The Life Of Wesley So

Wesley Barbossa So 

(October 9, 1993) is a Filipino and American chess grandmaster and three-time US Chess Champion (in 2017, 2020 and 2021). He is also a three-time Philippine Chess Champion. He was ranked second in the world on the March 2017 FIDE rating list, and with an Elo rating of 2822, he became the fifth highest-rated player in history.

In 2019, he said that his favorite form of chess is chess960. Later that year, he became the first official Fischer Random world champion on November 2, 2019, after winning the FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship by beating Carlsen 13½ – 2½.

A former chess prodigy, So became the youngest player to surpass the 2600 Elo rating in October 2008, breaking the record previously held by Magnus Carlsen. That record has since been broken by John M. Burke. In early 2013, he passed 2700 and in January 2017 he became the 11th player to pass 2800 Elo.

So represented the Philippines until he transferred to the United States in 2014. Wins the 2015 Bilbao Chess Masters, 2016 Grand Chess Tour title after victories in the Sinquefield Cup and London Chess Classic, 2017 Tata Steel Masters and 2021 Grand Chess Tour Represented the USA at table 3 at the 42nd Chess Olympiad, winning team and individual gold .

Early Period

So was born in 1993 in the Philippines to Filipino-Chinese William and Eleanor So. He has an older sister named Wendelle Barbossa So and a younger sister named Wilma Barbossa So. So attended the Jesus Good Shepherd School in Bacoor and Saint Francis of Assisi College.

Personal Life

After So left for Canada, he distanced himself from his biological family, leaving him alone in Metro Manila. She lives in Excelsior, Minnesota, in the United States, with Lotis Key, her husband Bambi Kabigting, and their daughter, whom she considers her stepfamily. Thus, he became a citizen of the United States in February 2021.

Amazing Event

Wesley So was automatically deemed to have lost because he had written his thoughts on the notation sheet in one of the games. Below the notation was something like "Think Slowly".

That was it for today. Have a nice day!