The Year in Philippine Sports: Typhoon surge of comebacks
By The STAR Sports Staff (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 25, 2013 – 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines – It was a year of dazzling and rippling comebacks that touched off a resurgence of national pride only to see it lose its luster with the nation’s so-so finish in a low-tiered regional games.
There were Filipinos who claimed world titles in various fronts and a gold in chess in Universiade and an all-time high in world ranking achieved by the emerging football heroes that warmed the heart.
5 – So brilliant, so talented
Grandmaster Wesley So continued to move up the elite circle with his impressive play, breaching the 2700 level with five victories this year.
So topped the Reykjavik Open in Iceland last February, dominated the Calgary Chess Classic in Canada in May, stamped his class in the Las Vegas Chess Festival in the US in June, ruled the Universiade in Kazan, Russia in August before besting the all-GM field in the 17th Unive Chess Tournament in Hoogeveen, Netherlands last October.
Those feats put the 20-year-old So at No. 30 in the world ranking with 2719 rating, the highest ever by a Filipino player.
Because of his stellar play this year, So gained invitation to the exclusive first division of the Category 20 Tata Chess Steel 2014 tournament next month in the Netherlands with the field toting an average rating of 2743.
So has told The STAR that his main goal in the coming year is to improve to 2750 and crash into the top 20. With the way he’s playing, things are looking up for the Filipino whiz.
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Nakamura rocks.