Chess squad faces uphill battle
Chess squad faces uphill battle
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The national chess team is expecting a tough time at the 23rd
Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Manila, with the hosts and Vietnam
looming as difficult rivals.
Hiring foreign coaches and international competition are part
of the team's preparation in facing the opposition.
Utut Adianto will be called upon to repeat his gold-medal
winning performance from 2003 in Hanoi, with an up-and-coming
trio of Susanto Megaranto, Taufik Halay and Tirta Chandra
expected to spring surprises.
"Vietnam and Philippines are without doubt our close rivals.
However, we are optimistic that we can steal two gold medals,"
Hendry Djamal, one of the coaching staff, said.
Utut, who has a career-high rating of 2615, has considerable
international experience, including as the only Indonesian to
compete in a world chess championships.
Despite a dip in his performance, with his rating sliding to
2588, Utut is still a level above his teammates. His Hanoi gold
saved face for Indonesia.
Chess is offering eight golds this year, in the men's standard
(team/individual), rapid (team/individual), blitz (individual);
women's standard (team/individual) and blitz (individual).
The Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) is grooming eight
men and seven women for Manila.
Although the country's best hope, Utut's dual role on
Percasi's board of directors, led by new chairman Eddie Widiono,
has raised concerns about his focus on training.
However, the Indonesian number one brushed aside the fears.
"In an ideal situation, I wouldn't be in the organization. But
it has caused little distraction in the preparation. Generally
speaking, we are on track."
Percasi also sent Susanto, Taufik and Tirta to Europe for a
series of five leading tournaments, and have enjoyed good results
in the first three events.
"They are our trump card. Particularly Susanto, he has shown
that he is up for the challenge against the world's grand
masters," Utut said of the 17 year old tipped to take over from
him in the future.
Susanto, who is the country's youngest player to attain a GM
title, was runner-up to Utut in Hanoi. He is performing well in
the runup to Manila, and took Vietnamese ace Dao Thien Hai to the
wire in a matchup in Jakarta in June.
He has done well in the European tour stops of the Amsterdam
Championship and Dutch Open, and is sure to add points to his
current rating of 2499.
Percasi is also set to hire foreign coaches, yet to be named,
to help prepare the team for the SEA Games.
"We have got approval from the Chinese federation to assign a
coach to take charge of our women's players," Hendry said.
The association also recruited Evgeny Sveshnikov, a renowned
GM from Russia, to get the men's players ready. "We have sent the
proposal and are now waiting news whether he can be available for
the team," he said.
While the men's competition is seen as a close fight among
Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, the women's competition
is likely to be dominated Vietnam.
All four of Vietnam's golds in 2003 were contributed by its
women players. It was the overall medal winner, followed by the
Philippines with three golds and Indonesia with Utut's first-
place finish.
Top women's player Lisa Lumongdong is hopeful the Chinese
coaching presence would help in closing the gap with the
Vietnamese.
A rising star is Irene Kharisma, who is predicted to become
Indonesia's women's grand master. The 13 year old gained a FIDE
Master (FM) title in last year's world championship in Spain.
However, she may not be able to overcome the formidable
Vietnamese, spearheaded by world traveler Hoang Thanh Trang.
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Chess team
Men: GM Utut Adianto, GM Susanto Megaranto, GM Edhi Handoko, IM
Danny Juswanto, IM Ivan Situru, FM Tirto, FM Taufik Halay, FM
Tirta Chandra
Women: Lisa Lumongdong, WFM Irene Kharisma, Ai Jakiah, Evie
Lindiawati, Stefanie Dian Chery, Tri Handayani, Norasa Verdiana