JAPFA wins chess tourney

JAKARTA (JP): JAPFA chess team of Surabaya beat Bali Jeff team of Bali 3-1 to claim the 2000 Indonesian chess league title at Novotel Surabaya on Wednesday. JAPFA pocketed Rp 8 million and Bali Jeff Rp 6 million.

JAPFA's win came after Grand Master (GM) Darryl Johansen (Australia) and GM Edhi Handoko overcome International Master (IM) Salor Sitanggang and National Master (NM) Sebastian Simanjuntak, while top players GM Utut Adianto (Indonesia) and GM Alex Wojkiewicz (Poland) tied with Bali Jeff's foreign payers GM Eugene Torre and GM Rogelio Antonio Jr., both from the Philippines.

Jakarta-based BNI'46 team finished third, defeating BTPN team of Bandung 2.5-1.5. BTPN's FIDE Master (FM) Awam Wahono beat IM Nathanael Situru on the second board to earn the first point for his team, but BNI'46 managed to equalize through FM Syarif Mahmud, who outclassed NM Deni Sonjaya on the fourth board.

BNI sealed the victory with veteran player GM Ardiansyah beating FM Hamdani Rudin on the third board. On the first board, IM Danny Juswanto was forced to draw with NM Cecep Kosasih, said tournament spokesman Kristianus Liem in a media release on Wednesday.

In the closing ceremony, chief of the organizing committee Jeffrie Geovanie said the league would be held again next year in Bali, with two bottom finishers to face relegation.(ivy)