STILL reeling from the untimely death of Arena Grandmaster Lyndon Lumancas a few weeks ago, the Mindanao chess community mourns another loss.
National Master Alexander Lupian, regarded as the first chess Olympian from the Davao region, died Saturday, October 4, after suffering a second stroke barely a month ago. He was 65.
“It is a sad day for Davao chess as NM Alexander Lupian, Davao Region's first chess Olympian, has joined our Creator,” lawyer Jose Dionisio Guevarra Sr. shared on Facebook.
Guevarra was a teammate of Lupian’s on the Davao Eagles, which reached the 2023 national finals of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) online league, finishing runner-up to the Pasig Pirates.
The country’s newest International Master from Davao, 16-year-old Christian Gian Karlo Arca, also paid tribute to Lupian, recognizing him as one of his early mentors.
“He was one of the mentors, coaches, and trainers who devoted their time, effort and sacrifices … to impart their knowledge and ideas and provide guidance that contributed much to the rapid development and progress of Christian’s learning and growth in chess,” said Arca’s father, Arman, of Lupian.
A feared advocate of the King’s Indian and Benoni Defense, Lupian was part of the University of Mindanao team that captured the 1980 national intercollegiate title, the first from any Mindanao school. His teammates included Marlo Micayabas, Tony Calvo, Peter Tidoy, Marcelino Valdez, and last-round hero Melzar Galicia.
Two years later, Lupian qualified for the 1982 World Chess Olympiad in Lucerne, Switzerland, where Cebuano International Master Rico Mascarinas won the gold medal on Board 2.
According to Engr. Allan Diez, one of Lupian’s longtime benefactors in Davao, the chess master underwent head surgery in 2006 after a motorcycle accident.
“Na-operahan na sya kadtong nahulog siya sa motor mga 2006. Then he worked with me from 2009 to 2017. Then, in 2017, pag-resign ni master Jayson Salubre, sir Giovanni Gulanes of the Davao Norte sports asked my permission to recruit NM Alex as the chess coach and trainer, to which I readily gave the go-signal. NM Alex was the chess coach and trainer of Davao Norte LGU from 2017 until his death,” Diez said.
Lupian’s interment is set for October 12 at the Tibal-og Cemetery in Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte.
