Unsinkable Torre reigns again

Grandmaster Eugene Torre mastered the field in the first Tanauan Chess Open-Mayor’s Cup, settling for a draw against NM Ronald Llavanes in the final round and nipping Asian Zonal champion Ronald Dableo in the tiebreak to bag the top P100,000 cash prize in Tanauan City, Batangas over the weekend.

Torre and Dableo finished tied on top with eight points after nine rounds of the two-day Swiss system tournament but the former, Asia’s first GM, took the crown and the princely pot with a higher tiebreak score.

Dableo, playing out of the Philippine Air Force, settled for the runner-up prize of P40,000. Reigning National Open champion and Philippine Army’s NM Darwin Laylo, who drew with Torre in the sixth round, took home P20,000 for finishing third in the tournament organized by the Active Chess Center of Asia (ACCA).

"Of course I’m happy with my victory," said Torre. "I have great admiration for (Batangas) Gov. Armando Sanchez, (Tanauan City) Mayor Alfredo Corona and First Asia Institute president Bong Belen for putting up this laudable project. I hope other local officials will do the same for the benefit of sports in general and the youth in particular."

In his speech, Corona promised to hold the event annually, saying: "Kaya’t sa ilalim ng aming pamamahala, ay tinitiyak namin na taun-taon ay gaganapin natin ang Tanauan Chess Open-Mayor’s Cup. Sana ganito rin ang maging pananaw ng iba pang mga namumuno sa iba’t-ibang lungsod at bayan upang lalong tumaas ang antas ng kakayanan ng ating mga manlalaro ng chess."

Torre considered his games against IM Chito Garma in the fourth round and Dableo in the fifth as the best in the tournament. Against Dableo, he grabbed the initiative early playing with the black pieces, making forays with his knight deep into Dableo’s position which somehow unnerved the latter who left his queen hanging for easy picking by Torre.

Corona, Sanchez, Torre, FAI’s Joey La’O and ACCA’s executive director Eric Caballero made the traditional opening ceremonial moves to usher in the event. Tanauan City Vice-Mayor Jun-jun Trinidad, city councilor Nini Querrer and FAI president Bong Belen awarded the prizes to the winners.