ILOILO City – FIDE World Seniors champion International Master Chito Garma stamped his class with seven consecutive victories before settling for a final-round draw to capture the Chess Legend: GM Eugene Torre 75th Birthday National Open (Individual Rapid) championship at the Iloilo City Diamond Jubilee Hall.
The 62-year-old Manila chess veteran dominated the 166-player field, finishing unbeaten with 7.5 points from seven wins and one draw to claim the P50,000 top prize in the two-day tournament honoring Asia’s first grandmaster.
Garma secured the championship after drawing his eighth-round encounter with 18th seed Cyril Telesforo, completing an impressive campaign that included victories over several highly rated opponents.
“Magagaling din ang mga kalaban, pero maganda ang mga naging tira ko mula simula,” said Garma, who won the 50+ division of the 32nd World Seniors Championship in Porto Santo Island, Portugal, in 2023.
Garma opened his campaign with victories over Gilzenhover Ebi, Arena International Master Felixberto Baguyo, Karlo Britanico and Leonel Escote.
He sustained his winning streak by defeating FIDE Master Raymond Salcedo, National Master Vince Angelo Medina and top seed FIDE Master Christian Mark Daluz before splitting the point with Telesforo in the final round.
National Master Edsel Montoya and Telesforo shared second and third places with seven points each after Montoya defeated Lennon Hart Salgados in his final assignment.
Daluz, Medina and National Master Fritz Bryan Porras finished tied for fourth to sixth places with 6.5 points apiece, while 11 players, led by Salgados and Allan Cantonjos, shared seventh to 17th places with six points each.
The tournament, organized by the One Chess Movement (OCM) in cooperation with the Iloilo City government, Philippine Sports Commission and PAGCOR, drew competitors from across the country.
OCM chairman Lope Santos III and president Ariel Potot spearheaded the organization of the competition.
Torre attended the tournament with his wife Marlin, Eugene Torre Chess Museum owners Dionisio “Jundio” Salvador Jr. and Rosie Salvador, and chess patron Jessie Vilasin.
International Arbiter James Infiesto served as chief arbiter, assisted by deputy chief arbiter National Arbiter Jezreel M. Lopez./PN
