Chess in Jakarta, Indonesia

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia, which is spread over more than 17,500 islands and is known for its many beaches and volcanoes, is located on the island of Java, the capital Jakarta, a densely populated place with more than 10 million inhabitants.

Old town Jakarta

Two chess puzzles were set up in the Old Town of Jakarta for spectators.

In both puzzles, it is White to move and Mate in 3 - can you find the solutions?

In the centre of Jakarta, also called Central Jakarta, the 137-metre-high national monument of Jakarta, the so-called “Monumen Nasional”, stands out.
At 115 meters there is also an observation deck from which you can enjoy a wide view of the city.

The most popular players of Indonesia

One of the country's strongest chess players is 36-year-old GM Susanto Megaranto (2518 Elo), who participated in eight Chess Olympiads for Indonesia from 2002 to 2014 and 2022. Shortly behind him, 25-year-old GM Novendra Priasmoro follows in his footsteps. He also took part in the 2022 Chess Olympiad, but neither of them will compete for their country at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest this year.

Lichess users may also be familiar with one of the strongest players of the country, Lichess streamer and commentator IM Irene Sukandar.

Chess in Central Jakarta

There are hardly any opportunities to play chess in Central Jakarta itself. A little further out you can find the so-called “Checkarta Chess Club & Cafe”.
It is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (!) and you can play blitz chess there and there are regular tournaments.

Online Chess Training in Indonesia

Since the Corona pandemic in 2020, there have been increasing numbers of online chess offerings in Indonesia. Chess training takes place mainly online, as it can take a long time to get from A to B within Jakarta due to heavy traffic.

Indonesian Chess trainer "Herich"

A well-known online trainer in Jakarta is Heriadi Ichwan, nicknamed “Herich” (on the right in the title picture), who speaks fluent English. In general, it can be said that most residents are familiar with English. Herich offers regular training sessions, has developed his own teaching methods and has also tutored some strong players, such as his recent student Reynard Kristopher, who has now achieved the FM title.

Anyone currently looking for an English speaking trainer with a lot of experience may contact Herich directly via: WhatsApp (+62 822 42116527) or Facebook.

Note that this article was first published originally in German in the September 2024 issue of the German chess magazine Rochade Europa, some additional information was added to this blog post.