Utut inches closer to Pavlovic

JAKARTA (JP): For Indonesia's top chess player, Grand Master Utut Adianto, attacking is one of the best defenses.

This approach claimed another casualty in the seventh round of the Biel Masters tournament in Switzerland Monday as Utut beat Alexander Cherniaev of Russia in a tense four-hour-and-two-minute game that stretched to 40 moves.

The victory, Utut's fifth in the competition, leaves the Indonesian trailing pacesetter Milos Pavlovic of Yugoslavia but by a smaller margin than before. With four games remaining, Pavlovic leads with 6 points after drawing with Gabor Kallai on Monday. Utut is in second place, by himself, on 5.5.

A further half-point behind in joint third are Kallai, Vadim Milov and Zurab Sturua. The last two players were also winners Monday, beating Abhijit Kunte and Dejan Pikula respectively.

Cherniaev played the advantageous white pieces, but it was Utut who took the initiative.

Opting for a Modern defense in response to Cherniaev's e4 opening, Utut began to dictate the match after the 13th move.

"I sacrificed a pawn to tempt him (Cherniaev) to attack," Utut said of the decisive move in his faxed release made available to The Jakarta Post. "Instead, he preferred a defensive play," he added.

With Utut maintaining his persistent pressure, Cherniaev blundered on the 25th move and after that there was no way back.

Other results Monday were GM Heedt-GM Lajos Portisch 0.5-0.5, IM Dejan Antic-GM Barbero 0.5-0.5, IM Alexander Mikhailevsky-IM Devaki Prasad 0.5-0.5, GM Vladimir Tukmakov-GM Barthel 1-0, GM Florin Gheorghiu-GM Ciric 0.5-0.5. (lnt)