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)