Utut scores first win at MK Cafe Cup
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)