Former Russian chess world champion Anatoly Karpov speaks at a press conference before playing 20 simultaneous chess games at the Chess School of Getafe, Madrid, Spain, 28 October 2018. File photo. Victor Lerena, EPA-EFE.
MANILA, Philippines -- Russian grandmaster Anatoly Karpov, a former world champion, held a lecture at the Philippine Sports Commission's Administration Building on Tuesday.
Karpov, 71, held a talk dubbed "Meet the Legend: The Life and Chess of Anatoly Karpov," attended by local chess enthusiasts.
The event was organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.
Aside from Karpov's lecture, the attendees also got a chance to ask questions to the chess legend, who was world champion from 1975 to 1985.
There was also a screening of the movie "The Champion of the World."
Before the lecture held on Tuesday afternoon, Karpov met with Asia's first grandmaster, Eugene Torre, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum and signed some chess memorabilia.
According to the NCFP, Karpov's visit is to commemorate the 1978 World Chess Championship, which saw Karpov defeat Viktor Korchnoi in Baguio to retain the title.
Karpov was a three-time FIDE champion in 1993, 1996 and 1998, and won the World Chess championship twice as a member of the USSR team in 1985 and 1989.