Utut in second place after draw

JAKARTA (JP): A premature draw was apparently the best a tired Utut Adianto could come up with at the Cakti Chess Invitational Tournament's tenth round in Madras, India, late Wednesday night.

The stalemate upped the Indonesian number one grandmaster's cumulative points to 7.5 and pushed him into second place to his British rival Anthony Miles. Miles stood at 8 points to top the standing after beating another Indian player, Koshy.

It was Utut's second draw in a row. In the tournament's ninth round a day earlier he made a blunder and could only draw his game with an Indian player considered a "minnow", Sudhakar Babu. This defeat made him lose sleep, he said.

"I am not fit today. I was so devastated that I could only get to sleep at 4 a.m," Utut wrote in a fax yesterday.

Meeting Prasad, Utut had the full advantage of playing white and forcing Prasad to accept his favorite Queen Gambit opening. But alas, the 31-year-old Indonesian found himself all thumbs after the night's ruminations. Prasad's offer to draw at the 13th move was both unexpected and suspiciously benevolent. It was not clear why Prasad, obviously advantaged by playing the drowsy Indonesian, opted to settle for a draw instead of pressing his apparent advantage and pursuing victory.

On the tournament's last day Utut will play black against Bangladeshi Lovlu. Miles, on the other hand, will lock horns with another Bangladeshi, Murshed.

If Utut wins, he will have his present elo rating of 2,610 increased to 2,615. If he draws again, his elo rating will stay the same. A loss will cost him five points. (arf)

Results: Utut (Ina) 1/2 Prasad (Ind) 1/2 Miles (Gbr) 1 Koshy (Ind) 0 Babu (Ind) 1/2 Ramesh (Bld) 1/2 Tilak (Ind) 1 Konguvel (Ind) 0 Murshed (Bld) 1 Thipsay (Ind) 0 Barua (Ind) 1 Lovlu (Bld) 0

Standing: 1. Miles 8 2. Utut 7 1/2 3. Prasad 7 4. Barua 6 1/2

Murshed 6 1/2 6. Babu 5 1/2 7. Thipsay 4 1/2 8. Ramesh 4

Tilak 4 10. Konguvel 2 1/2

Lovlu 2 1/2 12. Koshy 2