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Elderly chess players show their enduring love of the game
For commited veteran chess players, old age or physical limitations are rarely obstacles to playing in tournaments.
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Playing on: Veteran chess players compete at the 12th JAPFA Chess Festival in Jakarta on Sept. 13, 2022. (JP/Radhiyya Indra)
T
he five-day JAPFA Chess Festival at Gedung Serbaguna Senayan in Jakarta, which concluded on Wednesday, saw crowds of players, match inspectors and onlookers alike.
From students to families, the tournament was filled with novice and professional players battling for the titles they sought or held dearly. And like in many chess tournaments, older players enlivened the scene in the “veterans” category, some bringing their mobility aids along with them.
“My body might be weak, but don’t doubt my brain and eyes,” said 82-year-old Fabianus Lumentut of North Sulawesi on Wednesday.
Fabianus, who proudly declared that he was born in 1940, was competing in the veteran category and was brimming with cheerful energy.
“I can walk well, it just so happens that I hurt my leg today,” he said, referring to the fact that he was in a wheelchair.
Fabianus, who began playing in the ninth grade, said he had won a number of tournaments back in the day. But these days, his objective was a bit different.
“Seeing all these 10-year-olds here makes me want to impart my knowledge to them,” he said. “I’m not here for the prize money. I just want to share everything with the younger generation so that Indonesia can have more quality players.”
