RI eyes 2nd place in HK chess tourney

RI eyes 2nd place in HK chess tourney

JAKARTA (JP): A step up. That is the target of an Utut-led
Indonesian team at the Asia-Pacific Intercity Club Chess
Tournament in Hong Kong starting today.

"This time we should at least be able to finish second,"
Indonesia's number one chess player, Utut Adianto, told a press
conference on Wednesday.

Second to none is, of course, everyone's ultimate wish. But
even for Utut, who ranks third among Asia's top grand masters,
five days of the brainy sport in the British colony won't be
easy.

India, China, the Philippines and South Korea, according to
the 30-year-old grand master, will be tough hurdles. "They have
players with equal mastery of the game. That is what makes them
really solid teams," Utut said.

Utut implied that his team is less solid because it is made up
of players of different skill levels. Saying he had developed
good teamwork, Utut stressed that the biggest problem was a lack
of physical fitness. "If we are fit, I'm sure it would have great
impact on our performance," he added.

Utut has boosted his elo rating to 2,590 after pushing Dutch
grand master Jan Timman and some other world grand masters to the
sidelines at the recently concluded Biel Master in Switzerland.

In Hong Kong, Utut will play for the BTPN Bandung team,
together with grand master Edhi Handoko (2,495), master
International Salor Sitanggang (2,410), Awam Wahono (2,330) and
Iwan Prihastomo.

The other Indonesian team is the BTPN Bekasi team. BTPN is a
state-owned retirement fund bank. (arf)