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)