Who is Wesley So?

Wesley So, who hails from Bacoor, Cavite, is a 16 year old Filipino chess grandmaster, and currently the Philippines’ highest-ranked player. His current ELO rating of 2640 is the highest so far achieved by a Filipino, beating the 2621 rating of GM Mark Paragua in 2006. Wesley, a chess prodigy, achieved the GM title at the age of 14 years, 1 month and 28 days. That made him the 7th youngest person to achieve the Grandmaster title in the history of chess.

What are his other achievements?

- He is currently ranked 7th highest rated junior (Under-20) in the world.
- He became the youngest Filipino International Master at the age of 12 years and 10 months.
- Winner of the prestigious 2009 Corus chess tournament for the Grandmaster C group.
- In October 2008, he breached the 2600 ELO, and became the youngest player ever to achieve that.
- At age 12 in in 2006, he became the youngest member of the national men’s team to participate at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy.
- At 13, he also became the youngest Philippine National Open Chess Champion, and the National Junior Open Chess Champion
- He won gold medal on board one at the 2007 World Under 16 Team Championship with a score of 9½/10.
- On April 16, 2008, Wesley So, won the $45,000 Dubai Open Chess Championships. He sets the record as the youngest winner in the 10-year history of the Cup.
- He bagged the Top Junior Prize during Aeroflot 2009.
- He is currently the strongest under-16 player

Why compare him to Manny Pacquiao?

It is because he knocked out other players who are stronger and more popular than him. In 2008, he battled Indonesia’s Number 1 GM Susanto Megaranto in a six-game match on the occasion of the JAPFA Chess Festival. He won 4-2. So also won the top prize in the “Battle of GMs” chess competition, held at the City State Hotel in Manila.

Currently, he is playing at the round 4 of 2009 World Chess Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. His notable super GM victims are Vassily Ivanchuk (no. 12, 2739) and Gata Kamsky (no, 41, 2695). The latter is the defending Champion of this tournament. And every chess fan knows who these two players are.

As I followed his winning games against the two at the chessgames.com, I noticed his very aggressive plays, just like the knock-out punches of Manny. Interestingly, he won while handling the black pieces. Ivanchuk and Kamsky may have their excuses why they lost to the younger and lower-rated So, but they will forever remember him.

Why Wesley So and other Philippine Chess Players Needs Support?

Unlike Manny Pacquiao, there aren’t many sponsors for Wesley So. No Nike, no HBO, and no Bob Arum. And there is even no Roach-like coach in his side. In a recent interview posted at the World Chess Cup official website, he said “…Another problem is that chess in not that famous in the Philippines. We don’t get any financial support from the Government. They don’t give money for tournaments, coaches, nothing. Our National Federation pays our tickets. That’s it. You realize at one moment that to reach some professional level you need private sponsors. I would be happy with some 20-30 thousand US dollars a year,”

I remembered that not long ago, the father of another chess prodigy, Mark Paragua, also pleaded for support. Mark had gone a long way then, competing in tournaments after another, and winning even at the turf of the Russians.

This isn’t difficult really. The government, with all its problems, may not be able to extend a helping hand. But maybe, some known sports-loving Corporate-backers can lend their financial support. Look, a 16-year old is making waves at a sport mostly dominated by a European-sounding name! Can’t they see it?

Chess, like boxing, is definitely one sport wherein we Filipinos can excel. And no one will ever be in danger of some brain damage after a match.

(sources: Wikipedia.org and Fide.com)

Related posts:

1. Beautiful Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk
2. Sports Wishes for 2012
3. Gen. Manny Pacquiao

- 2008 Women’s World Chess Champion
- Currently 10th in FIDE ratings (women) as of January 2009.
- Current ELO rating of 2516
- Russian Champion 2005
- European Champion 2004
- At 17, Women’s Vice Champion of the World, 2001
- At 14, she became International Woman Grandmaster (WGM)
- Grandmaster (Men), the 10th woman in the whole history of chess who got this title
- At 12, World Champion of girls 12-under.
- At 10 (1994) European Champion girls 10-under. Shared first/second place at World
- Championship for girls 10-under
- Learned chess at age 5

Ms. Kosteniuk, after being trained by her father at age 5, went on reap to awards and titles one after another. She went a mile further by opening a website (which is maintained by her husband), carried a motto that chess is cool, and encouraged young people to play the game. She also established a Chess fund to promote chess in the world, and to encourage children to take the sport. Her mission is a very noble one and 50% of the profits earned from her site go to that fund.

She has been in the cover of many magazines (sports and fashion) in the past. She’s often compared to tennis goddess Anna Kournikova, but Alexandra has won real tournaments. To know more about her, check her website at kosteniuk.com. It’s not just about pretty pictures but also about chess and improving one’s game.

I started playing chess at age 5 too. Though there was this passion, we do not have the resources to go further than the neighborhood and school games. I was the elementary school champion at age 10, but I was stuck at that, having lost more games at the division level. The passion just died down when my neighbors began to shift to another sports. I wished I would go back in time and devote more time for that sport which I first loved.

Now, if given a chance to play one-on-one, face-to-face with the chess queen Alexandra Kosteniuk, would you be up for the challenge?

Nah, I’d rather watch her play.

Note: picture was found in the internet but not from her official website. I guess this one is sourced from her website too.

Related posts:

1. Wesley So: The Manny Pacquiao of Chess
2. Changes For 2009
3. Sports Wishes for 2012