2009 CORUS: RP WHIZ KID WESLEY SO COLLIDE WITH LOCAL GM IN OPENER

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—LONE FILIPINO entry Wesley So go up against fellow grandmaster opponent as he open his bid in the tough and prestigious 71st Corus Wijk ann Zee “C-Group” International Chess Tournament, today at the De Moriaan Community Centre in  Wijk ann Zee, Netherlands.
The 15-year-old So, the country’s highest ever rated player will face local bet GM Friso Nijboer in the opening round using the disadvantageous black pieces. So, who possessed an Elo rating of 2627 is the top seed in this 14 player-field with an average rating of 2521, equivalent of Category 11. Nijboer, meanwhile is ranked 5th here who tote 2560 Elo rating points.
Other interesting match up here in C-Group event were FM Anish Giri (Russia/2469) vs GM Frank Holzke (Germany/2524); GM Abhijeet Gupta (India/2569) vs WGM Dronavili Harika (India/2473); GM Tiger Hillarp Persson (Sweden/2586)vs IM Roeland Pruijssers (Netherlands/2444);GM  David Howell (England/ 2622) vs IM Manuel Bosboom (Netherlands/2418); GM Eduardo Iturrizaga (Venezuela/ 2528)vs IM Manuel Leon Hoyos (Mexico/2542)  and GM Oleg Romanishin (Ukraine/ 2533) vs FM Ali Bitalzadeh (Netherlands/ 2400).
Ukrainian Super GM Vassily Ivanchuk (2779) is the top seed in A-Group while Indian Super GM Khrisnan Sasikiran (2711) is B-Group tournament favourites.
The rate of play will be: 40 moves in 2 hours, then 20 moves in 1 hour, followed by 15 minutes with 30 seconds per move increment to finish the game.
This is the second time that a Filipino player was invited in Corus, one of the tough individual chess tournament in the world after Eugene Totre, Asia’s First GM seeing in action in 1981 which topped by Jan Timman and Gennadi Sosonko tallying identical 8.0 points apiece.
Torre also played in 1985 which dominated by Victor Korchnoi and Alexander Beliavsky with 10.0 points each.
The Corus Invitational Chess start in 1938 which won by Philip Bakker.
“Wesley is a rare find,” Torre said in an interview. “He has an exceptional talent and has a potential to be a world champion. This is a great opportunity to have a kid like him. He is still young and dynamic. He has a bright future, and we all need to support him.”
” Pangarap ko pong makaabot ng 2700 Elo rating points,” said the Bacoor, Cavite whiz kid So in an interview with this writer.
A player who broke the 2700 Elo barrier called a Hydra GM, higher than Super GM.
Only two Filipino reached the Super GM status making the 2600 Elo barrier. So and Mark Paragua (2621 Elo rating points in 2006).
Among the backer/ supporters of Wesley’s local and international campaign that includes NCFP president Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr., NCFP secretary-general Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino Jr., Filway Marketing Inc. CEO/President Hector “Chito” Tagaysay, Fide Honorary Life-Time president Florencio “Pocamps” Campomanes, Fide delegate Casto “Toti” Abundo, Bacoor Cavite mayor Strike Revilla and businessman Reginald Tee.
The past and present trainer of Wesley that includes IM Richard Bitoon, 1996 RP junior champion NM Roberto Suelo Jr., and candidate master Michael Carino, among others.

BY: NATIONAL MASTER MARLON BERNARDINO.