|
Post by cjeagle on Dec 14, 2016 3:40:33 GMT 8
2016 London Chess Classic: Round 4
At 1:37, interesting commentary about Wesley, as observed by some, to be a possible World Champion.
"Malcolm Pein actually, who is the organizer of the event, seeing that game (Aronian vs So Rd3), watching Wesley now, it seems to him that Wesley is starting to show maybe the mark of a World Champion. And Nigel Short turned around and said, I was having a discussion with one Gary Kasparov and he was starting to say the same thing."
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Dec 17, 2016 10:57:17 GMT 8
London, Rd. 7: The Nakamura Show en.chessbase.com/post/london-rd- ... amura-show ... In the post-game interview with Maurice Ashley, World #3 and former champion Kramnik praised So as the one who played the best chess in 2016, even better than current champion Carlsen. For the former World Champion from Russia, So "is a very very serious challenger for Magnus in the years to come".
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Dec 19, 2016 3:22:40 GMT 8
Wesley So has officially won the 2016 Grand Chess Tour after topping the final leg, the London Chess Classic today.
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Dec 20, 2016 13:00:40 GMT 8
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Jan 1, 2017 5:01:20 GMT 8
Twin Cities chess grandmaster reaches lofty heights, hauls in big prizes Wesley So has a chess rating that only 11 others in the history of the game have achieved. A chess grandmaster from Minnetonka has gone from a rising star to an established one by winning his second consecutive super elite tournament and reaching a level of play that only 11 others in the history of the game have achieved. Wesley So is now being touted as one of two players most likely to contend for the world chess championship in coming years. "This year, he's played maybe the best chess in the world," said Russian grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik, a former world champion. "I really think he's going to be a serious challenger to [World Champion] Magnus Carlsen." So, 23, won the London Chess Classic on Sunday, a tournament featuring eight of the top 10 players in the world, making it one of toughest events of the year. That victory came just months after winning one of the other top tournaments of the year, the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis. So's undefeated performance in those two events, which Carlsen skipped, plus his strong showing in two other elite tournaments, made him the winner of the 2016 Grand Chess Tour, a circuit of four prestigious tournaments with a $100,000 grand prize going to the player who had the best results throughout the series. All totaled, So won $295,000 in prize money in those four tournaments, on top of tens of thousands of dollars earned at other events during the year. But the achievement that earned So a place in chess history is that his international chess rating has now surpassed 2800, a level that only 11 other players have ever reached. Not even the legendary Bobby Fischer broke the 2800 barrier. Ranked No. 4 So has now climbed to No. 4 in the world rankings. "We just have to recognize what a great achievement [this is] for this young man," said U.S. grandmaster Yasser Seirawan. Former world champion Garry Kasparov tweeted: "Congratulations to Wesley So for winning the #GrandChessTour! He showed great consistency [and], bad news for opponents, he's still improving." Kasparov and several other grandmasters said that So and fellow American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana, 24, are the two players who pose the biggest threat to Carlsen's world champion title. "He and Fabi — they look like the real deal," said British grandmaster Nigel Davies. So said he was honored by the praise, but tried to downplay it. "It's too early to compare me and Magnus. We'll take it one step at a time," he said after the match during an Internet broadcast. Some of So's rivals, including Caruana, sounded irritated at all the accolades for So. Caruana, the U.S. champion and No. 2 player in the world, complimented So for his solid play and his big improvement, but also said, "I don't see anything terrifying in his play, as well." A banner year So won a gold medal for his play at the Chess Olympiad held in Azerbaijan in September, a performance that helped the U.S. win the team gold medal for the first time in 40 years. And a blitz game — 5 minutes for each player — that he played against Kasparov in April was so remarkable for its multiple intuitive and winning piece sacrifices that it has been dubbed "The Immortal Blitz Game." "It's a wonderful feeling to have all the hard work and sacrifice by me and my family pay off," So said of his success. So said his year "had been going just about normal until the Sinquefield Cup [in August], and somehow something clicked after that." So has been playing against the world's best for two years now, since he broke into the world's top 10 and started receiving invitations to the highest level tournaments. That competition — which left him in last place in the Sinquefield Cup in 2015 — has taught him a lot and sharpened his play, he said. "I'd also like to thank the Lord for letting me win such a prestigious event," he said over the weekend. Next up for So is playing in another high-level tournament in the Netherlands in January, where the field will include world champ Carlsen. www.startribune.com/twin-cities-chess-grandmaster-reaches-lofty-heights-hauls-in-big-prizes/407468676/
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Jan 27, 2017 16:36:19 GMT 8
Wesley now has a top notch coach to help him with the goal of becoming world champion. Unlike his peers, he never had the benefit of an elite level coach before. en.chessbase.com/post/wesley-so-partners-with-tukmakovHe hasn't lost in more than 50 games, not since July of 2016 and has won the last 2 elite level championships, while leading a third one right now in the Netherlands by a full point with only 3 rounds to go(even ahead of world champion Carlsen). He currently has the third highest Elo live rating in the world and is slowly gaining on both the 2 higher rated GMs ahead of him, Caruana and world chess champion Carlsen.
