Super GM whiz kid Wesley So back in world’s top 100

THE 365 days of 2009 are almost over but for RP’s brightest hope Wesley Barbasa So, he just started his phenomenal chess career.

This was after the World Chess Federation (FIDE) released yesterday the expected rating change for the 16-year-old whiz kid from Bacoor, Cavite, who will be back in the world’s top 100 players list next month.

His sterling performance in this year’s World Chess Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, after beating World no. 12 GM Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine in round 2 and last year’s World Chess Cup titlist GM Gata Kamsky of the US in round 3, gained him 15.8 points and he is expected to climb to 2656 when the Jan. 1, 2010 FIDE-RP rating list is formally released in a few days. He currently has an Elo rating of 2640. His best Elo rating is 2646 in July 2009 then lost two Elo in September 2009 (2644) and four Elo in November 2009 (2640).

Mark Paragua, the 1998 World Rapid U-14 champion in Disneyland, France, peaked at 2621 in April 2006. Asia’s First GM Eugene Torre, meantime, had an Elo rating of 2580 during his prime in the mid-80s when he topped the Toluca, Mexico Inter-Zonal.

“I dreamed that sooner or later, I will come to the magical point 2700.

I don’t know how much time I will need for that,” said the 2009 Corus Group C champion So, whose local and international campaign is being supported by NCFP president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. and Filway Marketings, Inc. CEO/President Hector “Chito” Tagaysay.

So is invited to play in the Group B section of the 72nd Corus chess tournament on Jan. 15 to 31, 2020 at the Wijk Aan Zee, a North Sea resort in the Netherlands.

Torre, who has often compared So to Bobby Fisher, stated on a local radio program, “The talent and skills are already there and he has proven that. This year could be a test of character and nerves for him because everybody knows him already.”

A grandmaster who holds an Elo rating 2500 and above is affixed a name of “International Grandmaster,” while a GM with an Elo rating of 2600 and above is dubbed as “Super Grandmaster” and a GM whos has an Elo rating of 2700 and above is called “Hydra Grandmaster,” which the young So is targeting.

So was ousted in the world’s top 100 list in the November 2009 FIDE rating chart while Michael Krasenkov of Poland, Alexander Lastin of Russia and Arman Pashikian of Armenia tallied 2656 Elo rating points and were tied for 69th to 71st spot followed by Alexey Dreev of Russia, Vladimir Baklan of Ukraine and Boris Avrukh of Israel were joint for the 72nd to 74th spots with 2655 Elo rating points.

Participants in Corus Group B are GMs Ni Hua of China, Arkadij Naiditsch of Germany; Emil Sutovsky of Israel, Pentala Harikrishna of India; Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu of Romania; Varuzhan Akobian of the USA; David Howell of England; Parimarjan Negi of India; Tomi Nyback of Finland; Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia; Erwin l’Ami, Dimitri Reinderman and Anish Giri of the Netherlands.

In Corus Group A participants are GMs Viswanathan Anand of India; Magnus Carlsen of Norway; Vladimir Kramnik of Russia; Peter Leko of Hungary; Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine; Hikaru Nakamura of USA; Alexei Shirov of Spain; Sergey Karjakin of Russia (winner of Corus A last year); Leinier Dominguez Perez of Cuba; Nigel Short of England; Sergey Tiviakov of Netherlands; Fabiano Caruana of Italy (winner of Corus B last year); and Loek van Wely and Jan Smeets of the Netherlands.

There are three sections in the tough Corus chess -- A, B and C, according to chess columnist Frank “Boy” Pestano. “Wesley has been invited to play in Group B. To be invited to Corus is like to be invited to the White House,” he added. -- Marlon Bernardino