Grand Master Utut gives in to Polgar
Grand Master Utut gives in to Polgar
By Ivy Susanti
SANUR, Bali (JP): Indonesia's top chess player Grand Master
(GM) Utut Adianto bowed out to GM Judit Polgar of Hungary in the
48th move in the second round of the US$56,500 JAPFA Classic
International Chess Tournament 2000 on Sunday.
Using the Caro Kann opening, Utut played safely in the first
17 moves before he defied himself to make a variation in the 18th
move. Utut withdrew his black pawn from b7 to b5 after Polgar
moved her king from c1 to b1.
In the next move, Polgar sent her pawn ahead from c2 to c4 and
it was quickly seized by Utut's pawn who stood by at b5.
Polgar's bishop then rounded on Utut's pawn at c4. Utut
apparently wanted to dispatch his knight to d5 to strengthen his
defense but his pawn at c6 became the stumbling block for this
purpose.
In the 24th move, Utut was cornered. He flanked his rook from
d8 to c8 to guard the pawn at c6. But Polgar captured the pawn
finally at the 37th move.
In the 45th move, Polgar advanced her pawn from e5 to e6 to
get a promotion, but Utut tried to halt this move by sending his
rook from g3 to g1 to threaten Polgar with a checkmate.
Polgar made some maneuvers to escape the rook and in the last
48th move, she forced Utut to give up by moving her bishop in e5
to d6. Utut saw nowhere to go.
Utut said after the match that he could draw with Polgar
should he plot to move his pawn to e5 instead of b5.
"The move is too risky. If I place my pawn in e5, all will be
safe. I thought my knight is in a strong position if my pawn is
at b5 but my calculation proved to be wrong. I was lost but
that's natural in a match," he told reporters.
Utut's fellow countryman, GM Ruben Gunawan, the FIDE world
champion from 1975 to 1985 and from 1993 to 1999, lost to GM
Anatoly Karpov on the opening day, but managed to tie with
International Master Zaw Win Lay of Myanmar in the 33rd move,
using the English opener.
Zaw gave up to the 1999 FIDE world champion GM Alexander
Khalifman of Russia on the first day.
In the 30th move, Ruben moved his white bishop from g2 to e4
and Zaw responded by retreating his queen from e7 to e6. But
Ruben did not want to make an exchange so he moved his bishop
further to d5. Zaw withdrew one step to e7.
The maneuver was repeated three times before both players were
declared a draw.
At another table, GM Yasser Seirawan forced Karpov to a draw
in the 13th move by a Queen Gambit, and he accepted the opening.
While Khalifman also had a draw with GM Jaan Ehlvest of
Estonia in a short 19th move, using the French opening. GM
Gilberto Milos Jr. also drew with GM Jan Timman of the
Netherlands in the 32nd move, using the Ruy Lopez opening.
On Monday, Utut will challenge Ehlvest, Timman will face
Polgar, Karpov will play Milos, Zaw will meet Seirawan and
Khalifman will contend with Ruben.