Wesley So
Who was Wesley So?
Filipino-born chess grandmaster who transferred to represent the United States in 2014 and became the first American to win the Fischer Random Chess Championship in 2019. He is consistently ranked among the world's top 10 chess players.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Wesley So (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Wesley Barbossa So was born on October 9, 1993, in Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines. He got his early education at Jesus Good Shepherd School, where his chess skills were noticed early on. So became a standout player in Philippine chess, earning his grandmaster title as a teenager and quickly becoming known as one of the most talented young players globally.
Before Fame
Growing up in Bacoor, So started playing chess early and quickly moved up through the Philippine chess ranks. He won the Philippine Chess Championship three times and, at 15 in October 2008, became the youngest player to exceed an Elo rating of 2600, a record previously held by Magnus Carlsen. This achievement showed the international chess scene that So had a unique and exceptional talent.
Key Achievements
- Inaugural FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Champion (2019), defeating Magnus Carlsen in the final
- Three-time U.S. Chess Champion
- Reached world number two ranking with a peak Elo rating of 2822 in March 2017
- Won the 2016 Grand Chess Tour title, the 2017 Tata Steel Masters, and the 2021 Grand Chess Tour
- Won team and individual gold medals at the 42nd Chess Olympiad representing the United States
Did You Know?
- 01.So broke Magnus Carlsen's record for youngest player to surpass 2600 Elo in October 2008, a record that has since been broken by Wei Yi, John M. Burke, and Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş.
- 02.In January 2017, So became only the 11th player in history to achieve an Elo rating above 2800.
- 03.So defeated Magnus Carlsen to win the inaugural FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship in 2019, a format he has described as his favorite form of chess.
- 04.He represented the United States on board 3 at the 42nd Chess Olympiad, winning both team and individual gold medals.
- 05.So passed the 2700 Elo threshold in early 2013 and reached a peak rating of 2822 on the March 2017 FIDE rating list, making him the fifth-highest-rated player in history at that point.