The first chess grandmaster from Asia emerged as the champion of the 2023 Guam International Open Chess Tournament.
This past week, the Dusit Beach Resort in Tumon had chess players of all levels gather to compete in the 2023 Guam International Open Chess Tournament, which ended with Eugenio Torre, 71, taking the top rank after nine matches.
Torre, a grandmaster of the game and the first to attain the title from Asia back in 1974, flew from the Philippines with a wealth of experience under his belt, however, he told The Guam Daily Post in all his matches he still had to remain careful.
Torre's attitude could even be seen in his last match against candidate master and eighth-ranked in the tournament, Rogelio Orio, as the two were making calculated moves, and a majority of their pieces remained on the board for the early portion of the match.
"I had to be careful because I noticed he is an attacking player, so I had to make sure that my defense has no holes, no weaknesses," Torre said.
However, almost three hours later, while many of the other competitors in the room had emptied out, Torre and Orio were still playing, but the pace of their movements noticeably increased.
Then Orio, with his eyes locked on the board and contemplating his next move, seemed to realize there weren't any moves left. Orio stuck out his hand to shake Torre's and that was ultimately the end of the match.
With Torre becoming the champion of the tournament, which was determined regardless of the result against Orio, Torre said it's also the second time he has won the whole thing. The first time Torre won was in 2015.
"I'm the defending champion here ... so happy to duplicate this achievement," said Torre, who attributed his success to ensuring he is fit and not overconfident.
"Almost in all the games I had to be careful and not overconfident, ... and, of course, my long experience has helped me and also I tried to discipline myself, healthy eating, no vices, all these things," Torre said.
Players of all ages
While the 2023 Guam International Open Chess Tournament had players as renowned and experienced as Torre, it also had some who were playing competitive chess for the first time.
This included brothers Zico Denight, 12, and Marciano Denight, 10, who both felt their chess skills improved after playing nine matches each, which included matches against ranked opponents and opponents who were older than the two brothers.
"I had a lot of fun. ... It was stressful though and a bit scary, but other than that, I think it was a good experience and one that will make me (a) better person and chess player," Marciano Denight said before explaining he is leaving the tournament having learned new starting positions.
"I think I definitely got better. I played against a lot of better players than I have before," said Zico Denight, who won his final match in 23 moves, which gave him five wins out of nine games.
The pair had a fun week regardless of their results, and they are looking forward to playing in future competitions.
"I was having a lot of fun. I got (to) meet old friends and then I got to make new ones," Marciano Denight said.
Newly ranked
Chief arbiter of the tournament, Jamie Kenmure, explained to the Post that he was very pleased with the participation in the event, especially considering how it has helped players improve to become ranked players and developed the game on island as a whole.
"As for the players, they're learning quite a lot, I'm actually surprised ... (Sen. William Parkinson), the fact that he's going to get a rating," Kenmure said. Parkinson was one of the players competing in the tournament.
"One of the things I'm really pleased about with the girls and the females playing in this event (is that) they are starting to get more stronger, ... and this is a great step. It means that females can match with men," Kenmure said.
One of the female players who obtained a ranking included 13-year-old Tiffany Benzon, whose opponents included rated players and a candidate master.
To obtain a rating a player needs to play against five rated players and at least win or draw against one of them. Benzon said she beat two rated players.
"It feels good because I haven't been rated before and I've been playing chess for quite some time and it finally feels good to be rated," said Benzon, who thought the competition was a very good experience despite it being difficult at times.
"I thought I was going to lose on my first game because I felt I was rushing and then I won," said Benzon. She recommended others learn to play chess.
"I think people who don't know how to play chess should at least try to learn because it's a very fun experience once you learn how to play. ... When I started, I did not know but when I learned to how to play I got obsessed with it," said Benzon, a student at St. Anthony Catholic School.

















































