Percasi vows to get tough on match fixing

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Chess players have been warned against match fixing during next week's Japfa Chess Festival amid a drive by the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) to promote fair play.

Nine class categories, including the matchup between Indonesia's young grand master Susanto Megaranto and Vietnamese GM Dao Thien Hai, will be contested in the Rp 80 million tournament, to be held at the Wisma Karsa Pemuda building in Central Jakarta on May 2-7.

With an expected 700 to 800 entries, the tournament is hailed as the biggest showcase for the sport in the country. As such, Percasi is also using it to drive home the message of fair play and crack down on sham matches.

In past contests, players with little hope of winning the overall title were suspected of throwing matches to opponents in return for a kickback.

Players face suspension if they are proven to have fixed the outcome of a match.

"We encourage the players to uphold fair play. This is a moral movement -- we know it is difficult to have a tournament completely free of delinquent practices," Percasi caretaker chairman Utut Adianto said during a press conference here on Tuesday.

"We know there'll always be loopholes whatever system we have. At least they could be deterred from doing so by a threat of suspension if found guilty."

Utut, the country's top player, took over the chairmanship role last November.

He said his playing experience served him well in identifying the likely culprits.

"It happens that the chairman is also the one who knows chess very well ... therefore I am well aware of those who are notorious for match fixing.

"And I have a commitment from them about fair play."

The organizers will introduce a system of prize distribution that is expected to help minimize the opportunities for match fixing. Instead of lump payments at the end of the tournament, distribution of prizes will begin as early as round 6, particularly in the nine-round Open division.

"With runaway leaders beginning to be rewarded by round six, we hope that strong players will be encouraged to fight all out in every game," said tournament director Eka Putra Wirya.

The tournament is also raising funds for Aceh and Nias -- both hit by natural disasters in recent months -- by apportioning Rp 10,000 from each registration fee toward relief efforts. Registration fees range from Rp 25,000 to 100,000.