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)