So young yet so good, Wesley So will again be tested when he spearheads a Philippine squad bound for the Asian Chess Team Championships in Visakhapatnam, South India, early next year.
Now the world’s youngest Grandmaster at 14, So may yet be given the top board assignment over fellow GMs Rogelio “Joey†Antonio, Eugene Torre and Mark Paragua and International master Julio Catalino Sadora when the Filipinos compete against the world-ranked Indians and Chinese and entries from the former Soviet Republics in the tournament set Jan. 2-11.
So, who became a full-fledged GM during the recent third Prospero Pichay Jr. Cup, is expected to overtake Antonio as the country’s top player when the Fide (World Chess Federation) releases its players’ rating in January.
National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Pichay is pleased with So’s rapid rise and wants to give him maximum exposure.
Pichay said he will also nominate So to be the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s “Athlete of the Year†for 2007.
“So’s accomplishment in the international chess scene is unprecedented,†said Pichay. “Right now, he is the world’s youngest GM at age 14 years, one month and 28 days and the world’s seventh youngest to achieve the feat.â€
So, the world’s strongest player in his age-group, Antonio, Torre and Paragua were all members of the RP men’s team that landed 44th in the 2006 Turin Chess Olympiad. Paragua manned the top board then with Torre and Antonio playing board 2 and 3 and So serving as an alternate.
Composing the women’s team are Sheerie Joy Lomibao, Beverly Mendoza, Sherily Cua and Catherine Perena, the same players that gave the country 26th place in the Turin Olympiad.
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