Grieving Torre joins Chess Olympiad crew

MANILA, Philippines -  A grieving Grandmaster Eugene Torre responded to the country’s call and joined the Philippine team vying in the 40th World Chess Olympiad which starts today at the Wow Convention Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

“Yes I will join the team to the Olympiad,” said the 60-year-old Torre, whose mother Doña Vicenta Oliveros Torre died last Saturday due to illness, in a press statement before leaving for Turkey the other day.

Torre will be making a record 21 Olympiad stint, breaking away from Hungarian GM Lajos Portisch, whom he used to share the honors with.

However, unlike in past Olympiads where he manned the top board for Team Phl, Torre will play as the Nationals’ fourth board player with GM Wesley So playing on the top board and Oliver Barbosa and Mark Paragua taking on the next two boards. Oliver Dimakiling is the other member of the squad.

The women’s team, meanwhile, will be bannered by WIM Catherine Perena, Women FIDE Master Rulp Ylen Jose, Jannelle Mae Frayna, Jedara Docena and Jan Jodilyn Fronda.

On board four, Torre hopes to use his vast experience and provide crucial points for the team as he is expected to face the least fancied players from a slew of contenders.

The men’s team is out to improve its 50th place in the 2010 Khanty Mansiyk, Russia, its worst finish since joining the biennial meet while the women’s side is aiming to eclipse better its 44th place effort the last time out.