Utut meets Fridman in Fide championships

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Grand Master (GM) Utut Adianto starts the World Cup Fide chess championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 29 to Aug. 30, meeting International Master (IM) Daniel Fridman of Latvia.

Although Fridman is an IM, his elo rating is equal to a GM of 2529. Utut's rating is higher than Fridman's by 86 points or 2615.

Utut said he was confident he could beat Fridman.

"On paper, I can beat Fridman. GM Wang Zili of China is considered a tough player for me and GM Nigel Short of England is my biggest rival. I have never won over Short," Utut said.

Fridman competed in the 1.7 zone championships which was participated by three former Soviet Union states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In the championships, Fridman won second place behind GM Jaan Elhvest. Elhvest was a member of the world team which played against Indonesia in a tournament on Bali in April.

The World Cup Fide championship will use the knock down system where losers are ousted from the championships. Cash prizes totaling US$3 million (Rp 21 billion) will be awarded to the winners. Players who lose in the first round will receive $6,000 each while those who enter the second round will get $12,000 each.

If Utut wins over Fridman, Utut plays Short. In the 1997 world championships at Groningen, the Netherlands, Short lost to GM Michael Adams in the semifinals. Short is included among the seeded players at the World Cup Fide championships.

Prior to the championships, Utut will leave for Bali on Wednesday for a 10-day training at Bedugul. (lnt)