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.