Wesley So captures Millionaire Chess Open title
Filipino grandmaster Wesley So, 21, captured the Millionaire Chess Open title in Las Vegas with the prize of $100,000, the largest in the history of the tournaments.
So outlasted Webster University teammate Roby Robson of the United States by forcing a draw in the first game because Robson was running out of time. In the second game, So outwitted his opponent to win the match 1.5 to .5.
Millionaire Chess, the brainchild of grandmaster Maurice Ashley and entrepreneur Amy Lee, has promised $1 million in prize money over six different sections.
So’s victory in Las Vegas moved him into the world’s Top Ten on the rating list. So has decided to play for the United States. It is the first time in 40 yards that two players are on the FIDE Top Ten list for the United States. The new FIDE would be on November, So and Hikaru Nakamura are expected to be in the Top Ten.
This is the third title victory for So this year. In May, So won the prestigious Capablanca Memorial tournament in Havana, Cuba, and in July, he bagged the ACP Golden Classic in Bergamo, Italy.
With the win, So has jumped to No.10 in the world, with a live rating of 2762, his personal best and the highest a Filipino chess player has ever achieved
