JAPFA Ramadan Cup 2023 World Championship Warming Event Catur

The handover of the JAPFA Ramadan Cup 2023 fast chess championship prize at Wisma Kemenpora, Senayan, Jakarta, Sunday (9/4/2023). (Between/Muhammad Ramdan)

JAKARTA - General Chairperson of the Indonesian Chess Association (PB Percasi) GM Utut Adianto said the JAPFA Ramadan Cup 2023 fast chess tournament was a warm-up for participants to qualify for the 2023 Asian Zone World Championships.

GM UtutAdianto revealed the qualifying event titled Asia Zone 3.3 Chess Championship 2023 at the Century Hotel, Jakarta, on May 5-13.

"PB Percasi has a big agenda that will be the preliminary towards the 3.3 Zone World Championship. Speakers from 17 countries from ASEAN to Mongolia will compete. Winners of the men's wedding-up, as well as women's champions will be entitled to participate in the World Championships," said Utut at the close of the JAPFA Ramadan Cup 2023 at Wisma Kemenpora, Senayan, Jakarta, Sunday as reported by Antara.

Indonesia, continued GM Utut, will field the best athletes who are members of the 2021 SEA Games squad which will run in Vietnam, last year, the last national champion, plus two players who are considered capable of competing in the event.

"The competition will be tough because there will be world-class chess players such as from Vietnam, Mongolia, the Philippines. So if we get one in three tickets to the World Championships it will be very good," GM Utut added.

In preparation for the event, PB Percasi also held the JAPFA Ramadan Cup 2023 which was indeed the annual agenda. More than 300 participants from 21 provinces participated in competing in the event which lasted for two days, namely Saturday-Sunday (8-9/4).

"Ramadan Cup 2023 is the 10th edition. We remain consistent in holding more tournaments so that more are producing tough chess seeds in the country," said GM Utut.

In Ramadan Cup 2023, the winner for the open category was IM Yoseph Theolifus Taher who packed eight points. He defeated FM Arief Abdul Hafiz who also pocketed eight points. Yoseph won the solkoff.

Meanwhile, Godwin Liem Bms, Sugeng Prasetyo, and Ephisien Bts 207 are below them by both packing 7.5 points.

For the U-16 category, the winner is Agha Faiz Ramdhani who packs 7.5 points. He beat NM Claudio Lasama who also collected the same number of points.

Then for the U-14 category it belongs to Fatih Winartha with 7.5 points, defeating Imanuel Martogi and Gervasius Ludwig Setiawan who also won the same points.

On this occasion, Deputy IV for Sports Achievement Improvement at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Surono, appreciated the implementation of the JAPFA Ramadan Cup 2023.

"This event is extraordinary. In the month of Ramadan, PB Percasi continues to hold competitions that are attended by hundreds of athletes. It is an extraordinary contribution to prepare junior athletes, age groups, and seniors. Hopefully more Indonesian mainstay athletes will go to the world stage," said Surono, who closed the event.