The new #1 in the Philippines

Sunday, April 06, 2008
GM So dislodges GM Antonio in RP chess rankings

DUBAI—Wesley So, currently the world’s youngest international chess grandmaster, has achieved another important milestone when he became the Philippines’ No.1-ranked player, according to International Chess Federation’s (Fide) new rating list, which was released on April 1.

The 14-year-old whiz kid dislodged the country’s erstwhile No.1 player GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio, who dropped to third as his rating remained unchanged at 2529 since the January 2008 edition of the list. Moving up to second place from third is former RP No.1 GM Mark Paragua (2537), who recorded his biggest gain in rating points in two years to rebound from a sharp decline that followed his meteoric rise to the world’s elite crop of “super grandmaster” in the April 2006 Fide rating list.

So’s top ranking breaks the monotony in RP’s chess hierarchy, whose No.1 position had in the past several years changed hands among only three players: Antonio, Paragua and former long-time RP No.1 GM Eugene Torre.

Earning a modest 13.8 points from the 3rd Pichay Cup International Open in Manila late last year, where he secured his third and final GM norm, and the 1st Leg of the Asian Circuit in Indonesia early this year, So, who previously occupied the second spot, hiked his Fide rating to a new personal best 2540, making him the youngest player ever to hold the distinction of RP No.1.

Here is the full article.