WGM Stevanova to play in Wismilak tournament

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

European women's chess champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria has confirmed her entry to the Wismilak International Masters Chess Tournament in the East Java capital of Surabaya next month.

Women's Grand Master (WGM) Stevanova, who won the third European Chess Championship in Varna, Bulgaria, two weeks ago, will be the only woman in the 12-strong field, four being reserved for foreigners.

GM Zaw Win Lay and International Master (IM) Oo Kyaw Nay, both from Myanmar, are the other two foreigners in the tournament, while the fourth will be decided later.

"We have yet to select the fourth foreign player. But he is most likely to be from Singapore," Eka Putra Wirya of the organizing committee told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

IM Cerdas Barus and FIDE Master (FM) Hamdani Rudin, Hamzah Haz Cup finalists early this month, will be among the eight home players.

The tournament, which offers US$10,000 in total prize money, will be played under the Swiss system over 11 rounds from July 22 through July 29.

Stevanova, who is also an International Master in the men's field with an elo-rating of 2473, will be only the second world- class female chess star ever to arrive in Indonesia this year after WGM Alexandra Kosteniuk.

Kosteniuk, the world's number two from Russia, was in Jakarta last March for her competition against three Indonesian junior stars, a match that drew much attraction from national chess quarters.

"Her (Stefanova's) skills must be an attraction in the tournament," Eka said.

The Wismilak National Invitational will coincide with rapid and conventional chess games, featuring 32 national players.