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Wesley So

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Wesley So
Full nameWesley Barbasa So
Country Philippines
Born (1993-10-09) October 9, 1993 (age 30)
Cavite, Philippines
TitleGrandmaster (2008)
FIDE rating2751 (August 2024) (No. 50 in the March 2013 FIDE World Rankings)
Peak rating2701 (March 2013)
RankingNo. 10 (August 2024)

Wesley So (born October 9, 1993) is a Filipino chess grandmaster. So achieved the GM title at the age of 14 years, 1 month and 28 days, making him the 8th youngest chess grandmaster in history.[1] Before becoming a grandmaster, So had become the youngest Filipino International Master at the age of 12 years and 10 months. He won the 2009 Corus chess tournament in the Grandmaster C group.

As of March 2013, So is ranked No. 1 in the Philippines, No. 2 among juniors and No. 50 in the world. He previously was the strongest Under-16 player in the world.[2] In October 2008, So was rated 2610 and thus became the youngest player ever in the history of the game to break the 2600 Elo barrier, breaking the record previously held by Magnus Carlsen.[3] In January 2009, he achieved a rating of 2627, a Philippine national record, surpassing the Elo 2621 rating of GM Mark Paragua achieved in April 2006.

Early life

So was born in Bacoor, Cavite in 1993 to William and Eleanor So, who are both accountants. He was aged 6 when his father taught him to play chess and was 9 when he started to compete in junior active chess tournaments, where his aggressive and tactical style of play caught the attention of former Philippine chess champion, International Master Rodolfo Tan Cardoso. Cardoso said, "The young lad ... would sacrifice a queen or any other pieces in his arsenal to get a winning attack." Also according to Cardoso, So did not have the full sponsorships enjoyed by the other chess prodigies, saying "He cannot afford decent training given by well known GM-coaches and has to rely on his pure talent, diligence and, of course, the Fritz programs before competing." So formerly attended the Jesus Good Shepherd School and went on to St. Francis of Assisi College in Bacoor.[4]

In August 2012, So began his full-time study at Webster University[5] in St. Louis under the SPICE program,[6] which was founded by former women's world champion Susan Polgar.[7]

Chess career

So claims his first major tournament win was taking 1st place at the 2003 Philippine National Chess Championships for the under 10 age group.[8]

In 2006, So became the youngest member of the national men's team to participate at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy at the age of 12. In December of the same year, he also became the youngest National Open Chess Champion. In May 2007, he went on to become the youngest National Junior Open Chess Champion. So won the gold medal on board one at the 2007 World Under 16 Team Championship with a score of 9½/10.

He achieved his third and final Grandmaster norm on December 8, 2007 at the third Pichay Cup International Open (Manila, Philippines), thus becoming the youngest Filipino grandmaster at the age of 14.[9] He also became the seventh youngest to achieve the Grandmaster title in the history of chess, edging out French GM Étienne Bacrot from that spot by a few days. So got his first GM norm in the Offene Internationale Bayerische Schach Meisterschaft in Bad Wiessee, Germany and his second GM norm in the 2007 U-20 World Junior Chess Championship in Yerevan, Armenia. Since December 2007, So has been considered to be the world's youngest grandmaster at the age of 14.

On April 16, 2008, So won the title in the $45,000 Dubai Open Chess Championships, "The Sheikh Rashed Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup", at the Dubai Chess Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and setting a record as the youngest winner in the 10-year history of the Cup. He finished with 7 points on six wins, one loss and two draws after nine games. He won one-fourth ($4,500) of the combined prize of $18,000.[10][11] GM So also placed third at the sidelight Blitz Tournament of the Dubai Open Chess Championships held during the rest day of the main open tournament.

The Philippines' top gun then proceeded to Jakarta, Indonesia where he battled Indonesia's Number 1 GM Susanto Megaranto 4-2 (three wins, two draws and one loss) in a six-game match on the occasion of the JAPFA Chess Festival.[12]

On May 5, 2008, So won the top prize of P 200,000, in the "Battle of GMs" chess competition by notching 8½ points, on six wins and five draws, at the Citystate Hotel, Manila. One point ahead of second placer Eugenio Torre and Richard Bitoon, So agreed to split the point with three-time national junior champion Jon Paul Gomez in 30 moves of the French Defence.[13]

On the January 2009 FIDE rating list, GM So's Elo rating was 2627, making him the highest ranked chess player in the Philippines ahead of other notable Filipino grandmasters such as Mark Paragua, Rogelio Antonio, Jr. and Eugenio Torre (who is second with 2560 Elo rating). He was rated the world's strongest chess player for his age level (players born in 1993 and later) with an Elo rating of 2627 ahead of Chinese GM Hou Yifan (born 1994, Elo 2557) and Russian GM Sanan Sjugirov (born 1993, Elo 2545). The latest ratings put So on the 9th spot of the world top 20 juniors list. He won the Corus Group C 2009 championship besting his nearest rival by one point.

