TOP seed GM Eugene Torre hopes to make it back-to-back championships when he opens his campaign in the 9th Asian Seniors Chess Championship at the Tagaytay International Convention Center in Tagaytay City this weekend.

Torre, who captured the title with  a rare sweep of the nine-round  tournament held in Auckland,  New Zealand  last year, sets out as the top favorite  in  the event hosted  by the Tagaytay City government thru Cong. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and  Mayor Agnes Tolentino.

Torre, who will turn 67 on Sunday,  is  top seed with an ELO of 2449 in the   nine-round competition which offers P150,000 in cash  prizes in the over-50 and over-65 categories.

“It will be a another big challenge for me, but I am ready to defend the title. I’ll do my best as always,” said Torre, who finished 2.5  points ahead of Ewen Green of New Zealand and compatriot Edmundo Legaspi in Auckland last year.

Several foreign players,  including four from  former Russian republic of Kazakhstan and three from Indonesia,  and a  handful of Filipino standouts will provide the challenge.

Leading the  foreign challenge are Oleg  Rinas, Kuanishbek Jumadullayev, Aitkazy Baimurzin a nd Timur Kazzymuv, all of  Kazakhstan; and  Muhammad Novian Siregar,  Syarif Mahmud and Hendry Jamal of Indonesia.

Aside from Torre, IM Chito Garma, Cesar  Caturla, Rosendo Bandal, Casto “Toti” Abundo, Efren   Bagamasbad, Adrian Pacis,  Stewart Manaog and Rolzon Roullo  will also carry the Filipinos’ campaign.

Three-time champion Helen Milligan of New Zealand will also gun for  her fourth straight women's title.

Milligan,  however,  is expected  to find a strong challenge from Mila Emperado.

The champion in the tournament organized by the Tagaytay Chess Club on behalf of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines  (NCFP) and  the Asian Chess Federation (ACF), will receive the International Master title and a Grandmaster norm.

Runners-up  receive  the FIDE Master title.

Tournament  director Michael Lapitan  said a rapid chess championship is scheduled on the first day on Saturday (Nov. 3), followed by the nine-round Swiss System tournament and a blitz championship on the last day.

Players should reach their 50th or 65th birthday in 2018. Participants must have been born in or before 1968 for seniors over 50 and for women over 50, and born in or before 1953 for seniors over 65.

Time control for standard chess is 90 minutes each for the whole game, with 30 seconds increment per move from the first move.

Default time is 30 minutes after starting time.

Time control for rapid chess is 15 minutes each plus 10 seconds increment per move.

Time control for Blitz chess is 3 minutes each plus 2 seconds increment per move.

For inquiries, call/text  supervising arbiter Pat Lee  at 0995-542126.