The proud news came from Regita Desyari Putri, a student in the English Language and Literature study program Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) class of 2019. Regita won 2 bronze medals in the chess match, which was held on October 4–13, 2021, at Swiss-Belhotel Merauke, Papua, for the 2021 Papua XX National Sports Week (PON).
Through a light chat with the author, Regita shared her inspiring experience in pursuing chess.
Regita revealed that she has been interested in learning to play chess since she was in the 5th grade of elementary school. The thing that motivates her to continue learning chess is her view that being an accomplished chess player can open up opportunities for her to visit new places; indubitably, she will be able to make her parents proud.
To realize her view, Regita admitted that she had participated in many matches. One of the most memorable matches for her was in 2016. She became part of the Indonesian team to play in the Olympics in one of the Caucasus countries, Azerbaijan, precisely in the capital city of Baku. According to her, the experience was unforgettable because it was the first time Regita had the opportunity to go abroad and also meet the world’s most talented chess players, one of whom was Magnus Carlsen, who had won the chess world championship.
The first time she participated in a chess match at the Gelanggang Remaja Jakarta Sports Center at the age of 12, Regita did not give up even though she did not win. Her unyielding struggle has earned Regita many awards to date. The highest award she ever received was the title of Women Fide Master (WFM) and she managed to make Indonesia proud by winning first place in Group E when competing in Azerbaijan in 2016.
Her experience participating in PON XX Papua 2021 is also certainly one of the sweet fruits of the enthusiasm of this student from Bandung. He managed to become one of nine participants who passed the qualification stage to compete as the Central Kalimantan contingent at PON XX Papua 2021. As a result, he managed to add to his list of achievements by pocketing 2 bronze medals for the fast chess and standard chess categories. Being able to participate in PON XX Papua 2021, according to Regita, is a great opportunity that is very meaningful. In addition to being able to compete at the national level and make proud achievements, she also feels grateful for the opportunity to visit and see the beauty of eastern Indonesia.
Regita revealed that in addition to practicing chess regularly, she also makes mental and mental preparations to stay focused every time she participates in a match. She also does not forget to pray, including when she will compete in PON XX Papua 2021. In addition to practicing and praying, Regita’s success in winning 2 bronze medals cannot be separated from the great support given by many parties, especially her parents, family, colleagues, friends, and, of course, the English Language and Literature study program and UPI as her place of study.
In a chat with the author, the chess player born in December 2000 also revealed how he divides his time between life as a student and chess player and the goals he wants to achieve in the future. “If I have a lot of class schedules, I will definitely prioritize my studies. Vice versa, if the priority is closer to the tournament, I will definitely practice more,” she said. The dream that Regita is striving for is to continue her career as a chess player until she can achieve her next target, which is to reach the Woman Grandmaster (WGM) title. “But of course, there are other dream jobs for the future,” she added.
Regita admits that she is grateful to have come this far because she has certainly gained many benefits after pursuing the game of chess. The benefits that she is proud of are being able to earn her own income at a young age and getting the advantage of the achievement path for academic purposes. Lastly, Regita had a message for people out there who want to pursue chess like her, “Keep practicing, be enthusiastic, and continue to make the people you want to be proud of, especially yourself and your parents,” she said.