Sander de Erit Severino (June 30, 1985 – February 7, 2026) was a Filipino chess player who held the title of FIDE Master. He participated in the 2018 and 2022 Asian Para Games. In 2020, he was crowned the first IPCA (International Physically Disabled Chess Association) Online World Chess Champion.[1]
.jpg) Severino in 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Sander De Erit Severino | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 30, 1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | February 7, 2026 (aged 40) Silay, Negros Occidental, Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chess career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title | FIDE Master (2015) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peak rating | 2405 (January 2007) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editBorn on June 30, 1985, Sander de Erit Severino[2] was a native of Silay, Negros Occidental. Severino was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)[3] when he was eight years old.[4] Both of his legs were paralyzed due to this condition.[5] He was reliant on a wheelchair.[6]
Career
editThe Silay native started playing chess competitively at age seven and has become a regional champion at age 9 and the National Kiddies Champion at age 11.[7] Severino along with Henry Roger Lopez and Jasper Rom participated at the 2000 Millennium Grand Prix chess tournament sponsored by the Philippine Chess Society. Executive Vice President of the Social Security System Horacio Templo has sponsored the participation of disabled athletes in the chess tournament including the trio who did well in the competition.[8] In late December 2000, Severino won the Asian Continental Under-16 Championship in Bagac, Bataan,[9] with his participation sponsored again by the SSS [7] Thanks to this victory, he earned the title of FIDE Master.[9] FIDE awarded him the title in 2015.[10]
Sander Severino participated in seven editions of the ASEAN Para Games.[5][6] In the 2017 edition held in Kuala Lumpur he won a gold medal.[11]
At the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, the chess team which Severino was a part of won most of the ten gold medals won by the whole Philippine contingent. Severino himself won the individual standard P1 and individual rapid P1 events and the team standard P1 and team rapid B1 events along with Lopez and Rom.[12]
In 2020, Severino clinched the International Physically Disabled Chess Association (IPCA) World Online Chess Rapid Championship title becoming the first player representing the Philippines to do so. He was undefeated winning the finals against Igor Yarmonov of Ukraine garnering 8.5 points through 8 victories and a draw.[4]
Severino's last tournament was the 2025 ASEAN Para Games held in Thailand in January 2026, where he won five gold medals and a silver medal.[13] Severino will be posthumously awarded by the Philippine Sportswriters Association during its Awards Night on February 16 at Diamond Hotel in Manila.[14]
Death
editAfter his participation at the 2025 ASEAN Para Games in Thailand, Severino was confined for a week in a hospital. He died from heart failure in Silay, on February 7, 2026, at the age of 40.[15]
References
edit- ↑ "Sander Severino wins first IPCA Online Championship – International Chess Federation". Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Athlete Profile: Severino, Sander". 9th ASEAN Para Games KL2017 Results System. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ↑ Co, Adrian Stewart (October 12, 2018). "Asian Para Games: Negrense Severino, Gawilan harvest 2nd Gold medals". Panay News. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- 1 2 Villar, Joey (June 18, 2020). "Despite disability, Sander Severino makes history as first Filipino world champion in chess". Philippine Star. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- 1 2 "Severino, wagi sa Negros chess tilt" [Severino, victorious at Negros chess tilt]. Balita.net (in Filipino). June 2, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- 1 2 Villar, Joey (April 16, 2017). "Wheelchair-bound chesser gets support to fulfill dream". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- 1 2 "Paraplegic makes waves in U-16 chess". Philippine Star. December 19, 2000. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ↑ "Unsung hero". BusinessWorld. January 17, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- 1 2 "Severino, Caoili cop Asian U-16 chess titles". The Philippine Star. December 22, 2000. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ↑ "Severino, Sander FIDE Chess Profile". ratings.fide.com. FIDE. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ↑ "Negros int'l chess tourney kicks off". Sun Star Philippines. October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ↑ "Philippines ends Asian Para Games bid at a much improved 11th place from 24th". BusinessWorld. October 14, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ↑ Dawa, Elech. "5 pang golds kinubra ng Pinoy sa APG" [5 moe golds clinched by Pinoys in APG]. Pilipino Star Ngayon (in Filipino). No. January 27, 2026. The Philippine Star. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ↑ INQUIRER.net (February 9, 2026). "Sander Severino, PH world chess champion, dies at 40". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ↑ Ramos, Gerry (February 8, 2026). "FIDE Master, bemedalled Para chesser Sander Severino dies at 40". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
Sources
edit- Sander Severino rating card at FIDE
