Wesley So willing to lead PH Olympiad chess team

MANILA, Philippines — Super Grandmaster Wesley So can play for the country in the Tromso Chess Olympiad in August before gaining American citizenship.

This is the win-win solution GM Eugene Torre, the Philippines’ longtime chess pillar, sees in the aftermath of So’s announcement that he is relinquishing his Filipino citizenship to hasten his development as a chess player and make a decent living in the US.

“If So plays for the country in Norway, he will not appear ungrateful,” said Torre.

“The NCFP, on the other hand, will not appear as a hindrance to So’s development as a player and as a person.”

So, now ranked 15th in the world with an Elo rating of 2744, has expressed willingness to head Team Philippines in the Norway Olympiad slated Aug.1 to 14 on the condition that the National Chess Federation of the Philippines will give him the clearance which the World Chess Federation (Fide) requires for players moving to other federations.

If the NCFP, headed by former congressman Prospero “Butch” Pichay, fails to grant So’s transfer request, the 20-year-old winner of last month’s Capablanca Memorial in Cuba, will be ineligible to join Fide events for one more year.

So can also get a release if he pays NCFP the transfer fee of 50,000 euros (about P3 million).