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Jan 30, 2017 10:22:54 GMT 8
Wesley So wins his third straight elite level tournament, the TATA Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk an zee, Netherlands, this time with World chess champion Carlsen participating. He finished ahead of Carlsen by a full point. He is now the 2nd highest rated chess player in the world, and has Carlsen in his sights. He also has maintained his unbeaten streak at 56 games. Even though he plays for the US now, he prefers accepting his award from former champion Karpov, in the traditional Filipino attire, the Barong Tagalog: So showing his graciousness and humility in the post tournament interview, just like Pacquiao praising God for his accomplishments and complimenting everyone including his opponents, tournament organizers and the journalists present. His ELO rating is the sixth highest ever in chess history:
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Jan 31, 2017 19:41:20 GMT 8
Message to his fans:
Wesley So: "The last 24 hours have been like a dream and I could not even sleep for too much excitement and disbelief that this really happened for me. Too many duties to attend today and tomorrow but I wanted to say to you all how much I appreciate your kindness and support.
I know you have stuck by me through thick and thin and helped me along with prayers and good messages. All of that has helped me through my difficulties. I do not believe for a moment that I did this on my own.
I am evelastingly grateful to all of you who believe in my potentil to achieve my dreams and also to my God who is so patient with my failings.
Thank you to my foster family who never stopped believing in me and pushing me to accomplish my goals.
Tomorrow I will be taken to Parliament House in the Hague and play a simul against the members of Parliament and the Kings council. Imagine. Me. A Filipino boy from a small town. Really? AMDG"
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Feb 2, 2017 6:45:14 GMT 8
Wesley So, the Filipinos' loss is the Americans' gain The buzz in local sports media recently has been centered on Wesley So. He is a 23-year-old chess player who, if he stays on his current winning path, could become world No. 1. He was born in Cavite, but he now lives halfway around the world in Minnetonka, a city in Minnesota that gets really cold in the winter. Ten years ago, he was groomed as the future of Philippine chess. When he competes nowadays, it’s as if his roots have been erased. Three letters are affixed beside his name when he joins tournaments: USA. In an article about So posted on the Star Tribune on Monday, the writer never mentioned he is a Filipino. Or was. And this is where the debate begins. So has been playing for the United States Chess Federation since 2014, but he remains a Philippine passport holder. “Will I change citizenship? That is years away from happening if ever,” So told Manila Standard on January 22. So’s situation has divided the local chess community, according to Joey Villar, a chess insider for the Philippine Star. “Some support his decision, while some feel he betrayed his country,” Villar said. “Wesley says he is a Filipino representing the US, but American and foreign chess writers refer to him as an American. Which is which?” In an interview with ABS-CBN News in 2014, So voiced his displeasure with local chess officials when he won a tournament he wasn’t supposed to join. They didn’t recognize his feat, So said, because they deemed it an act of disobedience. “No player should be treated this way, especially when I worked so hard to bring pride to my country,” said So. The chess brain drain has been going on for years, with top players immigrating to the US, Europe and elsewhere because the grass is greener there. According to this report, Grandmaster Richard Bitoon received only a daily allowance and free meals for this tournament of grandmasters. In the West, a grandmaster is treated the way the Philippines treats Manny Pacquiao — like a god. So hasn’t lost in 56 matches, a stretch that includes winning the Grand Chess Tour and the Taal Steel tournament, two competitions that helped him shoot up the International Chess Federation (FIDE) rankings. In December, So was part of the US team that won the Chess Olympiad gold medal in September, the first by an American squad in 40 years. He also took the individual gold medal in a competition that gathered the best in the world. Garry Kasparov, the Russian chess great and former world No. 1, took the time to give So a shout-out after So topped the Grand Chess Tour series in December. That’s why losing So’s allegiance stings the most because he could become the world's top-ranked player. Since 1971 when the FIDE started tracking the world No. 1, only 7 players have reached that pinnacle. If that happens, in the minds of some Filipinos, So would bring honor to the country. But in reality, it’s the United States that would receive the glory. Villar believes So will be a world champion. When that day comes, the feeling will be bittersweet. “It gives me a lot of joy knowing a Filipino made it that far,” Villar said, “but, at the same time, it makes my heart bleed that he is carrying another country’s flag.” news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/01/17/wesley-so-the-filipinos-loss-is-the-americans-gain
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Feb 15, 2017 10:51:52 GMT 8
First time the top 10 grandmasters by ElO rating will be playing in the same tournament together. norwaychess.no/en/2017/02/14/top-10-worlds-best-chess-players-to-stavanger/An all time high chess-elite will be gathered to play in Altibox Norway Chess Altibox Norway Chess, the chess super tournament, has managed to gather the world’s top 10 best players for the 2017 edition. The tournament aims to be amongst the top 3 strongest chess tournaments in the world. The 2017 tournament takes place from June 5 to 17 at the Clarion Energy Hotel and at the Stavanger Concert Hall. The participants are, by rating: 1. World chess champion, Magnus Carlsen (Norway) 2. Wesley So (USA) 3. Fabiano Caruana (USA) 4. Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 5. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) 6. Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 7. Viswanathan Anand (India) 8. Levon Aronian (Armenia) 9. Sergey Karjakin (Russia) 10. Anish Giri (The Netherlands) “We are very pleased that we have managed to gather the world’s 10 best players in our tournament this year. It’s a special year to us being our 5th anniversary. The fact that we are the first ones ever to bring together the top 10 players in the world in one tournament shows that Altibox Norway Chess has established itself as the strongest and one of the most important tournaments in the chess world. We have, since the tournament’s inception in 2013, wanted to create a unique chess tournament. This shows that we have succeeded.” – Kjell Madland, Founder Several of the players have participated in Altibox Norway Chess earlier, including former World Champion, Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand and Magnus Carlsen’s challenger in last year’s World Chess Championship, Sergey Karjakin, who won Norway Chess in 2013 and 2014. New to the tournament this year is Philippine-born, Wesley So, who is number two in the world. So have previously commented: “I’m glad that I can finally join Altibox Norway Chess. Norway is so beautiful, I love that country! Great people, good food and hopefully good chess. What more could one ask for?”
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Apr 12, 2017 2:36:04 GMT 8
Wesley wins his 4th straight elite level chess tournament, the US Chess Championship a few days ago. So Beats Onischuk To Win 1st U.S. Championship English MikeKlein FM MikeKlein Apr 10, 2017, It turns out, the PRO Chess League was just the warmup. After winning the MVP award last month for scoring the highest league performance rating, today GM Wesley So continued his rapid brilliance in the Monday playoff for the 2017 U.S. championship. He beat 2006 U.S. champion GM Alex Onischuk, who at 41 was trying to become the first 40-something to win a national title since 2002. www.chess.com/news/view/so-beats-onischuk-to-capture-first-u-s-championship-3094Again So in his preferred formal attire 2017 U.S. Champion GM Wesley So and 2017 U.S. Women's Champion WGM Sabina Foisor at the closing ceremony.
