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SO’S HISTORIC FEAT
Written by staff   
Thursday, 08 January 2009 03:50

GM Wesley So of the Philippines continued his meteoric rise in the international chess stage, reaching a personal-high ELO 2627 based on the newest ratings released by the FIDE (International Chess Federation for January, 2009.
So's newest ELO 2627 rating was the highest-ever achieved by a Fiilipino player in history, surpassing the ELO 2621 mark established by GM Mark Paragua in April 2006.

Overall, the 15-year-old high school student of St. Francis (Bacoor) gained 17 ELO points during the three-month period, increasing his ELO 2610 to 2627 by end of he year.

“It's a big honor for me to become the country's No. 1 player,” said So, who was also chosen as “Chess Player of the Year” by the Chess Journalists Association of the Philippines (CJAP).

“Pero gagawin ko pa po ang aking lahat na makakaya para mabigyan pa ng mas maraming karangalan ang ating bansa,” added So, who also bagged the individual gold medal on board one with a high performance rating of 2706.

He finished with the same score of 5.5 points with GMs Nguyen Ngoc Trong Son of Vietnam and Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine but earned top honor by virtue of higher performance rating.

So's rise as one of the world's top players was nothing short of phenomenal.

In January 2005, So's rating was only ELO 2165. He raised it to 2216 the following year. Then it became 2451 in January 2007, 2526 in January 2008 and later 2610 in October 2008.

GM Eugene Torre, the “Ageless Warrior” of Philippine chess, retained second place in the country's list with an ELO of 2560.

Torre, who bagged the third President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cup last September, matched his October 2008 rating of 2560, the highest he achieved in his long and colorful career spanning almost four decades.

The 57-year-old Torre, who became Asia's first GM in the Nice Olympiad in France in 1974 at the age of 22, is on the way up again in a roller-coaster career that saw his rating from a hig of ELO 2557 in January 2000 plummet to a personal low of 2508 in October 2003.

His ratings, however, is gradually increasing in the next five years capped by the high 2560 in October 2008.

Newly-minted GM John Paul Gomez also vaulted into third place with an ELO of 2539, up by 20 points from his 519 in the October list.

The 22-year-old pride of Binan, Laguna, who became the country's 10 th GM during the 38 th World Chess Olympiadi n Dresden, Germqany last Nov. 12-25, dislodged his good friend Paragua for third place in the list.

Paragua, the first Filipino to breach the ELO 2600 barrier when he recorded 2621 in April 2006, actually gained 11 points for the period to improve to 2537 for fourth place.

The 24-year-old Paragua's previous rating was 2526 in October 2008.

Erstwhile No.1 GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. improved to ELO 2519 from his previous 2515 to retain fifth spot in th e list

Antonio, who established a career high ELO 2551 twice in January 2000 and January 2007, gained four points for the rating period.

Sixth was Dresden Olympiad veteran GM Darwin Laylo, whose ELO dropped from 2507 to 2504 for the period.

Completing the Top 10 in the list are IM Rolando Nolte, ELO 2504, seventh; IM Roland Salvador, ELO 2496, eighth;

IM Richard Bitoon, ELO 2473, ninth; and comebacking GM Buenaventura “Bong” Villamayor, ELO 2471, 10th.

GM Jayson Gonzales, who earned his GM title during the ASEAN Masters Circuit in Tarakan, Indonesia last January 2008, has ELO 2468 for 11th place.

Other notable players in the list are IM Joseph Sanchez (2461), IM ulio Catalino Sadorra (2439), IM Oliver Barbosa ( 2435), IM Ronald Dableo (2432), IM Oliver Dimakiling (2428), NM Kim Steven Yap (2419), FM Viriglio Vuelban (2411), IM Rolly Martiinez (2411) and IM Ricky de Guzman (2402).
 
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