So won the Top Junior Prize during Aeroflot 2009, with 5/9. His wins included one against then-IM Tatiana Kosintseva, who won the tournament's Top Woman Prize.

So won a seat in the World Cup by placing second during Zone 3.3 Chess Championship which was held on July 23–29, 2009 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

In November–December at the 2009 Chess World Cup he defeated Gadir Guseinov and scored victories over former world championship contenders Vassily Ivanchuk (Elo 2739) and Gata Kamsky (Elo 2695) before being knocked out by Vladimir Malakhov in Round 4.

In July 2011 he won the Philippine Chess Championship.[14]

Results

Date Tournament Location Place Score Notes
February 2013 Reykjavik Open 2013 Reykjavík, Iceland 1st 8 10 3-way tie for first with Pavel Eljanov and Amin Baseem
February 2011 Aeroflot Open 2011 Moscow, Russia N/A 2.5 6 Withdrew after sixth round.
January 2010 Corus Group B Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands 4th 7.5 13
November 2009 2009 Chess World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 4th round
September (November) 2009 2009 SPICE Cup International Chess Tournament Texas, USA 6th 4.5 10
May 2009 Asian Chess Championship Subic, Philippines 21st 6.5 11
February 2009 Aeroflot Open 2009[15] Moscow, Russia 1st - Junior 5 9 Grabbed the Top Junior Prize. His wins included one against IM Tatiana Kosintseva, who won the tournament's Top Woman Prize.[16][17]
January 2009 71st Corus Chess Tournament[18] Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands 1st 9.5 13 Award: 1st Place in Group C[19]
December 2008 First Asian Club Cup[20] Al Ain, UAE 1st - Board 1 / Team - 4th 5.5 7 Award: So won the 1st Board Prize (ahead of Sergey Karjakin); Tagaytay Chess Club players: Wesley So (Board 1), John Paul Gomez (Board 2), Mark Paragua (Board 3), & Darwin Laylo (Board 4)
November 2008 38th Chess Olympiad Dresden, Germany 7 10 Players: Wesley So (Board 2), Buenaventura Villamayor, Jayson Gonzales, Paul John Gomez, Darwin Laylo; Captain: Eugene Torre; So played 10 games - 4 Wins and 6 Draws
July 2008 2008 World Chess Olympiad Qualifier Mandaluyong, Philippines 2nd 12.5 17
May 2008 1st Subic Bay International Open Chess Championship Subic, Philippines 2nd 6.5 9
May 2008 2nd Philippine Open International Chess Tournament[21] Subic, Philippines 10th / 73 7.5 11
Apr/May 2008 2008 Philippine "Battle of Grandmasters"[22] Manila, Philippines 1 8.5 11
Apr 2008 2008 Japfa Chess Festival 2008 vs GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia 1 4 6 Six games Fide rated one-on-one duel
Apr 2008 2008 Dubai Open Blitz Tournament Dubai, UAE 3 7 9
Apr 2008 10th Dubai Open Chess Championship[23] Dubai, UAE 1st 7 9 The championship ended in a four way tie, and So clinched the championship title on superior technical counts.
Mar 2008 Mayor Allen Singson Open Chess Tourney[24] Candon City, Philippines 1 6 7
Jan 2008 "GM Tournament A" ASEAN Masters Chess Circuit Tarakan, Indonesia 4
Dec 2007 Fianchetto Realty/Gold Edge Assets Christmas Invitational Tournament Prince Gregory Condominium, Cubao, Quezon City 1 (GM-IM blitz category)
Dec 2007 2007 Pichay Cup International Chess Tournament Earned his final GM norm, became the 7th youngest grandmaster in world history and the youngest ever Filipino grandmaster.[25][26]
Nov 2007 2007 GMA Cup International Chess Tournament 6th / 64
Oct 2007 World Junior Chess Championship Earned his 2nd GM norm
18-20 Jun 2007 Shell Battle of Champions, 15th Anniversary SM Megamall, Philippines 1
06-9 May 2007 National Juniors Open Chess Championship Marketplace, Kalentong 1
25-31 Dec 2006 3rd Singapore Masters International Open Singapore Tied for 4th place Rank 14 (99 players)
Dec 2006 National Open Chess Championship Manila, Philippines 1
2006 Nov 17-23 1st President GMA Cup International Chess Tournament Parañaque, Philippines Tied for 6th place Award: Top Juniors, 3rd
2006 Nov 04-12 Offene Internationale Bayerische Schaha Meisterschaft Bad Wiessee, Germany Tied for 2nd place Award: Earned first GM norm. Creativity Award: chosen by Russian website e3e5.
2006 Oct 20-28 III Festival de Ajedrez Open Internacionale Calvià, Spain Award: Best Under-16, Blitz.
2006 Oct 08 Title awarded by FIDE: International Master
2006 Aug 20-28 3rd IGB Dato Arthur Tan Malaysia Open Chess Championship Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Award: Best Under 16 player. Earned 3rd IM norm.
2006 Jun 05-11 2nd San Marino Open Internationale de Scacchi San Marino Republic Award: Best Under 16 player. Earned 2nd IM norm.
2006 May20-Jun04 37th Chess Olympiad Torino, Italy Youngest RP Olympian.
2006 Apr22-May02 8th Dubai Open Chess Championship, Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamadan Ak Maktoum Cup Dubai, UAE Earned 1st IM norm.
2005 Dec 26-30 Masters/Challengers Intl Open Singapore Finished 32nd individual Award: Best Under 12 player.
2005 Aug 01-06 Nice Open International Nice, France Finished 9th
2005 Jul 18-29 World Youth Chess Championship Belfort, France Equal first
2005 June 14–20 7th Asean Age-Group Chess Championship Pattaya, Thailand Individual Awards: Gold Medallist, Standard Chess; Gold Medallist, Rapid Chess; Gold Medallist, Blitz Chess.
2004 Dec 01-08 World Youth Chess Championship Crete, Greece Finished: 13th.
2004 Sep 02-12 6th Asean Age-Group Chess Championship Vung Tau, Vietnam Individual Awards: Gold Medallist, Standard Chess; Gold Medallist, Rapid Chess.

