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Sethuraman set to battle at Indonesia GM Round Robin in Bandung this February

by Peter Long - 05/02/2025

Two round-robin GM and IM tournaments are set to start in ten days from 15th February at Indonesian resort city of Bandung. Well accomplished GM Sethuraman S P will be the sole Indian in the strong field. GM Eltaj Safarli (AZE), GM Temur Kuybokarov (AUS), GM Susanto Megaranto (INA), GM Daniel Quizon (PHI), and GM Novendra Priasmoro (INA) will be five more Grandmasters in the event featuring twelve players. The tournaments are annually held by PERCASI to provide title norm opportunities for their players. Check out the preview of the tournaments written by FM FT IA Peter Long, International Media Officer for both GM and IM tournaments. Photo: IA NI Vivek Sohani

Indonesian GM and IM Tournaments, Bandung, 15th to 25th February 2025

The line-ups have been finalized for two round-robin tournaments to be held from 15-25 February 2025 in the Indonesian summer resort city of Bandung, two hours by car and one hour by bullet train from Jakarta.

GM Sethuraman S P will be the sole Indian in the field | Photo: IA NI Vivek Sohani

Organized and backed by the All Indonesia Chess Federation (PERCASI), the GM and IM tournaments have yet to confirm a title sponsor, but with agreement of its President, GM Utut Adianto to underwrite its expense, even providing the brand new Hotel Mewangi, Jl Karang Tineung No. 11 Sukajadi, Bandung as the tournament venue, and so there is no doubt that once again we will see the legendary Indonesian hospitality on full display!

 

These tournaments are annually held by PERCASI to provide title norm opportunities for their players, with a secondary objective being to prioritize invitations to ASEAN member countries and with Adianto currently serving as the 3.3. Zone President, also from those countries, so as to allow support their best talent.

GMs Eltaj Safarli from Azerbaijan, Sethuraman S P who is India’s interest in this event, last year’s top seed Temur Kuybokarov representing Australia is joined by new Philippine star Daniel Quizon make up the foreign title holders needed for the tournament to have GM-norms.

 

While the Indonesian contingent is led by long time No. 1 GM Susanto Megaranto, all eyes will be on IM Aditya Bagus Arfan, who has two GM-norms, the last coming from winning this GM tournament last year, and talented IMs Azarya Jodi Setyaki and Gilbert Elroy Tarigan, both with one GM-norm.

 

We also have two foreign Zone 3.3. IMs Sugar Gan-Erdene from Mongolia and Lee Junhyeok from Korea who will also be hoping to make a GM-norm.

In the IM tournament, last year’s Bangkok Open Champion GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy from Ukraine headlines the event and provided valuable rating points to make IM norms a real possibility while old friends, IMs Jan Emmanuel Garcia from the Philippines and Wynn Saw Htun from Myanmar, together with several Indonesian IMs help make up the tournament title norm requirements.

 

Local eyes will be on FM Satria Duta Cahaya who has two IM-norms and WIM Ummi Fisabilillah who has two WGM-norms as has the young talented Laysa Latifah but who needs one from an Open tournament top complete the title requirements.

 

PERCASI has always made a point of supporting women players and so WGMs Janelle Mae Frayna from the Philippines and Nguyen Thi Mai Hung from Vietnam have also been invited.

IM Aditya Bagus Arfan, Winner of Pertamina Indonesia GM 2025, two GM-norms | Photo: Kristianus Liem

WIM Laysa Latifah, two WGM-norms | Photo: Kristianus Liem

By Peter Long, Indonesia GM and IM tournaments International Media Officer with photos by Kristianus Liem, PERCASI Board Member and Head of Media and Public Relations.

Links

PERCASI: Official site and fb page

About the Author

One Night in Bangkok! Peter Long, FM, IA and FT, no longer Secretary of the FIDE Trainers’ Commission


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