Susanto ties with Zander in U-16 meet
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian chess player Susanto Megaranto drew 1.5-1.5 with non-seeded Severino Zander of the Philippines in the 45th move of the Scandinavian opening during the sixth game of the Asian Continental Boys Under-16 championships at the NPC training center in Bataan, the Philippines, some 160kms from Manila.
Susanto, who held the white pieces, was able to surround all of Zander's pieces in lane seven and only allowed his rook to move. The blockade was maintained until the 28th move.
But in the 29th move, Susanto suffered a time crisis and had only four minutes left for nine moves. With only two minutes left for five moves, Susanto was unable to find a winning solution.
He accepted Zander's offer to draw after the Filipino forced him to give up his queen.
Zander tops the standing with 5 Match Points (MP). Susanto, top seeded in the event, was second with 4.5 MPs but he outclassed seeded Oliver Barbosa of the Philippines who also collected 4.5 MPs. Susanto will face Barbosa in the seventh game.
Separately, executive chairman of the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) Eka Putra Wirya said that the association would send junior chess players to the European Chess Championships to increase their competitiveness.
"The junior players only have the chance to compete in Southeast Asian-level tournaments or Asian-level tournaments at the most. But now we will send them to Europe," he was quoted by Antara as saying.
"Sometimes they play very well and produce surprises but at other times they lose after making unnecessary blunders due to their psychological imbalances."
Percasi spokesman Kristianus Liem cited an example in the age- group world chess championships in Oropesa del Mar in Spain in October when Susanto (13), Taufik Halay (13) and Andrean (10) missed the association's target of entering the world's top three.
"Victory was right before their eyes but it turned into tragic defeat because they seemed to lose concentration," said Kristianus, also a chess observer. (ivy)