A member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, he served as Deputy Speaker of the People's Representative Council from 2018 until 2019.

Prior to his entry in politics, he was a chess player, attaining the title of Grandmaster from FIDE in 1986.

[2] In 1999, he participated in the FIDE world championship in Las Vegas, held with the knockout format, losing to Daniel Fridman in the first round.

[3] Utut Adianto is chairman of the Indonesian Chess Federation (PERCASI), together with Machnan R. Kamaluddin, Eka Putra Wirya and Kristianus Liem, he later founded a chess school in Indonesia, which has produced several national players.

On 9 May 2009, he was elected to the People's Representative Council (DPR), the lower house of Indonesia's bicameral parliament.