Ilonggo woodpushers will be treated not just to an entertaining chess tournament, but also to exciting prizes as Iloilo City hosts the National Rapid Open tournament in honor of Filipino chess legend Grandmaster Eugene Torre’s 75th birthday.
A P50,000 top prize will be up for grabs as chess players compete in a five-day chess festival on November 4 to 8, 2026.
Dubbed the Chess Legend: GM Eugene Torre 75th Birthday National Rapid Open and Team Tatluhan Chess Championships, the event features two major competitions.
It will also honor the achievements of Asia’s first chess grandmaster, who has ancestral roots in Iloilo City. The National Rapid Open will take place on November 5 and 6, with the opening round scheduled at 8 a.m., followed by the Team Tatluhan Chess Championships on November 7 and 8.
The rapid tournament champion will pocket P50,000 and a trophy, while the second- and third-place finishers will receive P25,000 and P15,000, respectively. Fourth place carries P10,000, while fifth place is worth P8,000.
The festivities will officially open on November 4 at Diamond Jubilee Hall along Mabini Street, with Torre, Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas and One Chess Movement president Ariel Potot expected to attend.
During the opening, the event will also unveil the GM Torre Exhibit, the launch of a commemorative coffee table book and a welcome dinner with raffle prizes.
Torre made Philippine sports history in 1974 when he became Asia’s first grandmaster during the 21st Chess Olympiad in Nice, France.IMT
