GM TORRE AIMS TO FOLLOW THE FOOT STEP OF GM JOEY, WHO MAKE IT TO THIS YEAR’S WORLD CHESS CUP

EUGENE Torre, Asia’s First Grandmaster had one thing in his mind, to follow the foot step of his buddy GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr., the lone Filipino player who make it to this year’s World Chess Cup (World Chess Championships) in Khantiy, Mansiyk, Russia. Antonio, who hails from Calapan, Oriental Mindoro made it to the top five in the Asia Continental Individual Chess Championships in Subic, Zambales last month to progress in the FIDE knock-out stage.

” Sabi ni Eugene (Torre) lalaro siya sa Asian Zonal sa Vietnam sa susunod na buwan,” said Antonio in an exclsuive interview with this writer, who also seeing in action in the World Chess Championships was held at Las Vegas, Nevada in 1999 where he suffered a heart-breaking second round loss  eventual runner-up GM Vladimir Akopian who bowed to GM Alexander Khalifman in the championships round.

Torre, the 1982 Inter-Zonal champion, the only Filipino who make it to the canditates match losing to Hungrarian GM Zoltan Ribli.

Aside from Torre, other Filipino bets eyeing for World Chess Cup slot were Wesley So, Mark Paragua, Bong Villamayor, Nelson Mariano II, John Paul Gomez, Jayson Gonzales and Darwin Laylo. The Asian Zonals 3.3 Chess Championships to be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamfrom July 22 to 30. Meanwhile, Cebuano GM Joseph Sanchez is busy in European chess circuit while Chandler, Arizona based GM Banjo Barcenilla is aiming to improve his 2503 Elo rating points by joining in the US shore.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO.