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MANILA, Philippines – Even to his staunchest fans, ageing Grandmaster Eugene Torre was considered way past his prime, his skills and prowess eroded with the passage of time.
On Saturday, July 28, however, Torre showed everyone why it was premature to write his chess epitaph just yet.
In a classic duel between experience and youth, the 62-year-old senior citizen of local chess outplayed bespectacled FIDE Master Paulo Bersamina, 16, in the final round to rule the Battle of Grandmasters-National Chess Championships.
In front of a small but engrossed gallery at the Philippine Sports Commission dining hall inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Torre flashed vintage form with the white pieces in wearing down the upset-conscious Bersamina in 37 moves of what was called a Torre Attack.
Going undefeated in 11 rounds, he wound up with a total of 23 points in capturing his first national title since 2002 while pocketing the top prize of P100,000 ($2,290) that likewise secured him a slot on the national team to the World Chess Olympiad slated August 1 to 15 in Tromso, Norway.
Defending champion GM John Paul Gomez, the overnight leader, placed second and took home P75,000 ($1,715) after settling for a quick draw with IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia in 26 moves of a Symmetrical English.
The youngest player in the field of 12 entries, Bersamina continued to show potential as one of the country’s next up and coming players in finishing 3rd with 19.5 points, worth P50,000 ($1,143).
Sharing the spotlight and as much a big winner as Torre was Woman International Master Janelle Mae Frayna, who capped her sensational run in the series by beating overly aggresive IM Oliver Dimakiling in 70 moves of her pet English Opening.
On top of finishing 4th with 18 points and making P26,500 ($606), Frayna also achieved two unprecedented accomplishments: securing both a Woman Grandmaster norm and a regular International Master norm despite being the only female in the event.
“May ibubuga pa (I can still hack it),” said the beaming Torre of his latest laurel, a belated gift a day after he commemorated his 40th year in becoming Asia’s first grandmaster at the 1974 World Chess Olympiad in Nice, France.
“Above all, I want to thank God that I can still play at this level despite my age,” said the pride of Iloilo City, crediting his achievement to clean living and exercise in keeping himself mentally sharp and in physical shape.
Torre then sheepishly admitted that as a concession to his age, he stayed at a nearby hotel so he woudn’t have to travel all the way from his residence in Quezon City, a good hour’s drive away from the venue.
“If I were 10 to 20 years younger, maybe, but there’s too much traffic in Metro Manila we‘re no longer a spring chicken,” added the player whose last major victory was 4 years ago in topping the international President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cup.
Should his services still be required, Torre will be making his 22nd appearance as a national team member in the Olympiad since he made his debut as a National Master in the 1970 edition held in Siegen, Germany.
It will actually be his 23rd Olympiad stint after joining the PH squad as a non-playing team captain in the 2008 Olympiad in Dresden, Germany. – Rappler.com
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