Utut warms up before JAPFA Classic Int'l

JAKARTA (JP): Grand Master (GM) Utut Adianto is challenging employees from food manufacturer, JAPFA Comfeed Indonesia Tbk., in a series of tournaments prior to the JAPFA Classic International Chess Tournament 2000 in Sanur, Bali from April 22 to May 2.

Utut was undefeated in the tournament series that took place in Jakarta, Cirebon (West Java) and Semarang on March 10, 14 and 21 respectively. He won 96 matches and tied four matches.

The next series will be staged in Sidoarjo (East Java) on Thursday, Lampung on March 27 and Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan) on March 31, according to JAPFA's spokeswoman Artsanti Alif in a press release Wednesday.

"We hope there is a JAPFA employee who can beat Utut in the 300 chess boards played in the tournament series," Artsanti said.

The US$56,500 JAPFA Classic tournament will be attended by world chess players who have the elo rating over 2600, including GM Anatoly Karpov (Russia, 2656), GM Alexander Khalifman (Russia, 2656), GM Judith Polgar (Hungary, 2658) and Jan Tinman (the Netherlands, 2655).

Utut, who has an elo rating of 2584, will represent Indonesia in the tournament, along with Ruben Gunawan (2510). (ivy)