Irene closes on men’s chess title, RI team rank plunges
Agnes Winarti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 10/05/2010 1:18 PM
Indonesian Woman Grandmaster Irene Kharisma Sukandar edged closer on Sunday to her goal to win a men’s International Master title, as the 18-year-old university student collected significant points to add to her current 2372 rating at the 39th World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
Irene collected the points after 11 rounds at the event, which ended Sunday. Her latest rating was not immediately available.
A chess player must collect a 2400 rating to earn an International Master title.
The Indonesian team stumbled behind Irene’s strong showing. The men’s team plunged to 67th from 52nd place at the last Olympiad two years ago in Dresden, Germany, and the women’s team declined to 43rd from a previous 42nd.
In general standings, China topped Asian teams with a fifth-place showing, followed by India in 18th, Kazakhstan in 27th, Iran in 29th, the Philippines in 50th, Vietnam in 52nd, Singapore in 58th and Pakistan in 62nd.
In the women’s standings, China also dominated in second place, followed by India in 17th, Vietnam in 18th, Iran in 19th, Kazakhstan in 29th and Uzbekistan in 30th.
The Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) praised the stable performances of the country’s two ace Woman Grandmasters, Irene Kharisma Sukandar and Susanto Megaranto and their strengths in advance of the Asian Games.
“Irene and Susanto’s stable performance throughout the 11 rounds indicates that they are getting
closer to their top form for the Asiad,” PERCASI spokesman Kristianus Liem said in a press release on Monday.
GrandMaster Susanto played steadily without a loss throughout the Sept. 21-Oct. 3 event.
Susanto recorded five victories and six draws in his matches against seven Grandmasters, including Emil Sutovsky of Israel, Alexander Beliavsky of Slovakia, Oscar de la Riva Aguado of Andorra, Nikola Djukic of Montenegro, Yehuda Gruenfeld of Israel, Normunds Miezis of Latvia and Manuel Leon Hoyos of Mexico.
Susanto stalemated with Grandmasters Super Sutovsky and Beliavsky, in the second and third rounds respectively.
Irene won seven games, stalemated twice and lost twice.
Ukraine snatched the Olympiad’s gold medal, trailed by Russia, and Israel. In 2008, Armenia won the gold, Israel snatched the silver and the US took home the bronze.
