Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1) — Filipino chess enthusiasts were treated to a rare opportunity to meet and learn from former world champion and Russian chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov at a commemorative event at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday.
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The 71-year-old chess champion is in the country where he held a lecture for fans and athletes at an event commemorating the 1987 World Chess Championship in Baguio City.
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The 1978 tourney is when reigning champion Karpov outsmarted challenger Viktor Korchnoi, retaining his title.
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During his lecture, the grandmaster emphasized benefits a game of chess could bring to its players.
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“Chess helps to organize your body, yourself, physically and grandmasters, normally, they can keep the pressure of chess game, doing the whole game for hours,” the chess champion said.
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Karpov also said chess is better when you are competing with players who have an interest in the sport.
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Aside from the lecture, young Pinoy chess players also got a chance to ask Karpov questions.
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The country’s chess legend and Asia’s first grandmaster Eugene Torre was also at the event to reunite with Karpov whom he had the chance to beat in a 1976 chess challenge.
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“In the total of 11 games we played, I’m quite happy with my two wins, four losses, and five draws,” Torre said.
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“It was big news because at that time Karpov would rarely lose a tournament or even a game,” he added.
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Torre said Karpov’s visit is a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for the young players attending his lecture and said that the event would “benefit Philippine chess.”
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Widely considered as one of the best chess athletes of all time, Karpov was the 12th World Chess Champion, maintaining his title from 1975 to 1985.
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The grandmaster is also a member of the USSR team and a six-time winner of Chess Olympiads.
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