OZAMIZ City ― Even at an advancing age, there’s no slowing down the Philippine Chess icon, Grandmaster Eugene Torre, as far as promoting grassroots chess development in the country is concerned.
For the fifth-straight Open chess tournament here, the 74-year-old Torre never hesitates to give a simultaneous display against local chess fans, old and young, since Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal invited him as a regular guest of the biggest chess festival in Mindanao since 2023.
Last Saturday, July 12, along with fellow masters, the Asia’s first Grandmaster and Hall of Famer Torre gamely took the challenge again over 20 boards, with his wife Maria Lina, the former beauty queen of Zamboanga, helping on to arrange the pieces, and in remembering details in the event of memory gap in answering queries from the fans.
Paired this time around against youngsters, Torre’s sharp mind was still there as he carefully assessed each game to finish the hour-long struggle undefeated.
”Ang chess ay parang buhay ng tao. Bawat piyesa ay may kanya-kanyang tungkolin na magpa panalo sa atin sa tamang pag gamit at pamamaraan. Kaya’t i apply natin what we’ve learned in chess sa totoong buhay. Patience, discipline and the right decision-making na walang blunder katulad ng nakakasirang bisyo,” Torre then inspired during the opening rites of the ongoing 5th Asenso Ozamiz Fide-Rated Open Chess Tournament.
