Grand Master Utut beats Irawanto in play-off

Grand Master Utut beats Irawanto in play-off

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Grand Master (GM) Utut Adiyanto
managed to secure his way to the next round after beating FIDE
Master (MF) Irawanto in a play-off match by 2.0-0.0 victory
points at the Enerpac Masters Tournament in Bekasi.

Utut, Indonesia's chess player with the highest Elo rating of
2584, beat Irwanto in the 50th move of the Slavian defense. He
followed in the steps of the Indonesian Olympic chess team's
members who also beat their respective opponents, Antara news
agency reported on Tuesday.

The successful team members were GM Edhi Handoko and MF
Hamdani Rudin. Unfortunately for him, GM Ruben Gunawan was
toppled by young National Master (MN) Susanto Megaranto, 13, by
1.5-0.5.

In the final moves, Susanto, the 1999 junior world champion
for the 12-year age-group, possessed a knight while Ruben had a
bishop with each having five pawns. Theoretically, Ruben had the
advantage of playing white.

But Susanto managed to repeatedly threaten Ruben's bishop and
queen with his knight while depleting his pawns. Ruben
surrendered in the 47th move using the Slavian defense.

Susanto was the only remaining member of the youngsters' dream
team. MN Taufik Halay, 13, bowed out 0.0-2.0 to MF Kasmiran and
MP Tirta Chandra lost 0.5-1.5 to MF Hamdani Rudin. Another young
chess player, Andrean Susilodinata, 10, was eliminated in the
first round on Saturday.

In Tuesday's quarterfinals, Hamdani challenged Utut while Edhi
was slated to meet GM Ardiansyah. International Master (MI) Danny
Yuswanto met Kasmiran while Susanto challenged MI Dece Liu, the
only female participant. (nvn)