Utut leads team to Asian intercity tour

JAKARTA (JP): Grandmaster Utut Adianto will gear up for his European tour in the Asian chess intercity tournament in Dubai from June 18 to June 30.

During the biennial chess meet, Utut, one of the country's best players, will bear the banner of Bandung instead of Jakarta, the team he led to two straight victories in 1992 and 1994.

Bandung has emerged as one of favorites to win the Dubai Cup trophy, thanks to the inclusion of Indonesia's number two grandmaster Eddy Handoko and international master Salor Sitanggang. Little-known Awam Dahono and Hamdani complete the Bandung lineup.

Defending champion Jakarta, now bidding for a hat trick, fields a seasoned combination of grandmaster Ardiansyah, international master Ruben Gunawan, Dennis Kiswanto and Cerdas Barus, the country's most noted chess wizards.

"Jakarta faces a tough challenge to defend its title this time, but it has a chance after all," secretary-general of the Indonesian Chess Association, Djamil Djamal, said yesterday.

He indicated that the association's hopes of the country maintaining the five-kilogram gold trophy now rests on the shoulders of the Utut-led Bandung team. "Bandung looks to have a better composition than Jakarta, I think," he said.

Utut cannot play for Jakarta due to his move to West Java last year.

"It's going to be a tough competition for me because I'm not playing with such a solid team, like the Jakarta one two years ago," Utut said.

The 31-year-old player, who finished second in the Chakti invitational chess tournament in Madras, India, late in April, is scheduled to start his European outing in the Donner Memorial tournament in Amsterdam, Holland, between Aug. 17 and Aug. 29.

Organizers of the tournament, billed as one of the world's most prestigious competitions, have invited world professional champion Garry Kasparov. The tourney pares down participants to those with a minimum elo rating of 2,600.

Utut climbed to an elo rating of 2,615 after collecting 8.5 points in Madras.

Shortly after the Amsterdam trip, Utut will take part in the Biel Masters invitational tournament in Belgium. (amd)