Team Awards: Silver Medallist, Standard Chess, Silver Medallist Rapid Chess.

2003 Nov 03-10 World Youth Chess Championship Heraklio, Greece Finished: 19th.

References

  1. ^ GmaNews.Tv, So is now RP's youngest GM, world's 7th youngest
  2. ^ http://ratings.fide.com/top.phtml?list=men
  3. ^ von Kietz, Michael (12 February 2013). "Carlsen's Conquests – at 22 he has broken all records". ChessBase News. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  4. ^ Luarca, Roy (2008-04-16). "Brilliant Wesley So tops tough Dubai Open - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". Inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2008-05-06. Retrieved 2008-05-14. So, an incoming junior at St. Francis of Assisi College -Bacoor, swept his first five foes... {{cite web}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  5. ^ http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2012/08/wesley-so-arriving-at-webster-university.html
  6. ^ http://www.webster.edu/spice/
  7. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Polgar
  8. ^ Interview with Wesley So
  9. ^ So newest, youngest GM from Manila Standard Today
  10. ^ manilastandardtoday.com, So wins Dubai Open, $4.5k
  11. ^ gulfnews.com, World's youngest GM So wins Dubai Open
  12. ^ The chess games of Wesley So
  13. ^ ABS-CBN Interactive, So wins ‘Battle of GMs’ title
  14. ^ "Wesley So Wins Philippines National Chess Championship". Chessdom. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  15. ^ Aeroflot Open 2009
  16. ^ Grabbed the Top Junior Prize
  17. ^ Aeroflot Festival 2009 Tournament A1
  18. ^ 71st Corus Chess Tournament
  19. ^ GM Wesley So Wins 2009 Corus C
  20. ^ First Asian Club Cup
  21. ^ 2nd Philippine Open International Chess Tournament
  22. ^ Clash of Philippines' best chess players
  23. ^ 10th Dubai Open Chess Championship
  24. ^ GM Wesley So to join and hold simul games - Allen Singson Chess
  25. ^ World's Youngest GM – GM Wesley So, age 14
  26. ^ Chess prodigies and mini-grandmasters
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