Torre assured of Asian Seniors Chess crown

Eugene Torre, INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LEO M. SABANGAN II

Ranged against players his age, Grandmaster Eugene Torre is without peer.

Living up to his top billing, Torre beat local bet Peter Goffin Friday to cruise to his eighth straight win and assure himself of the 8th Asian Seniors Chess Championship crown with one round to go in Auckland, New Zealand.

With a perfect 8.0 points, Torre is beyond reach of closest pursuers Fide Master Ewen Green of New Zealand and fellow Filipino, lawyer Edmundo Legaspi, both with 5.5 points.

Torre, Asia’s first GM, will aim for a sweep of the 15-man tournament confined to players 65 and over when he tangles with Kiwi Grant Kerr, who has 3.5 points, in the ninth and final round.

The other victims of Torre starting from the first round were David Lovejoy of Australia, Anthony Booth, Rahman Yussof (Brunei), Legaspi, who is a director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, Pricha Srivatanaku (Thailand) , Ewen Green, and Malcolm Mcfarland (Guam).