3/8/2021 – Wesley So has represented the United States since the end of 2014 and has collected a number of major successes since his transfer. A couple of weeks ago, the Filipino-born star officially became a United States citizen. So declared, “From the moment I landed here I was encouraged and enabled to become better than I was”.
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Wesley So has represented the United States since the end of 2014, as he was first included in the FIDE official ranking list as an American player in November that year. The Filipino-born grandmaster currently lives in Minnesota with his adoptive parents, Lotis Key and Renato Kabigting.
Moving to the U.S. was the right move for So’s professional career, especially thanks to Rex Sinquefield’s continued efforts to enhance the opportunities given to American chess players, both at the elite and scholastic levels — it was recently announced that world number 5 Levon Aronian will also transfer to the U.S.
During his years as an American player, So has collected a number of major successes. To name just a few, he won the Sinquefield Cup and the London Chess Classic in 2016, and he kept up the pace at the outset of 2017, winning the Tata Steel Masters to become the third highest-rated player in the world. In November 2019, So defeated Magnus Carlsen in a lopsided match to become the Fischer Random World Chess Champion.
By transferring to the U.S., So gained the right to participate in the increasingly stronger U.S. Championship, winning the event in 2017 and 2020. He also helped the American team win the 2016 Olympiad in Baku, taking home individual gold after scoring an impressive 8½/10 score on board 3.
Wesley So published two new opening DVDs: 1.b3, the so called Nimzo-Larsen-Attack, for White and his black secrets in the modern Italian. Get them in a package and save money!
On Thursday, U.S. Chess reported that So had officially become a United States citizen on February 26, 2021 at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices in St. Paul/Minneapolis.
In an interview with Debbie Cannon of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, So talked about his naturalization:
DC: Why are you becoming a U.S. citizen?
WS: I want to give back to a country that has been so good to me. From the moment I landed here I was encouraged and enabled to become better than I was. I like this attitude and the tremendous generosity of American culture. Most people here have no idea what it is like anywhere else in the world, and they don't appreciate the amazing spirit of this country. I have competed in most countries of the world and I can say ... I love it here!
How did you feel when you became a U.S. citizen?
I got so hyper and excited I was talking kind of loud all day. It was literally a dream come true. I am now a part of the American Dream. I am part of the most successful country on earth, ready to make my own contribution and have my own legacy here.
What will this mean for your future in the field of chess?
Well, that I cannot say. Chess is a sport and like other elite sports your efforts can go up and down for all sorts of reasons. I know I will try my best to pay back what has been done for me. I plan to be a good citizen and help others the way I was helped. God Bless America!
During the pandemic, So got to play frequently at elite online events, as he was invited both to the tournaments organized by the Saint Louis Chess Club and by the Magnus Carlsen Group. Impressively, the player from the City of Bacoor defeated the world champion in two finals of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour — at the Skilling Open and at the Opera Euro Rapid Tournament.
After winning the Opera Euro Rapid, So gave an interview to Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal from ChessBase India. As humble as ever, he said of his victory over Carlsen:
SS:After you beat [Carlsen] in the Skilling Open and the Fischer Random event before that, this result was definitely on the cards. How are you able to beat Magnus so consistently?
WS: (Laughs) I don’t know. I just wait for Magnus to not be himself. He is usually very confident, plays fast, but in this tournament he hasn’t really shown that! He managed to get good positions but was always behind in clock. For instance, in the last game, now that I am checking it, I was objectively lost.
Meanwhile, 1.b3 has also found its way into the practice of today's world elite, and now finally a modern top ten player has taken on the subject for ChessBase: none other than Grandmaster Wesley So!
Carlos Alberto ColodroCarlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
I am glad to see Christian So giving alot of resistance to the Norwegian Viking. Quite amazing how So won in speed chess from Carlsen 2 times . let alone Fischer 360.
Green22 3/9/2021 04:52
Class act! Him and Navaro very soft spoken. Love to see So in the next candidates..
fixpont 3/9/2021 02:37
"We have to watch out that the USA doesn't buy out all players for the next Olympian Chess... "
So played for the US team in 2016. :)
caliche2016 3/8/2021 10:58
"Yet another example of what is legally correct need not be ethically so." I really do not see how this could be unethical... But perhaps there is a point there, perhaps in order to play for a country in a team competion like the Chess Olympiad, a player must live at least "x" amount of years in that country...Or is this already one of FIDE's rules?...
"Just buy the players. Perhaps Aronian?" Well, Levon Aronian said he'd leave Armenia and will represent US :)
After all, what is the US but a country founded by foreigners and full of foreigners? Lots and lots of immigrants of german origin, dutch, irish, russian, etc., etc. Is anybody there genuinely "american"?, oh yeah wait.. the native, americans, the indians, but it is so easy "to forget" that...
However,you got a point there, if more and more GMs move to the US very soon team competitions will become absurd as one single country will have all the best players, almost like a super strong "UN team".
Minnesota Fats 3/8/2021 07:30
We have to watch out that the USA doesn't buy out all players for the next Olympian Chess...
Congratus to WES. In Philipines they don't have the facilities for chess (although what more do you need than a chess book and a book on Lasker's manual of chess?) I guess financial support and stuff like that ....and maximise it's own benefits, i guess...?
What's next? Carlsen trading nations and becoming American?
Or perhaps Giri, as the budget of USA surpasses the Netherlands ? Just buy the players. Perhaps Aronian?
Cheers on all the women today! It's women day!!!
tony aguirre 3/8/2021 05:59
I am happy that Wesley made the right decision. Indeed, his career soared up by being with Team USA. Looking forward that he achieve more great milestones in his illustrious chess career!
sivakumar R 3/8/2021 12:23
Yet another example of what is legally correct need not be ethically so.
fixpont 3/8/2021 11:44
"Everyone should live in their own country and make it free and developed."
Everybody should live where they want to live.
(except people who want to exploit the social security system of other more developed countries...)
bdshahab 3/8/2021 07:27
Everyone should live in their own country and make it free and developed.
There are also problems in the United States too:
1. Wooden houses!
2. Lack of attention to ordinary people and all kinds of racial discrimination!
3. Also high statistics of depression and all kinds of financial problems and the spread of homelessness!
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Wesley So has represented the United States since the end of 2014, as he was first included in the FIDE official ranking list as an American player in November that year. The Filipino-born grandmaster currently lives in Minnesota with his adoptive parents, Lotis Key and Renato Kabigting.
