Dao strikes back to level matchup against Susanto
Dao strikes back to level matchup against Susanto
Musthofid
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
GM Dao Thien Hai booked back-to-back wins to even the score
with GM Susanto Megaranto in their Japfa chess contest.
After taking his first win on Wednesday to reduce the gap to
1-2, the Vietnamese player's experience told as he crushed
Susanto on Thursday in 39 moves, curbing the home fans' euphoria
from their teenage star's stunning early lead.
Two games are left to decide the winner of top cash prize of
US$1,500, with the winner taking half the amount.
Susanto, 17, blamed rushed decisions for his defeat.
"I lacked restraint during the game. I was too greedy in
making the attack," he said.
After taking a beating for the overly risky lines he chose on
Wednesday, Susanto was more cautious on Thursday but failed to be
mindful of his opponent's forays .
Midway through the game, Dao signaled his attack on the king's
side when he shifted his rook to the king's night file.
Susanto attempted to counter through the queen's side, but Dao
was able to execute his game plan due to his opponent's poor
selection.
The 27-year-old Vietnamese then utilized all his attacking
resources; his queen stood menacingly, assisted by the rook and
bishop which were positioned for further strikes.
Susanto found himself devoid of most of his pieces, left in a
helpless position in attempting to rescue the beleaguered king.
He tried to hang on by sacrificing a bishop but, with yet
another piece gone, his fight was soon over.
While acknowledging the increasingly solid performance of Dao,
Susanto, who has been hailed as the successor to GM Utut Adianto,
said that he would try to do his best in the final two games.
In the Open category, nontitled Tirta Chandra Purnama and
Sugeng Prayitno upset higher-rated opponents to share the lead,
with four other players tied on 5.5 points after six rounds.
Tirta defeated GM Ruben Gunawan while Sugeng edged GM Edhi
Handoko. The other four joint leaders are Tirto, Ivan Situru,
Hamdani Rudin and GM Ardiansyah.
A group of 14 players is half a point behind, including top
seed Danny Juswanto, who failed to turn up on the opening day due
to a family commitment but has taken five consecutive matches.
Irene Kharisma is the lone leader in the women's category with
a formidable collection of six points. Lisa Lumongdong is a
distant second on 4.5 points, followed by Evie Lindiawati and
Lamria Situmeang with 3.5 points.
As of the sixth round, cash prizes have been allotted for the
top 20 players in a move by the Indonesian Chess Association to
curb match fixing.