Wesley So wins $100K first place at Millionaire Chess Open

[hubag bohol]

By Bert Eljera |INQUIRER.net US Bureau5:58 am | Wednesday, October 15th, 2014
   


Wesley So exults after receiving from organizer Maurice Ashley a replica of the $100,000 first prize check in the Millionaire Chess Open at Planet Hollywood. PHOTO BY PAUL TRUONG


LAS VEGAS , Nevada â€" Filipino chess grandmaster Wesley So outplayed Webster University teammate Roby Robson of the United States in the finals to capture the $100,000 first prize in the Millionaire Chess Open championships at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Despite an inferior position, So forced a draw in the first game as Robson ran into time constraints. With the white pieces in the second game, the 21-year-old So played aggressively to beat his college roommate and win the match 1.5 to .5.

It was the third prestigious victory this year for So, who carried the Philippine flag here despite a falling out with Butch Pichay Jr., the president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) over the young Filipino’s request to transfer to the US chess federation.

In May, So won the prestigious Capablanca Memorial tournament in Havana, Cuba, and in July, he topped the ACP Golden Classic in Bergamo, Italy.

He also finished behind Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine at the Edmonton International tournament in Alberta, Canada.

In 32 games so far, he has not lost a single game and here in Las Vegas, he won four and drew two in the seven-round Swiss system in the qualifying round to tie for the lead with Robson, each with six points, and qualify outright in the semifinals.

In the semis, he beat Chinese GM Jianchao Zhou to arrange the finals meeting with Robson, who prevailed over another Chinese grandmaster Yangyi Yu.

With his unbeaten streak, So has jumped to No.10 in the world, with a live rating of 2762, his personal best and the highest a Filipino chess player has ever achieved.

[insurectus]

Pila na pod kaha ka tuig makakita atong nasod og laing wesley so

[MikeLigalig.com]

Wesley So has abandoned his Philippine citizenship. A big loss.

[insurectus]

Wesley is still a pinoy, he only switched federation because of some corrupt/inconsiderate gulays sa NCFP but we still do not know if mag change ba siya og citizenship.

Daghan man unta maayo sa atoa wala lang tingali klaro or kuwang ang suporta, no wonder daghan nag US based nga top players, I heard Barbosa is also leaving

[islander]

well, russian figure skaters train in the u.s. too as part of their improvement program.  so must chess players expose themselves to different challenges, i suppose.

can't blame them if their chances are less within our country.  proud though that wesley so still carries the philippine flag.