National chess dream team set to undergo Euro stint
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In a bid to meet its ambition of producing a world champion, the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) is turning to Europe as a training camp for its young talents.
Four teenage chess players, currently part of the special 'Dream Team' project, will be undergoing a three-month stint in Europe, where they will experience intensive training and take part in high-quality tournaments.
The quartet of Susanto Megaranto, Taufik Halay, Tirta Chandra and Andrean Susilodinata will start their overseas stint in May next year.
"We are not by any means lagging behind in terms of chess development. What we need to do now is work out how to implant in them the mentality of a champion," Eka Putra Wirya, Percasi's executive director, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
"Susanto and Andrean managed to keep themselves in top-level clashes in Oropesa del Mar. It means these kids possess sufficient skills to challenge the world," Eka added, recalling the World Youth Chess Championships in Spain that ended early this month.
Susanto, 13, took charge in the early stages of the U-14 competition at the championships before dropping to fifth place in the final standings.
Andrean, 11, would have become the U-12 world champion if he had not slipped up in the final match.
The result extended Indonesia's world championship jinx, having won a mere bronze through Susanto in 1999 since making its debut in 1997.
The European outing was apparently inspired by neighboring Vietnam, which has made itself one of Asia's chess strongholds since sending its chess prodigies to Europe.
The most recent testament to Vietnam's success was its gold sweep at the chess exhibition at the recent Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
As far as the regional rivalry among the Southeast Asian nations is concerned, the result has served Indonesia with a warning ahead of its campaign at the 2003 SEA Games, which Vietnam will host.
"The tournament hype will be distinctly tense in Europe. And it will be crucial to polish our skills," Eka said, adding that the youngsters would be stationed in either Amsterdam or Spain.
He also tipped Susanto in particular to become a Grand Master in the next two years.
The quartet will take on a series of tests before departing for Europe, including a match against 17-year-old Alexandra Kosteniuk of Russia, the youngest woman ever to obtain a grand master title.
The matches are scheduled for next January with Taufik taking the first turn in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, in a four-round faceoff and the remaining three in Jakarta.
The organizers will offer US$1,000 for the winner and US$500 for the loser in each match.
"We are looking to give them more experience in strong matches," Kristianus Liem, Percasi's public relations officer, said, adding that a Master Circuit would follow in February and March.