In honor of the renowned Filipino grandmaster Eugene Torre, the first chess museum in the Philippines opened its doors to the public on April 12, 2023, in Marikina City.
The Eugene Torre Chess Museum is the very first chess museum in the Philippines. It is dedicated to Grandmaster Eugenio "Eugene" Torre, Asia's First Chess Grandmaster, the First Filipino Chess Grandmaster, and also the First Asian Male Inductee in the World Chess Hall of Fame by winning a silver medal on board one at the 1974 World Chess Olympiad in Nice, France.
The museum is home to a growing chess collection from around the world procured by the owners, Dionisio "Jundio" Salvador Jr. and Rosie Salvador, who are as passionate about collecting such chess sets from around the world as they are with travelling. This is why the museum's interior motif is inspired from Italy's Ancient Roman Ruins which stands around a Giant Chess Plaza.
The museum displays Eugene Torre's various medals, prizes, and selected images from his 50-year career as a chess superstar.
The chess sets found inside the museum are arranged from earliest to latest according to accounts of the earliest known origins of chess which dates back to 600 A.D.. The first known version of chess comes from the game "Chaturanga" of India which slowly spread to different parts of Asia like China, Korea, and Japan. Eventually, traders from Persia (or Iran) were able to introduce the game across Europe and eventually, the whole world.
The museum is located within the Pan de Amerikana Bakery & Restaurant on Gen. Ordoñez in Barangay Concepcion Dos, Marikina City.
