Manuel Pena Gomez is an International Chess Grandmaster from Spain. He was born in Seville on 20th January 1978. He is the only Andalusian who achieved this title and is considered one of the best players of the history of Andalusian chess. He is one of the few elite chess players who did not start in competition until adulthood, being already an International Master when in 2011 he won the international open in Sevilla.
In 2012, he achieved the "norm" for the second category of Grandmaster at the international open in Benasque. In 2013, he achieved the final "norm" and so claimed the title of International Grandmaster from the International Chess Federation.
In 2015, Pena Gomez won the 50th and 51st finals of the Spanish Chess Championship, which made him the first Andalusian to achieve this. His exceptional trajectory has resulted in him being awarded the Gold Plate of the Royal Andalusian Chess Federation.