Torre opens for exhibition game rematch with Karpov

KALIBO, Aklan: Asia’s first chess Grandmaster Eugene Torre is open for an exhibition rematch against Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov of Russia.

In an interview, Torre said he hopes that the exhibition rematch will take place in March or April this year.

“The Russian embassy told me that they will ask Karpov for an exhibition match this year. I hope it will push through,” he said in an interview Thursday.

Torre was here in Kalibo as keynote guest for the 7th Peter I. Kimpo Memorial Cup Open Chess Championship. The 2017 national age group chess championship Visayas leg runs from January 18- 22.

In 1976, Torre defeated Karpov in a four- man chess meet in Manila. Then reigning world champion M Ljubomir Ljubojevic of Yugoslavia and American GM Walter Shawn Browne also joined.

“The said exhibition game is meant not only to promote the friendship of the Philippines and Russia. It also meant to promote chess as a mental sport,” he said.

Last year, Torre was named as national consultant on chess of the Duterte administration.

“This is my mission... to look for potential chess players and encourage the youth to play sports instead of engaging into drugs,” he said.