Seirawan upsets Utut in opening duel

JAKARTA (JP): American grand master Yasser Seirawan upset Indonesia's number one grand master Utut Adianto on the first day of their four-day duel sanctioned by the world chess body (FIDE) here yesterday.

At the 47th move, Utut's only knight, situated at f3, was put between Scylla and Charybdis by Seirawan's king lying exactly on its doorstep, f4.

This left Utut's knight with only two ways to escape: either to e1 or to f4. But whatever way the knight might have chosen, the fate of Utut's king, left unprotected and isolated at g2, was sealed.

With a perfect enclosure of three black pawns at g3, g4 and h3 and a black rook at e2, a small move of h3 pawn to h2 would put Utut's king to death.

This was a miserable end for Utut, who wanted to increase his present elo rating of 2,590 to 2,600.

Starting the game with the Queen Gambit Declined opening, Utut proved an equal opponent in the beginning. He answered Seirawan's castling at the 6th move with another castling at the 11th move.

"It is a bitter loss for me, particularly because I had the advantage of playing the white pieces," Utut commented on his tough duel with the 1991 U.S. champion. Utut acknowledged he made many small but strategic mistakes which ruined his defense.

Seirawan, who has an elo rating of 2,605, attributed his victory to the sacrifice of his d6 bishop at the 23rd move. "I was happy to get rid of my 'useless' bishop in exchange for Utut's three pawns," Seirawan said.

This, Seirawan said, was a crucial move because the resulting position after the removal of the bishop paved his way to victory.

But Utut, keeping his optimism, said he would try his best to make amends for yesterday's loss. "Should I lose in the end, then it is because I am not at his level." (arf)