Utut fails to enter World C'ship

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best Grand Master (GM) Utut Adianto failed to fulfill his ambition of competing in the 2001 World Championship after losing to GM Dao Thin Hai of Vietnam in the play-off late Monday.

Both Utut and Dao had earned 6.5 Victory Points (VPs) in the 32 a Asian Zonal Championship in Manila before Dao won the playo- ff 1.5-0.5 VPs to earn the championship's ticket.

Dao will be accompanied by compatriot GM Nguyen Anh Dung -- who had collected 7.0 VPs in the championship from April 23 to April 30 -- to compete in the World Championship, the venue and date of which have yet to be decided.

Dao had qualified twice for the major event after competing in the championship in New Delhi last year .

Utut and Dao tied 1.0-1.0 in the 25-minute and 10 seconds per move rapid chess, but Dao managed to defeat Utut in the third match of five-minute and 10 seconds per move rapid chess before both players tied 0.5-0.5 in the final match.

Meanwhile, the "Humanity Care" chess event will be staged on schedule. The organizers secretary Hendry Jamal said in his fax that Utut and members of the Dream Team -- comprising Andrean Susilodinata, Taufik Halay, Susanto Megaranto and Tirta Chandra -- would play on Sunday.

The venue will either be the Sucofindo building in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, or F. Sumantri Chess Hall on Jl. Tanah Abang I, Central Jakarta. The organizers had originally planned to stage the event at the House of Representatives complex.

"We are still lobbying the House's secretary-general. Hopefully we will be able to announce the venue on Wednesday."

The National Open Chess tournament will take place at F. Sumantri Chess Hall from May 7 to May 13 and is offering a prize money of Rp 10 million (US$856). (yan)