So aims to shine in Skilling Open with Carlsen, Nakamura, Ding

Rating-wise, Wesley So is ranked just No. 11 among 16 bets in the Skilling Open starting on Monday, November 23, Philippine time.

Performance-wise, however, the Team USA mainstay from the Philippines is expected to advance to the knockout phase of the rapid tournament together with world champion Magnus Carlsen, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Ding Liren, and speed chess exponent Hikaru Nakamura.

So, the reigning Fischer Random king and world No. 9 in classical play, clashes with Spain’s David Anton in the inaugural round then tackles Iran’s Alireza Forouzja, Armenia’s Levon Aronian, Russia’s Peter Svidler, and China’s Ding Liren in that order as the three-day single round-robin preliminaries begin.

The top 8 after 15 games will vie for the $30,000 top purse in the event kicking off the $1.5 million (P72 million) Champions Chess Tour.

So, who reached world No. 2 behind Carlsen in 2017, hopes to sustain his string of fine showing this year, including his victory in last month’s US Open and in the ongoing Elite Speed Chess Championship where he is the first to qualify for the semifinals.

Completing the Skilling Open roster are Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Azerbaijan’s Teimour Radjabov, Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem, The Netherlands’ Anish Giri, Russia’s Serjey Karjakin, and India’s Vidit Gujrathi.

Other first-round matches pit Giri against Vachier-Lagrave, Karjakin against Ding, Nakamura against Duda, Le against Aronian, Vidit against Firouzja, Svidler against Radjabov, and Nepomniachtchi against Carlsen. – Rappler.com