<Given the breaks in his youth, Ruben would have easily earned the GM title even ahead of Torre, Antonio, and Villamayor.

The last time we saw Ruben was rather late at night while driving on a deserted street leading to BF Homes Almanza in Las Piñas. We almost bumped him. One of your authors stopped his car when he recognized him if if only to greet him to be more careful in crossing dark streets at night wearing grey-colored clothes.

Laughing it off, he told us he had come from one of the houses in the subdivision where he was teaching a promising youngster the intricacies of the Ruy Lopez. Later we learned he was doing it for free.

Rodriguez died a bachelor.>

<Rodriguez first won the national title 1986. He nearly missed out a long-cherished GM norm in the 1992 Olympiad, beating three GMs and losing a won position against super-GM Gata Kamsky on time forfeit, before faltering in his final round game.

Rodriguez's book-worm image was disguised through irrepressible behavior and a bohemian lifestyle that stamped him as an eccentric.

He would guzzle beer, smoke and play chess among friends and players at the Luneta Chess Plaza. He would sleep nearly anywhere, clutching a big travelling bag containing chess books, novels, thick notebooks and canned food.>

<IM Ruben Rodriguez died over the chessboard. He was playing in one of Mila Emperado’s chess tournaments, a 9-round event. In the 8th round he was among the leaders in the tournament but suffered a diabetic attack against Ponciano Badilles. Ponce was trying to hold an inferior position but suddenly noticed that Rodriguez was very pale and sleeping across the board. When Ruben would not wake up Ponce stood up, asked for help and told Mila he was resigning the game (no truth to the rumor that Ponce waited for Ruben’s clock to fall before calling for medical help). Ruben never woke up. The next day the tournament was cancelled and all prize money went to his funeral.

Perhaps Ruben had already felt the end was near, for in his notebook was a recent note saying that he had no regrets.>