Taufik, Susanto warm up in Bali

JAKARTA (JP): Taufik Halai and Susanto Megaranto will compete in the Bali Jeff Open chess tournament later this week to hone their skills prior to the junior world chess championship.

While on the island of paradise, the two teenagers will take on the country's top players, who are more than 15 years their senior. The pack of chess wizards include former national number ones Grand Master Ardiansyah and Grand Master Edhi Handoko.

Eka Putra Wirya, owner of the Enerpac chess school where the two teenagers learned the subtle sport, said he was expecting nothing from the Oct. 1 to Oct. 5 event but to provide his prodigies experience ahead of the world championship in Spain at the end of October.

"But I believe they'll shine after months of drilling," Eka said as quoted by Antara on Tuesday. Both Taufik and Susanto spearheaded an Indonesian team that won the Merdeka Cup chess tournament in Kuala Lumpur last month.

Some 120 players will take part in the Bali event, which has an Rp 8 million purse. Governor Made Dewa Beratha is expected to open the competition. (lnt)