GM Wesley in SPICE Cup 2010

For the second time, GM Wesley So will play in GM Susan Polgar's SPICE Cup invitational tournament - still (I believe and forever hopeful) with the Philippine flag beside him.

The 2010 SPICE Cup was reportedly a record-breaker, being the highest rated international invitational event in the history of American chess. This will be a Category 16 tournament (Elo Ave. of 2631). For Wesley to be invited in such a field - for the second year in a row at his very young age - is already a remarkable feat.

This double round-robin tournament, which will be held from October 28 to November 7 at the campus of Texas Tech University in the US, will use the following point system:

- No draw offer before move 30
- Win = 3 points, draw = 1 point, and loss = 0 point

GM Wesley is rated No.3 in this highly competitive field:

Seedings:

No.1 GM Zoltan Almasi (HUN) 2707 (#1 in Hungary on the current LIVE rating list)
No.2 GM Alexander Onischuk (USA) 2688 (#3 in the U.S., former U.S. #1 and Champion)
No.3 GM Wesley So (Philippines) 2668 (#1 in the Philippines)
No.4 GM Georg Meier (Germany) 2659 (#2 in Germany)
No.5 GM Ray Robson (USA) 2539 (Youngest American GM)
No.6 GM Eugene Perelshteyn (USA) 2528 (winner of 2007 SPICE Cup)

Still remember SPICE CUP 2009? That could be the worst showing of GM Wesley So in all tournaments he participated in. He finished last with 4.5 points in 10 rounds after erecting a +0-1=9 performance. Yes, he didn't win even a single game in last year's edition of SPICE CUP, where he was seeded No.2. More painful, he tasted his lone loss against the lowest-seeded participant in the 6-man field, that was to GM Jon Ludvig Hammer (2585) of Norway.

Hopefully in this year's edition of the SPICE CUP which is getting stronger every year, GM Wesley improved on his last year's showing and win the Cup - to the delight of his legion of fans and for the honor of the Philippine flag.