Utut still tops Rapid Chess meet

Utut still tops Rapid Chess meet

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Grand Master (GM) Utut Adianto still
topped the standings with 3.5 Match Point (MP) after six matches
in the Rapid Chess Tournament at Liepaja Art Center in Liepaja
city, 210 kilometers from Riga, the capital of Latvia.

Utut shared the top position with host player GM Edvins Kengis
and GM Maxin Dlugy of the United States. In the remaining three
matches on Saturday, Utut said in a press release that he would
challenge Kengis, Dlugy and GM Aloys Kveinys of Lithuania.

Kveinys has collected 3 MP along with GM Alexander Khalifman
(Russia), GM Jaan Ehlvest (Estonia), GM Darmen Sadvakasov
(Kazakhstan) and GM Gabriel Malisauskas (Lithuania). Another host
player GM Nordmund Miezis has 2.5 MP while GM Anastas Zapolskis
(Lithuania) finished bottom with 2 MP.

In the 34th Chess Olympic Games national selection tournament
here, top seeded GM Ruben Gunawan had to fight hard before he
asked FIDE Master (FM) Irwanto of South Sumatra to tie in the
36th move by Queen Hindia defense.

Another seeded, International Master (IM) Danny Juswanto beat
FM Syarif Mahmud in the 41st move using Catalan opening. Third
seeded GM Edhi Handoko also claimed victory over IM Dede Liu in
the 58th move by Petroff defense.

But fourth seeded, veteran GM Ardiansyah has to compete in
another play-off on Sunday after he lost to FM Hamdani Rudin of
West Java in the 27th move by Queen Gambit opening which was
accepted by the competitors.(ivy)