IndonesiaBase

Singaporean Zhāng Zhōng won the GM-A section without much difficulties. He notched 6 wins without losing any. Tirto, who was also unbeatable, came second and scored his first GM norm. Indonesian highest rated player Megaranto lost his hope for first place after losing to his fellow country man Tirta Chandra Purnama.

The pre-tournament favourites, teams from ex Soviet Union countries, were unstoppable to win the event. Donetsk became the winner, followed by Moscow and Tashkent. Those three teams, especially Donetsk and Moscow, fielded world class players who were capable to race for glory in any team championship anywhere in the world.

The newly wed Judit Polgar wrapped up the tournament neatly to give herself a memorable present and another pinnacle in her career. The event produced one strange game when Ruben Gunawan agreed to draw in much better position against Utut Adianto. The Japfa Classic is the highest rated tournament in Indonesia to date.

This is a rather unique event with two engines amongst 16 participants, Fritz 6 by the duo programmer Frans Mörsch and Mathias Feist, and Rebel by Ed Schröder. Nathanael Situru won the event. Situru started with a loss to Fritz 6 but he recovered immediately winning all the rest of the games.

Borislav (Bora) Kostić was a strong chess master from Yugoslavia (now Serbia). During 1923–6, Kostić had been traveling from Siberia to Australia. Indonesia was no exception. A game from one of his simultaneous exhibitions is presented here. The game is between him and HCD de Böck.

Ardiansyah is one of the best Indonesian chess players ever. He possesses world class tactical skill and amazing fantasies but lacking of understandings of the details of many modern and not-so-modern openings, occasional-anti-positional approaches, and above all erratic forms prevent him to break 2500 rating barrier.

Computers are becoming too strong, and too cruel, for their human counterpart. Even a player with Utut Adianto caliber couldn’t manage to register a point. The best Indonesian player was Taufik Halay with 1.0. Susanto Megaranto followed with half points. The computers whitewashed Tirta Chandra Purnama and Utut Adianto.