NextSharkNextShark.com

Filipino chess legend Eugene Torre officially inducted into World Chess Hall of Fame

Filipino chess legend Eugene Torre officially inducted into World Chess Hall of Fame

October 10, 2022
SHARE
Filipino chess legend Eugene Torre is now a Hall of Famer. 
Torre, the first grandmaster (GM) from Asia, was officially inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame on Oct. 5 at the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station in Missouri.
The 70-year-old chess icon was accompanied by his wife, Maria Lina, and Philippine-born American GM Wesley So at last week’s induction ceremony. 
Torre now joins an elite group recognized as the greatest to ever play the game, which include Gary Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Robert James Fischer and Boris Spasky.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

“I share this honor with my countrymen and all Asian players because my motivation from the start was really to inspire them,” said Torre during his acceptance speech.
It was first revealed that Torre was among the inductees alongside Hungarian Judit Polgar and Argentine Miguel Najdorf during an FIDE Council meeting on April 19, 2021. 
Torre is considered a trailblazer not just in the Philippines but also in Asia. In 1974, Torre became the first Asian to qualify for the grandmaster title at 22 years old after winning the silver medal in the 21st Chess Olympiad in Nice, France.
In 1976, Torre captured the world’s attention when he became the first to defeat a reigning world champion in Anatoly Karpov.
Torre also bagged bronze medals in the 1980, 1986 and 2016 Chess Olympiad, as well as a silver medal in the 2010 Asian Games in China.
 
Featured Image via Saint Louis Chess Club
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Ryan General

      Ryan General is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.