By Jodi Bustos
Eagle News Service
QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — Wearing his classic look and well-groomed silver-gray hair, Eugenio “Eugene” Torre relived his signature moves as he played chess like he was 22.
Forty-four years ago, in 1974, Eugene, then 22 was named as Asia’s first Chess Grand Master after winning the silver medal in the Chess Olympiad held in Nice, France.
Two years later, he also made a significant history in the Filipino chess when he beat then-reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov in 1976.
Eugene, now 66, doesn’t seem to age. He thinks more like a man in his 30s.
“I go to the gym to do light trainings because in chess, it is very much needed to be physically fit; that’s why I exercise,” Eugene said, sharing his secret in maintaining mental alertness at his age.
“Just like in any other physical sport, you have to be mentally fit otherwise you will not be successful in your field,” he added.
In a chess event dubbed as “Learn and Play Chess with the Master” on February 22, Eugene showcased his distinct strategies and techniques during simultaneous exhibition matches against children and teens who dream of becoming good chess players one day.
The event organized by the E. Rodriguez Jr. High School (ERJHS) Alumni Sports Club, headed by Ed Andaya and Zeny Castor, and supported by Barangay N.S. Amoranto and One Meralco Foundation was participated in by about 50 children, including out-of-school youth in the barangay, who were all thrilled to see the legendary chess grandmaster in action.
Throughout the match, he emphasized the importance of having a sharp mind and mental alertness in playing mind games like chess.
The chess grandmaster is not only a hero in the game of chess, but also an epitome of active living.
“When I was younger, my everyday exercises were jogging, walking and playing tennis,” Eugene said.
Now, aside from going to the gym, he also does biking and walking around their village while memorizing songs.
“When I walk for an hour without doing anything or thinking about something, I immediately become bored. That is why I made it a habit to memorize songs while I’m walking. Ever since it became a habit, I have learned a lot of songs,” he added.
– Outside the chess board –
Eugene’s life used to revolve around the four corners of the chess board until a friend offered him a position in the realty business.
“One day a friend of mine approached me and asked ‘why don’t you join our company? Try something new aside from chess’,” he narrated.
He felt hesitant at first because he had no background about the offered job, but his reluctance was soon gone like smoke into the thin air when his friend said, “All you have to do is to apply everything you have learned from playing chess, that’s all.”
From there, he realized that the purpose of being in sports is not only to promote physical and mental fitness but to apply the valuable principles you learned from playing a certain sport in dealing with real-life situations.
– Opt for the good moves –
According to the chess grand master, life is like a game of chess. Every move or decision you make can either bring you an advantage or a disadvantage.
“Of course, in playing chess, you look for the good moves and the bad moves. In life, vices or bad habits such as drug dependency or blunders reflect a bad move, so why will you choose that move?” he stressed.
“You should always look for the best move!” Eugene emphasized.
He encouraged everyone, especially the youth to take part in any sports because it is a healthy and wholesome diversion against blunders and vices.
He also noticed the excessive use of technology in today’s generation which makes children these days to switch to online games that offer a variety of online sports such as chess.
For Asia’s first grand chess master, the pawns of a chess game are essential in winning the game.
“The pawns are the soul of chess,” noted Eugene who likened the pawns to ordinary people or “masa.”
“Ang mga officials nagiging effective lang sila kapag yung masa (pawns) kapag maganda ang kanilang structure,” he said.
“Kahit gaano kagaling ang official, kung hindi tama ang pagdala nila sa masa ay mahihirapan silang maging successful,” he observed.
Indeed, for Eugene, what you learn in sports can always be applied in real life.
“As compared to life, sports requires discipline, patience and many more attributes that can be developed while playing,” he said.
“Chess pieces or the team should be in harmony to achieve success,” he added.
(Eagle News Service)
(Photos courtesy of Judy Ann Lorenzana and Tricia Julian)