Carlos Torre Repetto: The First Mexican GM
Happy Cinco de Mayo, Impressive Chessers!
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate an impressive figure in chess history. The first Mexican Grandmaster (GM): Carlos Torre Repetto. While Torre wasn’t officially awarded the GM title until 1977, he was clearly GM strength in the early to mid 1920s and his contributions to chess are unforgettable and still studied today.
Carlos Torre was born in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, in 1904. He eventually moved to New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA).
In New Orleans, Torre trained under Edwin Adams. It was there that his foundational skills were shaped. Torre would later recall how pivotal those early lessons were to his growth.
Here's a fascinating, albeit likely composed*, game from 1920, against Adams, when Torre was just 15 years old. While it’s not a competitive game, the ideas it shows are deeply instructive.
*See: https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/adamstorre.html
Although Torre ended up on the losing side of this instructional skirmish, it clearly didn’t dampen his ambition. Just five years later, he went on to take the chess world by storm, defeating some of the greatest players of his era, including Frank Marshall and even former World Champion Emanuel Lasker. And he did so in openings that now bear his name.
Let’s take a look at two of Torre’s most iconic contributions to opening theory:
The Mexican Defense
This unusual and rarely played opening begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6!? inviting complexity from the outset. Torre used it to good effect, especially to unsettle opponents who were expecting more classical responses. The name alone is a point of pride it’s one of the few openings in top-level chess to bear a national designation, reflecting Torre’s heritage.
See below how Torre, defeated Frank Marshall with the Mexican Defense...in just 7 moves!!
The Torre Attack – Windmill Combination
This is probably Torre’s most famous game, the one that etched his name in chess history. Against former World Champion Lasker, Torre uncorked a brutal windmill tactic in the Torre Attack that has been replayed and admired for generations. See the game below:
Conclusion
Carlos Torre Repetto’s career may have been tragically short, he retired from competitive chess in his early twenties due to health issues, but his legacy lives on. Whether you're playing the solid but feisty Torre Attack or exploring the quirky Mexican Defense, you’re tapping into the spirit of a young man from Yucatán who dared to dream big and went toe-to-toe with legends.
¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo y…
¡Sigue Impresionando!
NM Craig C.
linktr.ee/ChessToImpress
