Jakarta to host 14th world microcomputer chess meet

JAKARTA (JP): Twenty-six computer programs, including one from Indonesia, will compete in the 14th world microcomputer chess championships from Oct. 7 through Oct. 15 at the Dai-ichi hotel in Central Jakarta.

The Indonesian program was developed by a team from Gunadarma University.

Bumawan, the chairman of the university's computer laboratory, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the team had taken eight months to complete the program, which had an estimated 2,400 elo rating.

"Ten people have tailored the program including Indonesia's first grandmaster Herman Suradiredja. Most of the other developers are both computer programmers and chess players," Bumawan said.

Compared to the Indonesian program, the 25 other contenders from the U.S., Britain, Canada, Spain, Russia, Denmark, France, Austria, Hungary and Germany are more powerful and experienced, Bumawan said.

He said it was good that Indonesia had at least made the effort to develop the program.

"In fact, we are the first in Asia to make a program, since Japan, despite its ambitious computer technological developments, does not seem to have chess players who are interested in these championships," he said.

The world's smartest chess computer program, Deep Blue, developed by the IBM, scalped world professional champion Garry Kasparov once in their duel in New York last February. Kasparov finally won 4-2 after three victories, two draws and one defeat.

Indonesia is the first country outside the U.S. and Europe to hold such an event.

Bumawan said Indonesia's number one chess player Utut Adianto and his fellow grandmaster Edhi Handoko have agreed to take on the winner of the championships between Oct. 10 and Oct. 20 in a nine-round exhibition match. (arf)