Japfa wins Batam international event

Indonesia's young chess star Grand Master (GM) Susanto Megaranto led Japfa Chess Club to a victory at the International Chess Team Open Tournament in Batam, Islands Riau province, according to a release here on Tuesday.

17-year-old Susanto, who emerged as the youngest Indonesian player ever to attain a GM title following his impressive run at the Chess Olympiad last month, topped the standings with 7.5 points to help Japfa of Jakarta finish in the top in the team category.

Other team members included Salor Sitanggang, Edhi Handoko and Tirta Chandra. Benteng Utara of Jakarta and Pusam Samarinda followed in second and third place respectively.

The tournament, which offered a total of Rp 67 million in prize money, also featured clubs from Malaysia and Singapore. --JP