Susanto takes charge at world chess event

Susanto takes charge at world chess event

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia pulled clear on top of the
standings in the U-14 category of the World Youth Chess
Championship in Oropesa del Mar, Spain, after scoring his fourth
win in as many games on Wednesday.

The most recent casualty of the clinical 13-year-old
Indonesian was Mark Bluvshtein of Canada, who resigned after 44
moves.

Susanto's sole command was helped by draw-like results in the
other three pairings between the players who had also won all the
three games going into Wednesday's fourth round.

"They played so cautiously that they seemed to be content
simply with half a point ultimately," said Kristianus Liem, who
is accompanying the Indonesian youngsters to the tournament.

The pairings were Hikaru Nakamura of the United States who met
Radoslaw Wojtaszek of Poland, Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan who took
on Mirhal Meszaros of Slovakia and Ante Brkic of Croatia who
played Gwain Jones of England.

Susanto, who won a bronze medal in the U-12 category in the
1999 championship, played white pieces in a French game that
earned him the deserved win.

The chasing pack of nine on 3.5 points includes IM
(International Master) Evgeni Tomashevski of Russia, with whom
Susanto is paired for the fifth round.

Tomashevski has an elo-rating of 2468 compared with Susanto's
2234.

Andrean Susilodinata, playing in the U-12 category, also
chalked up a win at the expense of Israeli Maxim Rodshtein, while
debutant Boy Reinhard, in the U-10 category, conceded his first
loss to Jure Plaskan of Slovenia.

Kristianus said that Rodshtein's playing style had been
anticipated well by the Indonesian camp with coach GM Utut
Adianto succeeding in preparing a counter.

"Andrean got in control of the opponent up to the 26th move of
the Sicilian game. But he abruptly fell to a seemingly too-hasty
tactic that resulted in a loss of a pawn in the following five
moves.

"Luckily, by then he had a dangerous free pawn on the b-file
which later appeared to disrupt Rodshtein's strategy. With a
sweet combined attack of the rook and knight, Andrean managed to
take two pawns.

"Rodshtein somehow tried to hang on, but could only withstand
the offensive until move 51," Kristianus said.

The Indonesian 11-year-old has collected 3.5 points from four
matches, to join a group of nine.

Above them are two players still with a perfect four points --
the 1999 champion FM (FIDE Master) Dmitri Andreikine and fourth
seed FM Ian Nepomniaschii, both from Russia.

Andrean's opponent in the fifth round will be 2000 champion
Ildar Khairoulline of Russia. Boy Reinhard plays Pedro Rego of
Portugal.