THE Philippine chess mourns the passing of future Philippine Chess Hall of Famer, International Master Emmanuel Senador who reportedly succumbed to colon cancer on Wednesday, February 23.

There are no proper details yet on the burial of the 62-year-old Ilonggo chesser (March 25, 1960 - February 23, 2022), who listed Quezon City, Metro Manila as his present address, except for the outpouring condolences and words of sympathy that flooded in social media.

“Rest in peace to our former Philippine Paralympic chess team coach IM Manny Senador. Thanks for the memories,” wrote National Master Henry Roger Lopez on his Facebook wall.

Although short-lived, Lopez said that the tactical genius Senador’s tenure with the Paralympics team was worth it as he’s equally good with the one he replaced in Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio Jr.

“Ang Isabela Knights of Alexander at ang Philippine Chess Correspondence Association ay nagdadalamhati sa pagpanaw ng ating kapamilya sa industriya ng ahedres. Sa ngalan po ng team, buong puso po kaming nakikiramay sa pamilya ni sir IM Manny Senador. Maraming salamat po at naging parte po kayo ng team Isabela, ng PCAP, ng PCCA. Snappy Salute Sir IM Manny Senador,” read the statement of the Isabela Knights of which Senador had played with during the last conference of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP).

“He was a brave and passionate Knight. The cancer illness did not stop him from playing competitive chess in PCAP last year with some good results,” said Arena Grandmaster Rey Urbiztondo of the Surigao Fianchetto Checkmates.

Some of Senador’s accomplishments in the last decade of his fruitful career was finishing ahead of 13-time Philippine Open champion GM Antonio in the 2010 Candon Open chess championship in Ilocos Sur and Malaysian IGB 2018 Cititel KL Senior Open where he both emerged champion.

A late-bloomer sharing he only learned chess at the age of 12, IM Senador once told the Asian Yatzchess.Blogspot.com news that poverty would normally delay the development of talented chess players in under-developed countries.

“(The) Philippines is a poor country so you have to train on your own,” then said Senador, who gained at least one GM norm before his death.