Aglipay Oberio: The man with a plan

The DLSU Green Woodpushers and the DLSU Lady Woodpushers have been on a roll in the ongoing UAAP Season 76 Chess tournament. Both squads look to go all the way to the throne and for the Green Woodpushers, Aglipay Oberio leads the way. The powerhouse veteran has been piling up victories with ease, outwitting his opponents and fueling his teammates with his love for the game.

Oberio has a burning passion for the sport of chess. He constantly searches for new strategies and absorbs new ideas on this game centered on logic. Just like chess, he plans his life and he is overflowing with dedication to his studies and his beloved hobby. A Mechanical Engineering major, he excels not only in being a UAAP athlete, but also in his academics.

With Oberio still having to taking part in time-consuming training sessions while having to cope with his dreaded engineering subjects, being a student-athlete is a tough challenge. The discipline that chess brings certainly helps in preparing him for each mentally challenging day.

From books to boards

Family has been a crucial influence in Oberio’s passion and love for the sport. At the early age of five years old, Oberio’s father introduced him to the game of minds and guided him in developing and sharpening his skills and wisdom through years of practice.

With his skills being developed at an early age, Oberio immediately acquired a clear and sharpened mind which allowed him to participate in the Palarong Pambasa during his elementary years.

Through the years, Oberio’s abilities in controlling the flow of the board only grew deeper as his father fueled his passion to go on and dominate every competition. Furthermore, he also evolved into a serious contender in the game by spending his free time reading chess-related books. Absorbing different strategies to improve his arsenal, Oberio’s mind has been soaked with tactics to efficiently dispatch the opposing foe.

Defending the king

Oberio, now on his third year, is tasked with bolstering the ranks of the Green Woodpushers and assisting them in reclaiming the coveted throne in the men’s division of the UAAP Chess Tournament after finishing at third place last season.

Despite having the same roster as last season, Oberio shares that although the team may be the same in terms of its cast, it is definitely different with regards to the team’s skills, mentality, and hunger for the championship crown. With the efforts of his teammates and the brilliance of their coaches, Oberio is hopeful that the team will meet their championship goals this season.

“Compared to last year, we are still the same team. But we have improved our team play, we have strengthened our bonds, and we learned new ideas from our coach through research and practice,” Oberio shares.

Together with their renewed efforts and a commanding fighting spirit, Oberio relates that playing for the University and for his teammates ultimately develops the individual game of Chess into a team effort. Not only is the game mentally exhausting, but witnessing the rest of team compete in tough situations may also have adverse effects on the rest of the Green Woodpushers psychologically due to stress and tension. But better yet, when the Green Woodpushers compete side by side and take hold of each others’ struggles and despair, the tournament, along with the sport itself, sparks unity and camaraderie.

“Chess may be an individual sport but if you are playing and having the name of the school you will feel it really as a team play because if you see your teammates having difficulty with their play, you will also be affected psychologically,” Oberio humbly utters.

Touch move

While Chess, for some, may just be fun and games, Oberio and the rest of the Green Woodpushers treats the game as a win or lose platform wherein a single mistake can cost the team its downfall or worse, its chance for the championship crown.

As Oberio shares, “Sometimes we make mistakes so there are no guarantees that we’ll win. Even though you have made many good moves, just one wrong move and the game will be lost”.

Catch Aglipay Oberio and the rest of the Green and Lady Woodpushers in the 76th season of the UAAP Chess tournament as the men’s team pushes forward for the gold, while their female counterparts defend their throne from the rest of the opposition.