Wesley So

[Jack Maguire]

Re: the ugliness of politics and the best for Wesley So

Another update.

http://sports.inquirer.net/161448/ph...tion-unsettled

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Wesley So

From the most recent update (the Philippines has a population of about 100 million):

He gets 40,000 pesos ($1,000) per month from the government.
The Philippine chess federation has a annual budget of 15 million pesos ($375,000).
Their Olympiad budget was 1.9 million pesos ($47,500).

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

And the news gets worse ):

http://sports.inquirer.net/161647/ph...atl-chess-body

[Andy Shaw]

Re: Wesley So

Will big bad Rex pay for his 50 000 euro transfer?

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

At least Wesley can still pick up some decent pocket change for a weekend Swiss. Wesley won the 3rd Noel Skeleton Open in Minnesota this Labour Day weekend and pocketed $1,000 for his 4.5/5 1st place finish. He won the same event (2nd Noel Skeleton Open) last year with a perfect score of 5/5 and the same $1,000 prize money.

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/273462951.html

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

FIDE has confirmed Wesley's transfer to the USCF and FIDE's November ratings lists him accordingly. The US is now the 4th strongest country by rating and the Philippines drops to #43, 2 spots behind Canada's #41.

http://www.manilatimes.net/fide-conf...r-uscf/138010/

http://ratings.fide.com/topfed.phtml

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

Wesley's mother, Lena, evidently isn't too happy about her son dropping out of Webster and turning pro.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/...esley-goes-pro

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

Leonard Barden has some nice things to say about Wesley in his chess column today.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...y-wijk-aan-zee

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

Ignacio Dee writes about Wesley for 'Rappler'. I notice that he refers to Anish Giri (whom Wesley is plus zero, minus 3, equal 3 against) as his "Dutch nemesis" (:

http://www.rappler.com/sports/by-spo...rld-rank-end-7

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

Brian Jerauld highlights Wesley's new status in the U.S.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/...american-chess

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

ChessBase today features Wesley So (Part 1 of 2). I also note that the article highlights St. Louis as the likely host of the 2016 Candidates Tournament, thereby increasing the probability that either Nakamura or So get the Wildcard Candidates entry if they haven't otherwise qualified.

http://en.chessbase.com/post/wesley-...at-the-top-1-2

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Wesley So

ChessBase today features Wesley So (Part 1 of 2). I also note that the article highlights St. Louis as the likely host of the 2016 Candidates Tournament, thereby increasing the probability that either Nakamura or So get the Wildcard Candidates entry if they haven't otherwise qualified.

Does the organizing nation or organizer get to pick an entrant for the candidates?

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

Does the organizing nation or organizer get to pick an entrant for the candidates?

Yes, the 8th and final 'Wild Card' Candidate, providing said entrant has a rating of at least 2725 on July 1st, 2015.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Wesley So

Thank you. I didn't know that.

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Wesley So

Wesley now calls Minnetonka home.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/297439341.html