Eugene Torre inducted to the World Chess Hall of Fame

Eugene Torre has been inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame, the first Asian male player to receive such a distinction.

Prior to being Asia’s first male world chess hall of famer, the 69-year-old Ilonggo was also the first chess grandmaster (GM) in 1974

“What an honor for our country,” the Philippine Olympic Committee said in its congratulatory Facebook post. “You’re in a league of your own.”

Alongside Torre, Polish-Argentinian GM Miguel Najdorf and GM Judit Polgar of Hungary were also included in the world hall of fame.

Among Torre’s many career milestones were winning a silver and three bronze medals in the Chess Olympiads. In 1976, he also won over then-reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov in a historic match.