After the formalities of checking into a hotel near full capacity, the DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Invitational Masters & International Open officially started today with the Technical Meeting at 6 p.m. where Grandmaster Jospeh Sanchez kindly agreed to step down to play in the Open to allow young International Master Argyadip Das the opportunity to play in the Masters and to complete the requirements for the Grandmaster title.
Sanchez will now headline an Open field that saw numerous changes over the course of the night due to international travel challenges and some last minute entries which means the event is now at 66 participants, 4 down from the original 70.
He will however be challenged by a deep field heavily represented by players from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines and which includes 4 other Grandmasters, 12 International Masters, and 6 FIDE Masters.
