THE CELEBRATED face-off between Russian Anatoly Karpov and Grandmaster Eugene Torre that propelled the Filipino to international fame in 1976 will be staged again in Manila.
Torre, Asia’s first GM, will renew his rivalry with the former world chess champion in an exhibition match late next month.
Philippine Sports Commission Chair Richie Garcia yesterday confirmed the rematch following a recent meeting with Russian Ambassador Igor Khobayev, Karpov’s representative.
“We’re pushing through with the match,” said Garcia.
In that 1976 match, Torre dealt Karpov one of the Russian’s few losses during his championship reign.
Garcia said the match—a joint outreach program by the Philippine government and the Russian embassy— will be held either in the third or last week of June.
“We’re knocking on the doors of sponsors who could help us in this noteworthy endeavor,” said Garcia.
Karpov, now 64, reigned as world champion from 1975 to 1985.
Torre, a sports Hall of Famer, came closest to challenging Karpov for the crown in 1982, when he reached the world candidates matches only to lose to GM Zoltan Ribli of Hungary.