Irwanto, Yoseph vie for last slot at Wismilak chess tournament
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Irwanto Sadikin and Yoseph R. Majella, both FIDE chess masters, will be involved in a clash in a bid to take the last slot for the Wismilak International Grandmaster Championship tournament in Surabaya next week.
The Wismilak tournament, which offers a total of US$6,000 (Rp 54 million) in cash prizes, will run from July 22 to July 28 with twelve players vying for the title.
However, while eleven names, including four foreign players, have already been secured, the organizing committee will have to hold a playoff for the last berth between Irwanto and Yoseph.
"We have decided to pit the two players in a two-game playoff on Saturday. This is fair because both are equal in the rankings for the Wismilak tournament," committee chairman Eka Putra Wirya told The Jakarta Post here on Thursday.
The Wismilak tournament is an eight-tier chess event with the participants averaging a chess rating of 2426, according to committee official Kristianus Liem, who is also a chess columnist.
"The inclusion of either Irwanto or Yoseph will not undermine the tournament's average strength," Kris said.
Meanwhile, Irwanto and Yoseph, who were contacted separately on Thursday, said they were ready for the match if it was the fair way to fill the last slot.
Yoseph, who said that he had heard the news about the plan in the press, said that he was confident after having met Irwanto several times.
"I won five times in the last five or six matches. But I will by no means underestimate him. Nonetheless, the recent matches will at least give me confidence," he said while he and his Jakarta contingent were about to return from their National Championship run in Palembang, South Sumatra.
Yoseph's current elo-rating is 2383 compared to Irwanto's 2362.
Irwanto was initially a bit perturbed with planned playoff, claiming he was more eligible for the inclusion.
"Why should there be a playoff? Being the 2001 national champion, I deserve to be awarded the chance because I have rarely had the opportunity to play in international tournaments. It should be a reward for winning the national championship," Irwanto said.
"I did go to the SEA Games but it was only an exhibition," he said, referring to the 2001 biennial multi-event sporting showcase in Kuala Lumpur, where he won a silver medal.
He also appeared to be as confident as his upcoming opponent.
"As it has been decided, I'm ready to take up the challenge. I'm more confident because it is a playoff," Irwanto said, adding the odds were fifty-fifty.
The eleven names already confirmed for the Wismilak tournament are (Indonesia unless mentioned) Women's Grandmaster (WGM) Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria/2497 rating), GM Zaw Win Lay (Myanmar/2531), International Master (IM) Nay Oo Kyaw Tun (Myanmar/2504), IM Enrique Paciencia (Philippines/2483), GM Edhi Handoko (2431), GM Ardiansyah (2411), IM Danny Juswanto (2520), FM Hamdani Rudin (2375), Cecep Kosasih, Susanto Megaranto and Andrean Susilodinata.