GM tournament top 3 (L to R): 1st GM Eltaj Safarli (AZE) 8.5/11, 2nd IM Yoseph Theolifus Taher (INA) 7.5/11 and 3rd IM Sugar Gan-Erdene (MGL) 7/11. Story and photos by Peter Long

IM Yoseph Theolifus Taher (INA) scored his maiden GM-norm at Indonesia GM tournament 2025. He scored an unbeaten 7.5/11 to secure his norm. GM Eltaj Safarli (AZE) won the event scoring 8.5/11. IM Sugar Gan-Erdene (MGL) finished third 7/11. GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy (UKR) clinched the IM tournament scoring 9/11. FM Satria Duta Cahaya (INA) scored 8.5/11 to finish second. He also earned his final IM-norm and crossed 2400 in the live ratings to become the latest International Master of India. IM Nayaka Budhidharma (INA) was placed third scoring 7.5/11. The top three prizes in the GM event was – US$ 4500, 2700 and 1700, for IM event they were – US$ 2500, 1800 and 1200 along with a trophy each.

The Indonesia Grandmaster Tournament 2025 was held at the brand new Mewangi Hotel in Bandung, Indonesia from 15th to 25th February 2025.

As has long been the norm in Indonesia, when organized by the All Indonesia Chess Federation (PERCASI) under the leadership of GM Utut Adianto, these were played as two 12 player, 11 round robins, a GM tournament and an IM tournament.

Eka Putra Wirja, PERCASI board member, in his time also a strong player and long time Indonesian Chess Patron, officiated the closing ceremony, where he congratulated the winners, thanked all for their participation, and acknowledged the hard work of the many officials involved to make the event a success.

He also announced PERCASI’s plans to hold such events quarterly in 2025, with the Mewangi Hotel located in the Indonesia Summer City of Bandung to again be the venue and thanked GM Utut Adianto for making the hotel available, hospitality being an Indonesian tradition and being their biggest cost when organizing international chess tournaments.

To ensure that such events would continue to get support from PERCASI and sponsors, he also exhorted the Indonesian players to show more ambition and to be more committed to achieving excellence.

IM tournament top 3 (L to R): 1st GM Vitaliy Bernadskiy (UKR) 9/11, 2nd FM Satria Duta Cahaya (INA) 8.5/11 and 3rd IM Nayaka Budhidharma (INA) 7.5/11

IM Yoseph Theolifus Taher (INA) earned his maiden GM-norm 

IM Yoseph Theolifus Taher had started well with 2/2 but then was bogged down by four successive draws, but when all hopes for his inaugural GM-norm looked lost in a difficult run in, he put together a series of fine results in the last five rounds.

After beating IM Gilbert Elroy Tarigan, once considered to be Indonesia’s best new GM hope, he drew with fellow GM title candidate IM Sugar Gan-Erdene from Mongolia, beating the veteran still No. 1 ranked Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto who is having a horror tournament and then comfortably holding Indian GM Sethuraman S.P. and Australian GM Temur Koybokarov to reach the magical 7.5/11 score he needed and with that second place.

IM Sugar Gan-Erdene (MGL)

After beating IM Gilbert Elroy Tarigan, once considered to be Indonesia’s best new GM hope, he drew with fellow GM title candidate IM Sugar Gan-Erdene from Mongolia, beating the veteran still No. 1 ranked Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto who is having a horror tournament and then comfortably holding Indian GM Sethuraman S.P. and Australian GM Temur Kuybokarov to reach the magical 7.5/11 score he needed and with that second place.

Mongolian IM Gan-Erdene is 22-years-old, and has long been considered one of his country’s most talented players.

While also remaining unbeaten scalped four GMs in this tournament, GM Etaj Sarfali, GM Temur Koybokarov, and GM Susanto Megaranto, arguably ruining the tournament early for two of the GM favourites.

Unfortunately, he could not convert his final game against GM Daniel Quizon and had to be content with third place and a 20 point rating increase.

GM Etaj Sarfali from Azerbaijan had written to the organizers for an invitation and the top seed did not disappoint despite a slow start including a loss in the second round to IM Sugar Gan-Erdene, scoring 8.5/11 to take sole first place.