Highest in RP’s history

GM So is RP’s highest rated chesser in history
By Marlon Bernardino
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 10:39:00 03/03/2010

FILIPINO teen Grandmaster Wesley Barbasa So continued his meteoric rise in the rankings after he gained 9.3 points in the March 2010 RP-FIDE rating list to become the highest rated Filipino chess player ever.

The 16-year-old Bacoor, Cavite whiz kid, the seventh youngest in the world to obtain a GM title, gained 9.3 points for his sterling performance in the Corus B event in the Netherlands where he reached the quarterfinals and in the Aeroflot Chess in Russia to improve to 64th this month from 77th last January with 2665 Elo points.

GM So is also the No. 2-ranked Under-18 player in the world and No. 1 in Asia in the same category.

But the talented youngster is not about to rest on his laurels.

“I would like to break the 2700 Elo barrier,” said So, who successfully defended his junior title in the recent Aeroflot Open. His accomplishments last year merited him a major award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) during its annual Awards Night last Monday.

“I’m sure he (So) would have a chance to break the 2700 barrier because we have more international tournaments lined up for him,” said National Chess Federation of the Philippines president/ chairman Prospero “ Butch” Pichay Jr.

Here is the full article.