The chess team of Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) successfully became champion in the 2023 Gadjah Mada Championship. They were dominating against other teams from various universities across Indonesia.
Surya Wahyu, Mustofa Iqbal, Ahmad Riziq, and Ephesians Prismarantha are included as one team and they won the team category. The national championship was divided into two categories, namely open which is participated by the public, and team category which is followed by students.
As a member of the Chess team, Mustofa Iqbal felt really happy that he and the other Udinus students were able to win first place, dominating against teams from other universities. He stated that group matches need strong trust toward each of the team members. According to Iqbal, the teams competing in the 2023 Gadjah Mada Championship have the quality far above the average.
"We are very happy for winning the first place in a national competition, making Udinus proud. This achievement also became a stepping stone for me to compete again in the international arena in the future," said Mustofa Iqbal.
Responding to the recent achievement, the Head of Udinus Chess UKM, Anggraini Retno Hapsari, extended her pride toward the four student-athletes. According to her, participating in matches at national events is a mandatory agenda for Udinus athletes. Aside from adding experience, students who earn achievements will be granted educational scholarships at Udinus.
"In addition to regular training, events like this are also a place for athletes to hone their skills in live matches. Students who also have an interest in chess should not hesitate to join us," he said.
As additional information, this event was last held 4 years ago. Presently, the theme for this year's event is 'Resurrection of the Mind Game: Chess Piece Revival', which was also the theme of the event held four years ago. The event, which took place on December 23-24, 2023, was held at Pancasila Sports Center, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). Notably, this isn’t the first time Udinus won first place in chess sport. Udinus also won first place in the 'Pemalang Open Cup Team Chess Tournament'. (Humas Udinus/Alex. Photo: Dok. UKM Catur Udinus)
