Chess wiz So to get PSA award for a remarkable year

Chess wiz So to get PSA award for a remarkable year

MANILA, Philippines – What’s in a year for teen Grandmaster Wesley So?

That’s competing in 12 tournaments spread over 10 cities and seven countries in a span of 12 months where the 15-year old chess wizard recorded four first place finishes and a consistent spot in the Top 10.

So’s numerous achievements last year earned for him as the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s unanimous choice for the top awardee in chess when the country’s oldest media group honors the top sports personalities of 2008.

The San Miguel Corporation-PSA Annual Awards Night will be held at the Alegria Lounge of the Manila Pavilion Hotel on Feb. 20 where reigning pound-for-pound king and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will be enshrined to the PSA Hall of Fame for earning his fifth Athlete of the Year award.

Some of So’s big triumphs in 2008 are the Dubai Open and beating top rated GMs in several championship showdowns.

So’s biggest win was the tough Dubai Open in April where he ended up tied with fellow GMs Li Chao (China), Eshan Ghaem Maghami (Iran) and Merab Gagunashvili of Azerbaijan, but won the title due to a higher tiebreak score.

He also competed against top GMs first beating Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto, 4-2, in their head-to-head match up then topping the 12-player Battle of GMs Chess Championship in the Philippines with 8.5 points.

So then steered Team Philippines to a third place finish in the World Under-16 Chess Olympiad where he won the top board gold and saw action for the second time in the 38th World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany where the Filipinos finished 46th overall.

He is currently competing in the Aeroflot Open Chess Festival 2009 at the Hotel Gamma-Delta inside the Izmailovo Tourist Complex in Moscow, Russia.

Source: GMANews.TV