Torre’s bronze caps PH woodpushers' Chess Olympiad campaign

MANILA, Philippines – Grandmaster Eugene Torre salvaged some measure of pride by snaring the board three bronze medal that came as a balm to the Philippine men's team's forgettable performance in the 42nd World Chess Olympiad that drew to a close Tuesday night in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Torre, 64, extracted a marathon victory over International Master Moulthun Ly of Australia to finish undefeated with a spectacular 10 points out of the possible 11 on nine victories and two fighting draws.

The total score was the biggest among anyone in the tournament, but Torre ended up with only a bronze since recent format awards winner to the chesser with the highest performance rating.

Interestingly, GM Wesley So, his former teammate who has represented eventual champion United States, took the gold and Hungarian GM Zoltan Almasi the silver with performance ratings of 2896 and 2845, respectively, against Torre's 2836.

But Torre's effort was a mean feat nonetheless as it was his first medal since he took a silver in the 1974 Nice Olympiad where he also became Asia's first ever GM.

The win by Torre, however, couldn't prevent the Filipinos from absorbing a 1.5-2.5 defeat to the Australians and sliding all the way down to a 58th place finish with 12 match points to show, which will go down as one of the worst performances by the country in the biennial event.

GM Julio Catalino Sadorra, who celebrated his 30th birthday Wednesday, drew GM David Smerdon on top board but GMs John Paul Gomez and Rogelio Barcenilla, Jr. went for the win but lost to GM Zhao Zong Yuan and IM Anton Smirnov on boards two and four.

Sadorra, who missed the third and fourth rounds because he was confined in the hospital due to headaches, held his fort on top board and scoring five out of eight games including a sensational draw with reigning world champion GM Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the sixth round.

The women's squad fared better as it finished 34th overall with 13 points, surpassing the 64th place performance in the last edition in Tromso, Norway two years back.

The Filipinos, whose trip was bankrolled by the Phl Sports Commission, however, could have crashed into the top 10 at best and 18th at worst if they had pulled the rug from under the 12th seeded Lithuanians and not a 1-3 defeat they eventually suffered in the final round.

Catherine Secopito provided the lone point by shocking WIM Salomeja Zaksaite on board three while Janelle Mae Frayna, Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Shania Mae Mendoza fell to GM Viktorija Cmilyte, IM Deimante Daulyte and WFM Daiva Batyte on boards one, two and four, respectively.

But the team effort was drowned by Frayna's historic feats of becoming the first Filipina to ever obtain the Woman Grandmaster and men's International Master titles in the same event after scoring seven points in 11 games.

"We're excited of the future especially in women's chess," said GM Jayson Gonzales, the NCFP executive director and women's captain.

The Filipinos are expected to arrive Thursday night and although they will not be receiving the same hero's welcome Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz got, they will get the appreciation not just from chess fans but also from the whole country in dire need of heroes.