Indonesian Chess Prodigy Adrian Sheva Shakes Up Biel Festival with Historic Victory and Title Aspirations.

In a stunning upset at the Biel International Chess Festival, Indonesian chess prodigy Adrian Sheva made headlines worldwide by defeating Kirill Alekseenko, a formidable 2700-rated grandmaster and the tournament's second seed. The game, which lasted for 56 intense moves over nearly four hours, showcased Sheva's exceptional skill and composure under pressure. This victory marked a historic milestone for Indonesia, as Sheva became the first Indonesian player to defeat a 2700-rated opponent in a top-tier international tournament, instantly elevating his status in the global chess community.

This remarkable win has also propelled Sheva closer to earning his second Grandmaster (GM) norm, a critical step toward achieving the coveted GM title. After securing his first norm at the Jakarta International Chess Festival last February, Sheva now needs just one more norm and a rating crossing 2500 to unlock the title officially. His recent performance at Biel demonstrates his consistent growth and potential to reach the highest echelons of chess, fueling hopes among fans and experts alike that he could become Indonesia's next grandmaster in the near future.

With six and a half points out of eight rounds, Sheva remains a strong contender to win the tournament. He is only half a point behind the current leader, Azerbaijan's GM Muradli Muhammad, who has accumulated seven points. If Sheva manages to triumph over Muradli in the final round, he would not only clinch the tournament victory but also make history as the first Indonesian player to win a high-level international competition of this caliber. Such a victory would undoubtedly cement Sheva's rising star status and set a new benchmark for Indonesian chess on the world stage.

Anna's eyes were still glued to the news on her screen, not even turning around, even though this was probably the third time she had read that. Her heart was still filled with shock and pride at the fact that Sheva finally got the attention he deserved here.

Although the girl knew that sooner or later, Sheva would be out in any mainstream newspaper, this was still a good surprise, since none of them were expecting something like this. Hell, even Bagas, the one who handled the PR here, would probably be caught off guard, since the boy hadn't mentioned this yesterday. Nevertheless, this news was definitely going to be a huge boost for Sheva to go to the final round in the next few hours, and she couldn't be happier about that.

"What did you read?" Medina's voice suddenly snapped Anna from her dreamland. When the girl turned around, she could see Medina looking at her curiously. It seemed that the woman had already taken photos here and wanted to go back to the hotel soon. "Anyway, you have been smiling goofily at your own phone. Is there any good news that you can share?"

Anna felt her cheeks warm instantly, somehow feeling embarrassed to get caught offhandedly smiling like a fool in the middle of a park. Fortunately, it was Medina who found out, not any other person who would look at her like a crazy girl. However, she groaned immediately after her brain processed the question, knowing full well that Medina would tease the hell out of her for this.

"Hmm? Is there anything wrong?" Medina pressed further, getting more curious about Anna's reaction.

"Here…" In the end, Anna could only give her phone meekly, covering her face in embarrassment. Medina took it with a frown, starting to read the entire news for a while. An awkward silence fell among those two, as Anna really wanted to be eaten by the ground alive right now.

In the end, though, Medina just let out a small whistle, clearly impressed by the news. "He even gets into Kompas? That's good for him! Congrats!" Kompas was one of the biggest news companies in Indonesia, so it was definitely an achievement worth bragging about for Sheva to see his name there.

"Umm… Why are you congratulating me, though?" Anna asked confusedly.

"Hm? Why did you ask something stupid like that?" This time, Medina replied with the same confusion. "He isn't here yet, so is it pretty normal for me to express my congratulations to his girlfriend first?" She asked as a matter of fact.

"G—G—Girl—friend?!" Anna stuttered, somehow feeling blood rushing up to her face instantly. "H—He is not my b—b—boyfriend!" Her tone went several pitches higher at the last part, which, unfortunately, didn't help her case at all. If anything, her reaction only made Medina's suspicion closer to the truth here.

"You mean to tell me that you both are not 'items' yet?" Medina asked with her eyes wide, giving an air quote on the word 'items'. Seeing Anna only burying her face deeper, she continued, "Even I can see that you both fancy each other! What are you waiting for, girl? Make a move! You don't know that after this, his name will only soar higher! You have to mark him as yours first before someone else does that!" Medina said excitedly.

Honestly, if not for the embarrassment she felt right now, Anna would be deadpanned at how crude Medina said the last part. Mark Sheva as her own? What are they, cats?

"So, what is going on? Why haven't you made a move on him yet?" Medina pressed further, turning into a gossipy girl instantly. "I mean, you are not one of those conservative girls who think that only boys can confess love, right?"

"It is not like that…" Anna protested weakly. "It is just… We both are too focused on this tournament, so…" By the end of the sentence, her voice was so low, like a mosquito, making it difficult for Medina to hear it clearly.

"Then, what is your plan next?" Medina inquired once again, this time she also stared at the younger girl intently with both arms crossed in front of her chest.

"I… Don't know…"

In the end, Medina could only sigh helplessly as she saw Anna at lost like this. Being the elder, the woman felt like she should do something about it, so she spoke with conviction, "Okay, listen to me, Anna. I don't think that it might work, but at least you have to try it first. You will miss the shots you didn't take, you know? So, hear me out and think carefully about it!"

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