Fri, 31 Oct 2003

Irene back in winning form against Drobrzenski

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's Irene Kharisma Sukandar recovered from Tuesday's tears to beat Jessica Drobrzenski of Brazil in a closely fought seventh round match at the World Youth Chess Championships in Halkidiki, Greece on Wednesday.

Irene's victory in the girls' under-12 category came after the two teenagers were involved in 60 moves of a Spanish game, reports said here on Thursday.

The result has given lone Indonesian contender Irene, who was left in tears after her loss in the sixth round, on Wednesday, impetus in her way up the rankings but is still outside the top ten ranked players with another four rounds remaining.

With four wins, two losses and a draw, unrated Irene is tied with 12 players on 4.5 points each.

Irene capitalized on two consecutive blunders by Drobrzenski to book her third win, Irene's manager Kristianus Liem said in a release.

"Irene developed a better position in the middle of the game but a mistake on move 33 when she moved her queen to c8 instead of d8 swung the advantage to Jessica," Kristianus said.

However, Drobrzenski made her own mistakes on moves 41 and 42, which cost her the game.

"The mistakes caused her to lose a bishop, bringing about an untenable position."

Irene was reported to be delighted by the victory.

"I was already in a bad position. Luckily for me, she made her own mistakes when we were running against the clock," Kristianus quoted Irene as saying.

Irene will again play behind black pieces against Selina Kho of England in the eighth round on Thursday.

Jessica Drobrzenski - Irene Kharisma Sukandar: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Ge7 7.Re18.d3 d6 9.c3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.Nbd2 Qc7 12.Nf1 Bd7 13.Ng3 b4 14.Bg5 Nc6 15.Nd2 h6 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Nc4 Bg5 18.Ne3 Ne7 19.Bb3 Bxe3 20.Rxe3 Kh8 21.Qh5 f5 22.exf5 Nxf5 23.Rf3 Nxg3 24.fxg3 Bc6 25.Rf5 Qb7 26.Raf1 Rxf5 27.Rxf5 Bd5 28.c4 Bxg2 29.Rf7 Qc6 30.Qg6 Rg8 31.Bc2 Bh3 32.Rf2 Qe8 33.Qxd6 Qc8 34.d4 Qg4 35.dxe5 Qg5 36.Rf4 g6 37.Qf6+ Qxf6 38.exf6 g5 39.Rf3 Rf8 40.Bg6 Kg8 41.Kf2 Bg4 42.Rd3 Rxf6+ 43.Ke3 Rxg6 44.Rd5 Re6+ 45.Kd3 Be2+ 46.Kd2 Bxc4 47.Rxc5 Bxa2 48.Rc8+ Kg7 49.Rb8 Bc4 50.Rxb4 Bb5 51.h4 Re2+ 52.Kc1 Rg2 53.hxg5 hxg5 54.Rb3 Kf6 55.Rf3+ Ke5 56.Rb3 Kf5 57.Rc3 Kg4 58.Kd1 Rxg3 59.Rxg3+ Kxg3 60.Ke1 Kf3 0-1