CHAPTER 63: THE NEXT TOURNAMENT - JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL

Jakarta International Chess Festival.

Ideally, this was the annual tournament set by the local federation to provide a high-rated tournament for Indonesian players, giving them the chance to fight for the title norm in their home ground. Unfortunately, after the first time it was established in 2019, the tournament was forced to be postponed for the last two years due to COVID-19. That was why any new members didn’t have any memory of this event.

However, the same couldn’t be said for the older members. For most of them, this tournament was the starting line of their chess career in the past. Playing this tournament allowed them all to get the official rating from FIDE, letting them step up from a bunch of amateurs into the professional field. So, to hear that the tournament that held a big importance inside their heart would be held again, it was understandable that they were excited over the news.

"Damn! I have been waiting for this!"

"Man, I am nervous! I haven’t been playing in a formal tournament for three years!"

"Damn, I have to prepare myself!"

"I wonder who would be the next rising star in this tournament..."

"Well, we have Anna, Claudia, and Sheva here. Those three are going to wreak havoc in the tournament!"

"Hell, yeah! Hahaha!"

For a moment, Sheva felt loss as everyone talked about their past experience. However, this time, he finally understood where the excitement earliercame from. It was a rare occasion for Indonesia to hold a strongly rated tournament like this, so it was a rare chance to grind rating without having to spend so much money travelling abroad. This was a win-win solution for the local player, just like what he saw for the Vietnamese low-rated players during his time in Hanoi.

"So, will the format be the same?" Johan, one of the oldest members here, asked calmly. He was probably the only one who managed to keep his composure amidst the excitement around him. "I mean, will it still be the same, an open tournament with 40 rated players fighting against each other for 9 rounds? Also, how is the composition of the tournament? How many GMs, IMs, and FMs would play in this tournament?"

That... It was a valid question. Even Irfan sent his gratitude smile toward the old man for driving the conversation back to the tournament. It was always good to have someone who could think clearly amidst the jitters around him.

"First of all, unlike three years ago, when the tournament only had one section, this time, we will follow the format that the Hanoi and Bangkok tournaments have already set. Three sections, with the two highest being the GM & IM ones to ensure that all the players would have a better chance to get their title norms, and the U2250 one for those below to grind their rating first." Irfan explained.

After the excitement before, everyone was back to focusing on Irfan’s explanation again. This time, most of them nodded their head in understanding, while a few just whispered at each other about it. Most low-rated players there were relieved when they listened to this information, knowing that their chance to meet top players would be quite low. That meant as long as they strategized properly, they wouldn’t lose too many ratings in this tournament, which was something to be celebrated too.

After all, even if they were excited to play against the top-seeded players, their experience basically told them that they were just cannon fodder for those top-seeded players, and the chance of them creating an upset by winning or drawing the game was basically close to none. Their relieved feeling of getting away from those top players was a bit cowardly, indeed. But it was better than having to be the punching bag for those top-rated players.

Of course, some people were dissatisfied with this format, believing that the chance to play against top-rated or titled players was too rare to be passed on. Those were Sheva and Claudia, two ambitious players who were hungry for more after their achievement in Hanoi.

’Tch! As expected, I still have to improve my rating as quickly as possible.’ Sheva clicked his tongue in annoyance. His thoughts about being humbler and keeping his foot on the ground earlier also disappeared, and now the boy was back, staring at the sky again. ’Let’s just hope that there will also be someone good enough in the lowest category. If the opponent’s level is the same as in Hanoi, this will be another massacre.’

He glanced sideways unconsciously, and somehow, his eyes met Claudia, who also held the same dissatisfaction. They stared at each other for a moment before giving a short nod. They didn’t need to communicate verbally here. Those two realized that if they wanted to have better opponents, they only needed to do one thing: just beat everyone in front of them and raise their ELO rating as high as possible.

"As for the players’ composition..." Irfan suddenly spoke again, silencing the crowd immediately. "This should be confidential information, but since the arbiter himself is a friend of mine, I could give you a hint." He smiled mischievously, letting the crowd get restless over this information. "Although it hasn’t been confirmed yet, in the GM section, three Grandmasters from the other country will be playing there, with one being from India, another from Azerbaijan, and the last one coming from Ukraine."

"Ooh...."

Everyone was in awe when they heard that. After all, the first tournament three years ago only had two Grandmasters, and all were coming from Indonesia itself. The other foreign players didn’t have that high a rating, with the best being an IM at that time. Having three foreign Grandmasters and probably more with the lower title to come here showed that the tournament gained a pretty good reputation outside, which was good for the development of chess in this country.

"Also!" Irfan added once again, stopping the chatters instantly. The mischievous smile on his face didn’t disappear. If anything, it spread wider, making Sheva think that whatever news he was about to deliver would be big. True enough, in the next second, the IM finally dropped the bomb here. "Even though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, Master Susanto and Master Priasmoro will also participate in the GM section, and lastly, one thing I can confirm, Anna and I will also be in the GM section, trying to get the norm for our next title. So, please, give us your best support, okay?"