Today I pay tribute to Eugenio Torre, one of the big names in chess in the 1970s and 1980s, who has just won a strong Open tournament in his native Philippines at the age of 56. Torre’s success came at the Third President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cup held at the Duty Free Fiesta Mall in Paranaque City. Torre scored 7/9 and was declared the winner on tie break from two of the region’s leading players; Li Chao of China and Zhang Zhong, formerly Chinese but now playing under the flag of Singapore. The world’s youngest GM Wesley So of the Philippines, who has been sweeping all before him recently, only scored 5/9. Torre raced to 6.5/7 before losing to Mikhail Mchedlishvili of Georgia and then secured a draw in his final game against Ghaem Maghami of Iran.
1-3 Torre (Philippines), Li Chao (China), Zhang Zhong(Singapore) 7/9; 4 M. Mchedlishvili (Georgia) 6.5; 5-8 M. Kazhgalayev(Kazakhstan), E. Ghaem Maghami (Iran), M. Paragua (Philippines), M. Dzumaev(Uzbekistan) 6.
Torre became Asia’s first GM in 1974 and has played on top board for the Philippines in nineteen consecutive Olympiads, a record bettered by just a few but at Dresden next month he will be non-playing captain. He competed with distinction in WCC Interzonal tournaments and in 1982 he qualified for the Candidates Matches from the Toluca Interzonal but lost a close contest to Zoltan Ribli the following year.
Steady pressure engenders a suddenly collapse in the following game.
E Torre – J Fedorowicz
San Francisco 1991
Sicilian Rossolimo
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0–0 Nge7 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 d5 8.e5 d4 (White was going to play d2-d4 when Black would have an inferior version of the French Defence)
9.Be4! Bb7 10.d3 Ng6 11.Re1 Be7 12.cxd4 cxd4 13.Nbd2 0–0 14.Nb3 (Threatening Nxd4 exploiting the pinned knight on c6)
14...Rb8 15.Bd2 b4 16.Rc1 Qb6 (After completing his development Torre uses his active pieces and space advantage on the kingside to launch an attack)
17.h4! Rfc8 (17...Nxh4 18.Nxh4 Bxh4 19.Qh5 wins)
18.h5 Nf8 (18...Ngxe5 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.Bxb7 Qxb7 21.Rxe5 wins a piece)
19.h6 g6 20.Bg5 (Undermining Black's dark squares)
20...Bxg5 21.Nxg5 Nd7 (21...Nxe5 22.Bxb7 Rxc1 23.Nxc1 Rxb7 24.Rxe5 f6 was essential)
22.Bxc6! Bxc6 23.Qg4
1–0
Fedorowicz
Torre
A remarkably swift finish. Black cannot defend his dark squares. White threats include Nxd4, Nxe6 fxe6 Qxe6+ and Qf4. If 23...Bd5 24.Qf4 Rf8 25.Nc5! Nxc5 26.Qf6 forces mate on g7. Or 23...Nf8 24.Qf4 Rb7 25.Qf6 and mate)
E Torre - Miagmasuren
Malta Olympiad 1980Queen’s Gambit
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.d4 Be7 5.Bg5 0–0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8.Bd3 h6 9.Bh4 Re8 10.0–0 Nf8 11.Rad1 Nh5 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.e4 Nf4 14.Rfe1 Nxd3 15.Qxd3 dxc4 16.Qxc4 Bd7 17.e5 Red8 18.Nd2 b5 19.Qe2 c5 20.d5! exd5 21.Nxd5 Qh4 22.Ne4 c4 23.Nd6 Ng6 24.Nxf7! Bg4 25.Qxg4! 1–0
After 25...Qxg4 26.Nxh6+! gxh6 27.Nf6+ wins back the queen with a won endgame.
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