World's youngest GM So wins Dubai Open

[beyond]

By K.R. Nayar, Senior Reporter
Published: April 16, 2008, 00:17

Dubai: Wesley So, the 14-year-old school boy from Philippines, shocked a strong pack of experienced players to walk away with the Dubai Open Chess Championship crown at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club.
So became the youngest player to win this 10-year-old tournament with 7 points after the 9th and final round.
So, who was only four-years-old when this tournament began, was tied for the top spot with Grandmasters Gagunashvili Merab of Georgia, Ghaem Maghami Ehsan of Iran and Li Chao of China, but won the title on better technical counts.
"It is my first major title victory and I am delighted. I dedicate this victory to Prospero Pichay, the president of the Philippines Chess Federation, without whose support I would not have been participating in this tournament," So told Gulf News.


'Natural game'
"Pichay advised me that I should not be bothered about the rating of my opponents, but just play my natural game. I did exactly what he said and won the matches," added So, hugging his proud father William. "I am so delighted that I have made my father, who has travelled along with me, very happy. I am also thankful for the tremendous support from the Filipino Chess Club in Dubai who sponsored my stay in Dubai and the fans who turned up in huge number to cheer me up," said So, who wants to return next year to defend the title.
Joey Tiberio, the advisor and event manager of the Filipino Chess Club in Dubai, said: "We are so delighted that a Filipino has finally won after trying to win this title for 10 years now. It is a big boost for all our players here."
So won six matches, five in a row, lost to Gangunashvili Merab and recorded two draws against Ghaem Maghami and Li Chao.

Eight players finished with 6.5 points, while 11 players scored 6 points.

FM Salem A.R. Saleh scored six points to finish on top among the UAE players.

[Wowie]

More about Wesley So.

WESLEY SO
(born Oct-09-1993) Philippines

Wesley So is a Filipino chess prodigy who is currently the youngest chess Grandmaster in the world and the 7th youngest GM in history. Wesley So achieved the title at age 14 years, 1 month and 28 days during the 3rd Pichay Cup International Open in Parañaque City, Philippines in December 2007.

So nailed his first GM result in the Offene Internationale Bayerische Schaha Meisterschaft in Bad Wiessee, Germany in November 2006 and his second GM norm in the World Juniors Under-20 Chess Championship in Yerevan, Armenia in September 2007.

GM So has also won the World Under-16 Team Championship Board 1 gold medal with a phenomenal score of 9.5/10. In his home country, he holds the record of having been the youngest member of the national men’s team to the Chess Olympiad (2006 - Turin, Italy) at the age of 12 as well as the country’s youngest National Open Chess Champion and its youngest National Junior Open Chess Champion.

In his young but distinguished career, Wesley has competed in World Youth Championships in 2003, 2004 and 2005, finishing equal first in his age group in Belfort in 2005 alongside Srinath Narayanan, Sanan Sjugirov, and Samvel Ter Sahakyan. His other achievements include two Gold Medals in the 6th Asean Age-Group Chess Championship, Vung Tau, in Vietnam; three Gold Medals in 7th Asean Age-Group Chess Championship, Pattaya, in Thailand and competing in the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin in 2006.

So won the Dubai Open (2008) in the United Arab Emirates, besting over an international field that included 23 other grandmasters.

Wesley So Games can be found here

Philippines Fide Ranking
[media]http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/230/newpicturezy2.jpg[/media]

[Bill Gregory]

Here is an excellent photo report on Wesley So winning in Dubai. You don't have to know anything about chess to enjoy the photos and feel proud of a young Pinoy.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4579