FIDE Master Sander Severino passed away last Saturday due to heart failure.

He was 40.

Severino last competed in the 13th ASEAN Para Games in Thailand last January where he won five golds in chess.

National team coach James Infiesto posted a heartfelt message for his fallen woodpusher.

“My heart is shattered for our fallen comrade, Sander Severino. We shared so many dreams for the team, so many battles still waiting to be fought side by side,” Infiesto said.

“The pain of losing you is heavy, yet we surrender to God’s will, trusting that He has called you to rest in His loving embrace.

You will forever live in our hearts—in every move we make, in every fight we continue, and in every victory we dedicate to the team you loved so dearly.”

The Silay, Negros Occidental native was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease at eight years old and was confined to a wheelchair.

His disability did not stop him as he went on to win a total 12 golds, two silvers, and two bronzes in the ASEAN Para Games.

But one of his greatest achievements was at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indoensia where he won in a total of four golds in Individual Rapid P1, Individual Standard P1, Team Standard P1, and Team Rapid P1.

Severino will be posthumously honored in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night on 16 February at the Diamond Hotel Manila.