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Apr 12, 2017 2:41:16 GMT 8
Since Wesley's last classical game loss at Bilbao July 2016 (Wes eventually finished in 3rd place) where he lost to Carlsen Wesley has ran up an impressive string of victories : 2016 Sinquefield Cup 1st place 2016 London Chess Classic 1st place 2016 Grand Chess Tour Overall Champion 2016 Olympiad Team USA Gold 2016 Olympiad Board 3 Gold 2017 Tata Steel 1st Place 2017 US Pro chess League 1st place team St. Louis Archbishops 2017 US Pro chess League Most Valuable Player 2017 US Chess Championships 1st place (The only pause, if you can call it that.. was a 4th place finish at the Isle of Man tournament October 2016 where he finished behind Eljavov, Caruana and Naiditsch in a field of 133 players.) Wes is now unbeaten in 67 classical games and counting...
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on May 11, 2017 10:08:34 GMT 8
Comments from former World Champion and acknowledged greatest chess player of all time Kasparov on Wesley So on his chances of challenging current champion Carlsen: May 11, 2017 | 01:05by chess24 staff Kasparov taps So to challenge Carlsen COWEN: Who is the most likely challenger to Magnus Carlsen this next time around? KASPAROV: Considering the logic of the world championship history, Magnus should face opposition from a younger player, or the same age. So I would say there are three players that, I guess, could challenge him. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, I would rate him as least probable among the three. Second, Caruana, and the most likely, Wesley So. The reason I put Wesley ahead of two others is that he has phenomenal concentration, absolutely phenomenal, and that’s very important. These days, concentration trumps everything. I would put it on top of other things, though he’s a very, very good player. I think that he might be the most dangerous for Magnus. COWEN: Because he has nothing to lose, he feels? KASPAROV: No, because his concentration could overboard Magnus. Magnus’s concentration was always his strength. He was always very concentrated. He could mobilize all his resources for the game. We saw Magnus could feel...despite again I guess So has to qualify for the Candidates; he still has to win it. But against Wesley So, Magnus could have some serious problems in reading his opponent, and also messing up his energy. So could reflect. I think his match with Caruana could be also uncertain, and if Vachier-Lagrave makes some improvements, more psychological improvements, he could be also dangerous. He’s the same age; Caruana is younger. So is even younger than Caruana. So I would bet on these three as one of the Magnus challengers, ranking them in the following order: So, Caruana, MVL. Read more: chess24.com/en/read/news/kasparov-conversation-with-tyler-cowen
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Aug 2, 2017 11:48:09 GMT 8
FIDE published the rating list for August Wesley is now the 2nd highest ranked chess player in the world. He is also the youngest player in the top 10. World champion Magnus Carlsen (2822 points) leads the ratings and is followed by Wesley So (2810) and Fabiano Caruana (2807). ratings.fide.com/top.phtml?list=men
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Nov 3, 2017 0:06:28 GMT 8
Wesley So boosts bid for world chess title after claiming spot in Candidates Tournament FORMER Philippine national chess player Wesley So took a step closer in his bid for the World Championship, securing a place in the Candidates Tournament 2018. Grandmaster So, who moved to the US to improve his chances of battling for the world crown, has earned a spot on the eight-player tournament set March 10 to 28 in Berlin that will determine the next challenger to world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Six of the eight places have been filled, with So and fellow American Fabio Caruana claiming spots by virtue of their average rating for the year. Caruana is making a return after placing second in the 2016 Candidates Tournament. So, the second-highest rated American woodpusher, and US No. 1 Caruana, were confirmed for the event after organizers two days ago nominated former world champion Vladimir Kramnik as the tournament wild card. Before the organizers' announcement, only a few points separated Kramnik, So and Caruana in the race for the two spots via rating average. The Candidates Tournament is double round-robin event. Sergey Karjakin, as loser of the championship duel with Carlsen in 2016, gets a spot in the Candidates Tournament 2018. The Russian GM topped the last Candidates Tournament. Armenia’s Levon Aronian also returns to the tournament after winning the Chess World Cup 2017, while runner-up Ding Liren of China also advances. The two vacant spots will be filled by the top finishers in the 2017 Fide Grand Prix. Read more at www.spin.ph/chess/news/wesley-so-world-chess-championship-candidates-tournament-magnus-carlsen#cdhGrXDfkgpTqc2x.99
|
|