So tops Paragua's record
Sunday, 04 January 2009 06:14

GM So continues rise to fame, Saturday, January 3, 2009Manilla BulletinGrandmaster Wesley So continued his meteoric rise in the international chess stage, reaching a personal-high ELO rating of 2627 for the month of January according to the International Chess Federation (FIDE).So’s latest feat was the highest ever achieved by a Filipino player in history, surpassing the ELO 2621 rating of GM Mark Paragua in April 2006.Overall, the 15-year-old high school student of St. Francis-Bacoor gained 17 ELO points in three months to improve his rating by the end of the year."It’s a big honor for me to become the country’s No. 1 player," So said."Pero gagawin ko pa ang lahat ng aking makakaya para mabigyan pa ng mas maraming karangalan an gating bansa," he added.So has been unstoppable for the past years.In January 2005, So erected his rating from 2165 to 2216 the following year. In January 2007, he improved his mark to 2451 before reaching 2526 exactly a year later. Later in October 2008, he was at 2610.GM Eugene Torre was currently the second highest-rated local player with 2560, matching his October 2008 rating. GM John Paul Gomez was at third with 2539.Paragua, the first Filipino to breach the ELO 2600 barrier, plummeted at fourth with 2537 despite gaining 11 points in three months.Completing the top 10 RP chesers are GM Rogelino Antonio (ELO 2519), GM Darwin Laylo (ELO 2504), IM Rolando Nolte (ELO 2504), IM Roland Salvador (ELO 2496), IM Richard Bitoon (ELO 2473) and GM Bong Villamayor (ELO 2471).Source: http://www.mb.com.ph