Thu, 06 Aug 1998

Utut scores first win at MK Cafe Cup

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Utut Adianto made amends for a first- round defeat with a win over Vil Syrtlanov of Russia in the second round of the MK Cafe Cup chess tournament in Koszalin, Poland, on Tuesday.

It took Utut 35 moves lasting three hours and 35 minutes to force Syrtlanov to resign in a match clearly under full control of the Indonesian.

Playing white, Utut made a decisive tactical change midway in the game. It paid dividends as Syrtlanov lost his queen in the 22nd move and, consequently, his self-confidence.

"I decided to switch to the Fianseto system for tactical reasons after he tried to develop a complicated game in the 15th move," said Utut, who on Monday crashed to Natalia Zukhova of Ukraine, one of seven Grand Master Women competing in the event.

Utut entered the tournament after finishing second in the Biel Masters in Switzerland, where he improved his elo rating of 2,610 by five.

Other results on Tuesday included: GM Curt Hansen-GM Michal Krasenkow 0.5-0.5, GM Valery Neverov-GM Zbynek Hracek 0-1, GM Robert Kempinsky-Zukhova 1-0, GM Romuald Mainkan-GM Emil Sutovsky 0.5-0.5, GM Nebojsa Nikcevic-GM Andrei Kharitonov 0.5-0.5, International Master Orest Gritsak-GM Eduardus Rozentalis 0.5- 0.5.

Ninety-two chess players from 23 countries are competing in the tournament in pursuit of the US$5,000 winner's purse. The competition is restricted to players with a minimum elo rating of 2,300.

Spokesman for the Indonesian Chess Association Kristianus Lim said Poland was one of only a few countries which regularly held tournaments open to both sexes.

Kristianus said Indonesia sent three female players to the MK Cafe Cup in 1996; International Master (IM) Maria Lucia, IM Upi Damayanti Tamin and IM Lisa Lumongkong. The trio performed poorly.

"We cannot send any of them now because we lack money," Kristianus said.

After the MK Cafe Cup, Utut hopes to play in the Olympics of Chess in Helista, the capital of Kalmikya, a small state in Russia, this September.

"Since the Olympics is for a team, we have to wait for the world chess body's decision about whether we qualify for the event. If we are picked, Utut will certainly be included in the team," Kristianus said.

The Olympics is limited to countries which show progress in the sport. Selected countries can pick their own four players and two reserves. (lnt)