GM Torre guns for World Chess Cup spot

By Mike T. Limpag
Fair play
Tuesday, May 24, 2011

MANILA – Eugene Torre, Asia’s first Grandmaster, has only one thing on his mind right now, and that is to join compatriot and super GM Wesley So in this year’s World Chess Cup in Khantiy, Mansiyk, Russia.

“I hope makapasok ako sa main draw ng World Chess Cup,” said the 59-year-old Torre, the 1982 Toluca, Mexico Inter-Zonal champion. He was also the first Filipino who made it to the Candidates matches in the World Chess Championship but lost to Hungarian GM Zoltan Ribli.

So, the country’s top-rated player who holds an ELO rating of 2667, made it to the 128-player World Cup after reaching the quarterfinal round in the last edition in Khanty-Mansiyk, Russia, where he stunned super GMs Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine and Gata Kamsky of the United States.

Torre hopes to capture his World Cup spot in the Asian Zone 3.3 chess championships, which begins today in Tagaytay City. Top officials from the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and World Chess Federation (Fide) are expected to lead short opening rites followed by a one –minute silent prayer to honor of the late NCFP executive director Willie Abalos, who passed away earlier this month. The tournament ends on May 30.

The week-long event will be held simultaneously with the Asian Zone 3.3 championship and the Asian Zone 3.3 women’s zonal.

Aside from Torre, other Filipino bets gunning for slots in the World Chess Cup are 12-time national open champion GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., and fellow GMs Mark Paragua, John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and GM-elect Ronald Dableo. Also in the hunt are IMs Oliver Barbosa, Richard Bitoon, Oliver Dimakiling, Chito Garma and Barlo Nadera, reigning Philippine Boys Juniors Champion NM Mari Joseph “MJ” Turqueza and ex-RP Juniors ruler NM Paulo Bersamina.

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Tags: , ,