantan

FIDE Master (FM) Awam Wahono drew with Grand Master (GM) Edhi
Handoko in 16 moves to win the Pusam Cup chess tournament here on
Saturday.

Also during the final round, GM Cerdas Barus and International
Master (IM) Ivan Situru agreed to a draw after just 11 moves,
each player leaving the board with a half a point.

The play was also indifferent in the matches between Hasian
Panggabean and GM Ardiansyah; Aris T.L.S. and Antung Selamet;
Taufiqurachman and FM Nurdin Askali; and Yangdi Said and Johan
Gunawan. All four pairings ended their matches in under 15 moves.

Cerdas finished the tournament in second place, followed by
Edhi in third. All three collected 7.5 points with six wins and
three draws in the nine rounds, but Awam outscored Cerdas on the
Progressive Score (PS) system, and Cerdas outscored Edhi.

Edhi and Awam were both agreeable to a quick draw, with the
pair saying they were drained from playing two rounds a day since
Monday.

"I did not need to push myself for a win. I'm satisfied with
where I am. If I became too ambitious in trying to secure a win,
I could have ended up with a defeat. I did not have the stamina,"
said the 43-year-old Edhi, who finished in fourth place at last
year's tournament.

As soon as the draw was agreed to, Awam looked pleased with
the result. His pleasure only increased a few minutes later when
he learned the Ivan-Cerdas match also had ended in a draw,
ensuring Awam first place and the top prize of Rp 7.5 million
(US$833) from the total of Rp 37 million on offer.

"I ran out of energy, too," Awam said of his game with Edhi.

"So when he offered me a draw I gladly accepted it," Awam, who
represented Indonesia at the 1990 and 2002 Chess Olympiad, said.

Susanto Megaranto, the 2002 champion and top seed at this
year's tournament, had to be content with fourth place, half a
point behind the top three finishers. The 16-year-old beat fellow
West Java native Denny Sonjaya in a game that extended to 70
moves.

In nine rounds, Susanto posted seven wins and two losses,
against Cerdas and Junaid Pamungkas.

His teammates on the junior team, Taufik Halay and Tirta
Chandra, also represented themselves well at the tournament, with
Taufik taking 6.5 points and Tirta 6 points.

Any of the some 160 participants from 12 provinces taking part
in the tournament who finished with at least 6 points
automatically received a National Master (NM) title.

Among the newly crowned National Masters were local players
Taufiqurachman and Eko Rusyanto.

Next year, the tournament, which began in 2002, could see an
improvement in the level of competition, with the organizing
committee saying it is considering inviting foreign players.