Seirawan replaces Smyslov to play Utut

Seirawan replaces Smyslov to play Utut

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's number one chess player Utut Adianto
will challenge American grand master Yasser Seirawan instead of
playing former world champion Vassily Smyslov.

"Smyslov was not available for the scheduled duel meet here
due to illness," Utut said yesterday. Smyslov said in his letter
dated on Monday to the sponsor of the match that even though he
had bought the air ticket, he, with deep regret, had to turn down
the invitation.

Except for the replacement, everything will run as scheduled,
Utut said of his five-day, six-round duel at the Kelapa Gading
Sports Club, North Jakarta. The chess meet is slated to start on
Nov. 21, for which the winner will get a US$3,000 cash prize and
the loser $2,000.

Seirawan, the 1979 junior world champion, recorded his best
performance when he beat world number one Anatoly Karpov in a
world-class tournament in Haninge, Sweden, in 1991.

Utut, who just came back on Monday from a 13-day stint with
Russian grand master Joseff Dorman in Paris, recorded his most
recent best performance when he became the champion of the Biel
Masters in Switzerland last August.

To boost his present elo rating by ten to 2,600, Utut said a
2.5-1.5 victory over Seirawan would suffice because Seirawan's
elo rating, 2,585, is far higher than Smyslov, who has an elo
rating of 2,510.

"I keep optimistic that I will win though I know very well it
won't be at all easy," Utut told The Jakarta Post.

As of July, world chess body FIDE rated 29-year-old Utut at
2,520, but he has raised his elo rating to 2,590 after recently
taking part in various tournaments in Europe and the U.S.

Utut is one of the six players named by the Indonesian Chess
Association (PB Percasi) to take part in the upcoming Chess
Olympic in Moscow slated for Nov. 30-Dec. 17. The duel with
Seirawan is part of his training for the Olympics.
(arf)