Utut foresees bright chess future for Susanto
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.