Utut foresees bright chess future for Susanto
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Chess Grand Master (GM) Utut Adianto has tipped Susanto Megaranto, a surprise winner at the recently concluded Pusam Open chess tournament, as having a successful future chess career.
Susanto, 15 years old, scored eight points out of a possible nine at the seven-day tournament, which concluded last Friday in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.
His win might come as a surprise given the number of strong players at the tournament, but Utut said he had not at all been taken aback by the outcome.
"People may be surprised at his win. I'm not because I know his skills well," Utut, Indonesia's number one player, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
"It was in 2000 that I discovered his talents," he said, adding that among good juniors, Susanto was the most likely to inherit the crown as Indonesia's best player.
Among the national top chess masters at the tournament were GM Edhi Handoko, GM Ruben Gunawan, Master International (MI) Cerdas Barus, Irwanto and MI Dede Liu.
Susanto, a member of the national junior team currently undergoing intensive training at the Utut Adianto Chess School (SCUA), won six games and drew two.
Meanwhile, executive director of the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) Eka Putra Wirya hailed Susanto's victory as a success story in junior chess development.
"Susanto's title has come both as a surprise and delight. It has vindicated our well-tuned chess development and Susanto's impressive progress, while the seniors don't look too engrossed by hard work," he said in a release.
Susanto took a number of big scalps in 2001 national champion Irwanto, Dede Liu and MI Salor Sitanggang en route to his victory. Only two of the top players could hold him to draws.
One of them was FIDE Master (FM) Kasmiran, who eventually finished in third place, with seven points. He tied with Edhi Handoko but displaced the latter to fourth on Progressive Scores.
Barus ended up in second, half a point behind the champion.
"No, it does not mean they are losing their prowess, but it is Susanto who is making speedy progress," Utut, who has dominated national chess for more than a decade, said about the generally mediocre performance of the senior players.
Susanto brought home Rp 5 million (US$ 500) in cash prizes from the total Rp 42.75 million on offer. Cerdas pocketed Rp 4 million, Kasmiran Rp 3 million and Edhi Rp 2 million.
Utut, a gold medalist at the 2000 Chess Olympiad, said that Susanto, currently training seven hours to eight hours every day, was playing to only 60 percent of the former's level.
"If he could reach 90 percent at his age then he is certainly heading for a successful chess career," he said.