CANNES CHESS RESULTS

CEBUANO SANCHEZ EARNS HIS FIRST GM RESULTS IN CANNES CHESS

Final Standings: (108 player's field, 11 GM, 16 IM, 9 FM)

7.0 points---GM Christian Bauer (France), GM Ruben Felgaer (Argentina), IM Joseph Sanchez (PHILIPPINES)

6.5 points---GM Hichem Hamdouchi (Morocco), GM Ognjen Cvitan (Croatia), IM Gergely Antal (Hungrary), IM Oleg Gladyszev (Russia), GM Miroljub Lazic (Serbia and Montegro)

FINALLY after six year's campaigning it, Europe-based Joseph Sanchez earned his first Grandmaster results/ norms in the recently concluded 2008 Festival International Des Jeux last Feb. 13 to 17 in Cannes, France.

The Cebuano-native Sanchez, a protégé of NM Matias "Bombi" Aznar, finished with 7.0 points on account of six wins, two draws and a loss after nine games of play and equivalent total performance of 2634 and enough to nail his coveted first GM results according to the Fide (World Chess Federation) Handbook rules.

It was one of the annual tough events in France chess which attracted 108 player's field, a total of 11 GMs, 16 IMs and 9 FMs seeing in action.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. elated big win of Sanchez in the Euro Chess Circuit.

"He (Joseph Sanchez) made the country proud, in behalf of the NCFP we would like to congratulate him for his feat," said Pichay.

Aznar, former president of the defunct Philippine Chess Federation (PCF) and president of the South Western University said, "Proud na proud kaming mga Cebuano sa napakagandang performance ni Joseph (Sanchez) sana magtuloy-tuloy na," he added.

Actually, Sanchez ended in a tie for fist with GM Christian Bauer of France and GM Ruben Felgaer of Argentina, however, Bauer who inflicted the only loss of Sanchez in the seventh round took the title virtue of a higher 53.5 buchol'z tie break bested Felgaer's 52.5 and Sanchez's 52.

"Yes, nakuha ko ang GM norm sa Cannes Open," Sanchez told to this writer yesterday.

Among Sanchez victims that includes WFM Anne Muller, Nicolas Maleki, IM Charles Lamoreux, GM Ruben Felgaer, GM Manuel Apicella and Vladimir Doncea. His draw against Sebastian Midoux, and GM Hichem Hamdouchi.

Contributed by MARLON BERNARDINO