TORRE, GONZALES PREVAIL IN DEFENSOR SIMUL CHESS CHALLENGE

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

ASIA’S FIRST Grandmaster (GM) Eugene Torre and two-time Olympian member Grandmaster(GM) Jayson Gonzales recently flashed their deadly old form for a magnificent performance in a rare simultaneous chess exhibition dubbed as Mike Defensor Chess Challenge on Sunday at the Barangay Kaunlaran Covered court in Cubao, Quezon City.

The 1982 Toluca, Mexico Inter-Zonal Chess Champion Torre tallied 15 wins and a draw in the 16 board matches while Gonzales, the pride of multi-titled Philippine Army Chess Team scored 9 wins and a draw in 10 board matches.

Isagani Barro, top player of BAPTODA Tricycle Drivers Association settled a draw with Torre which lasted 3 and half hours while Jun Calata from N. Domingo Street split the point with Gonzales, who also celebrated his birthday on Sunday.

No less than former Senator and Senatorial candidate Francisco “Kit” Tatad ushered the opening rites who gave inspirational message to the participants in the one-day event, organized by Mr. Ching Latonero, hosted by Barangay Kaulanran chairwoman Maria Tessa Atentar backed up by QC mayoralty candidate Mike "Idol" Defensor and Suzette Bernardo, leading councilor in the fourth district of QC and grand daughter of the late QC mayor Ponciano Bernardo.

Youngest participant is nine (9)-year-old Vincent Frank Nasiad of Marist School of Marikina while UP tenor graduate and Fide Master Christopher Castellano sang the national anthem. Former PUP stand-out Robert Racasa, the Philippines representative in this year’s World Mind Games in China also in the said affair.