Kosteniuk won't take the kids lightly

Kosteniuk won't take the kids lightly

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

World runner-up Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia brushed aside
speculation that she would probably take her opponents -- three
Indonesian juniors -- lightly at the Japfa Chess Match starting
on Monday.

"I don't look at them as kids. I take seriously everyone on
the chess board," the 18-year-old women's chess star told a press
conference here on Sunday.

"What I do is play the game and, like everyone else, I will be
trying hard to win. You must be serious if you want to win," she
added.

Kosteniuk, who lost to Chinese Zhu Chen in the 2002 World
Championship finals, is set to face 12-year-old Andrean
Susilodinata, Susanto Megaranto, 15, and Tirta Chandra Purnama,
16, in a six-day chess contest at the VOC Cafe and Gallery in
North Jakarta.

Two games in two days are to be played against each of the
opponents and she is to hold the black pieces in the first game.
Andrean is her opponent on the opening two days.

"I know little about my opponents. I had a look at a few of
the their games in my chessbase. But It's not enough for me to
judge their style," Kosteniuk said.

Kosteniuk will get US$6,000 in an appearance fee, which is far
below that paid to a number of the world's stars, including
Anatoly Karpov, during the 2000 Japfa Classic in Bali.

But she hinted that she was not too preoccupied by the fee. "I
like to see new places. I'm pleased to play here. I'm surprised
by their responses. I want to play the game and hopefully see
chess develop in Indonesia," she said.

The three Indonesian juniors, who have represented their
country in as many international junior tournaments, were
typically coy about their matches.

Little could be learned about what they had in mind as they
were almost speechless. They would respond only when asked
whether they would be looking for wins, but their remarks were
brief.

"I'll try," Susanto said. "I can (win)," added Andrean.

Tirta, the oldest among them, was more elaborative when he
said he was one hundred percent hungry for a win.

Also present at Sunday's conference were Eka Putra Wirya, the
chairman of the organizing committee, team coach GM Utut Adianto,
Machnan R. Kamaluddin, the chairman of the Indonesian Chess
Association (Percasi), and Artsanti Alfi, a representative of
sponsor Japfa Comfeed.