Utut breaks world simultant chess record

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Grand Master Super Utut Adianto broke the world record playing a marathon 28.5-hour simultant chess game against 833 players in Surabaya, East Java.

Utut broke the world record playing for two days, totaling 28.5 hours, non stop at Taman Surya in Surabaya on Sunday.

He recorded 637 wins, 185 draws and 11 defeats.

Utut's record outpassed Bojan Kurajica of Yugoslavia who played against 666 players. The longest time record is held by Swedish Ulf Anderson who played for 26 hours.

But Utut said that he does not want to play any more simultant games because he felt tired afterward.

"Should there be an offer for me to play another simultant game, I certainly will refuse it. I am already fed up playing long games," Utut said on Monday at Hotel Westin, Surabaya as quoted by Antara.

He added that it would be the last time he would play a simultant game. "The game is too much for me because I have to force my brain to play for 28.5 hours. I didn't have any sleep throughout the play."

Soeprapto, chairman of the East Java office of the Indonesian Chess Federation (Percasi), said people should be proud with Utut's success in breaking the world record, especially in East Java which was the place where the world record was broken.

"It also shows that Indonesia could create a world record in the simultant chess tournament," Soeprapto said.

Soeprapto further said that Utut's success would be put in the Indonesian Record Museum (MURI) and that it would be proposed to the Guinness Book of Records to obtain acknowledgment as a world record.

Coach Imam Buchori said that Utut could have played 30 hours but Utut was offered by the organizer to accept draws against 130 players.

"Utut had to obey to the rules and only played 28.5 hours," Imam said. (lnt)