Garma captures title in Chess Legend: GM Torre 75th birthday tournament

FIDE World Seniors champion IM Chito Garma underscored his billing as one of the country’s leading players by winning the Chess Legend: GM Eugene Torre 75th Birthday National Open (Individual Rapid) chess tournament at the Iloilo City Diamond Jubilee Hall here Friday.

Garma, looking fit as a fiddle at age 62, finished with 7.5 points on seven wins and one draw to rule the two-day rapid tournament organized by the One Chess Movement in cooperation with the Iloilo City government, the Philippine Sports Commission, and PAGCOR.

The 62-year-old pride of Manila swept his first seven assignments before drawing his eighth and final-round match against No. 18 seed Cyril Telesforo.

“Magagaling din ang mga kalaban, pero maganda ang mga naging tira ko mula simula,” said Garma, who is best remembered for winning the 50+ division of the 32nd World Seniors Championship on Porto Santo Island, Portugal in 2023.

Garma won over Gilzenhover Ebi, AIM Felixberto Baguyo, Karlo Britanico, Leonel Escote, FM Raymond Salcedo, NM Vince Angelo Medina, and top seed FM Christian Mark Daluz before the final-round draw with Telesforo.

With the victory, Garma pocketed the top prize of P50,000 put up by OCM, through chairman Lope Santos III and president Ariel Potot.

NM Edsel Montoya and Telesforo shared second and third places with seven points, while Daluz, Medina and NM Fritz Bryan Porras wound up in a tie for fourth to sixth place with 6.5 points.

Montoya defeated Lennon Hart Salgados in the final round to catch up with Telesforo.

Eleven players, led by Salgados and Allan Cantonjos, finished in a tie for seventh to 17th place with six points.

Torre, in whose honor the tournament was held, was personally present with his wife Marlin and Eugene Torre Chess Museum owners Dionisio “Jundio” Salvador Jr. and Rosie Salvador and chess patron Jessie Villasin.

A total of 166 players from all over the country saw action in the tournament, with IA James Infiesto as the chief arbiter and NA Jezreel M. Lopez as deputy chief arbiter.

Assisting them were Rosendo H. Reyes, Sonny Pasco Jr., Romel Ballesteros, and Michael S. Diaz.

Meanwhile, the Team Tatluhan will be held this weekend at the same venue. The champion will pocket the lion’s share of the prize, taking home P100,000.

The runner-up will get P50,000, the third placer P30,000, the fourth placer P20,000, and the fifth placer P15,000.

The sixth through 15th placers will also bring home cash prizes.

Final standings:

7.5 points — C. Garma
7 –E. Montoya, C. Telesforo
6.5 –C. Daluz, V. Medina, F. Porras
6 — L. Salgados, A. Cantonjos, J. Mirano, L. Escote, J. Areque, C, Mariano, K. Britanico V. Ruaya, M. Falsis, J. Maraan, N. Cruceo
5.5 –R. Salcedo, R. Andador, S. Lim, N. Digno, M. Nazario, D. Intila, A. Atillaga, G. Somosa, J. Gadayan, J. Floirendo, I. Udani