INQUIRER Sports

FILIPINO Super Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So retained his spot in the Top 100 chess players in the world based on the latest World Chess Federation (FIDE) Rating List released yesterday.

However, So slid by five notches to No. 97 from No. 92 in July.

His rankings in the World's Top Juniors also dropped one notch lower to No. 8 from No. 7 in July. He lost 2 Fide Elo rating points from 2646 in July to 2644 in the updated ramkings.

So hopes to break the 2700 mark this year when he vies in the Susan Polgar?s Spice Chess Cup Open 2009 (Group A) beginning Sept. 19 at the Texas Tech University, United States.

Meanwhile, the Top 25 RP chessers according to the FIDE September ratings list are: No. 1 GM Wesley So (2644); No. 2 GM Rogelio ?Joey? Antonio Jr., (2557); No. 3 GM Darwin Laylo (2537); No. 4 GM Eugene Torre (2535); No. 5 GM John Paul Gomez (2521); No. 6 GM-elect Rogelio ?Banjo? Barcenilla Jr. (2518); No. 7 GM Mark Paragua (2501); No. 8 IM Richard Bitoon (2490); No. 9 IM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2468); No. 10 GM Joseph Sanchez (2463); No. 11 IM Roland Salvador (2461);

No. 12 GM Jayson Gonzales (2447); No. 13 IM Oliver Barbosa (2451); No. 14 IM Oliver Dimakiling (2434); No. 15 GM Buenaventura ?Bong? Villamayor (2426); No. 16 IM Rolando Nolte (2424); No. 17 IM Rolly Martinez (2420); No. 18 GM-elect Ronald Dableo (2417); No. 19 IM Kim Steven Yap (2416); No. 20 IM Rico Mascarinas (2410); No. 21 IM Virgilio Vuelban (2405); No. 22 IM Barlo Nadera (2400); No. 23 IM Yves Ranola (2399); No. 24 FM Roderick Nava (2396) and IM Ricardo ?Ricky de Guzman and Ernesto Fernandez, both with 2395 points.