Europe-based Filipino Joseph Sanchez, the former coach of GM Mark Paragua, will become the country’s 11th GM in April. National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Butch Pichay Jr. made the announcement recently after FIDE released the titles it approved during its first quarter presidential board meeting last March 5-8 in Istanbul, Turkey.“I’m proud and happy to announce that we have a new grandmaster in Joseph Sanchez,” said Pichay. The 39-year-old Sanchez clinched his third and final GM norm by finishing third in Group A of the third International Open “Pierre et Vacances” in Cannes, France where he scored 6.5 points in nine rounds.

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