Wesley So

Participant of the 2018 Candidates Tournament

Ranking: ranked as high as world number two for five months in 2017

Highest FIDE Elo Rating: 2822

Tournament Career: winner of nine super-tournaments:

3-time winner of the U.S. Championship

2-time winner of the Sinquefield Cup

winner of the London Chess Classic 2016, Tata Steel Masters 2017

and two others…

Chess Olympiads: gold team and gold individual medals

What earned him this:

Wesley So is a somewhat understated player with a solid style, often overlooked, but consistently winning the biggest tournaments. His titles at the Sinquefield Cup, Tata Steel Masters, London Chess Classic, and others, including three U.S. Championship titles, are the main reasons for his ranking. His position as the world’s number two is a testament to his great consistency. He is a player who does not rush in his games but waits for his opponent’s mistake and then defeats them. However, he generally has a high draw percentage, which may cost him further chances at even more major titles. His resume also includes gold medals from the Olympiad and numerous podium finishes in many major tournaments. His solid style is excellent for consistently finishing in the upper half of the field, though not necessarily at the very top.

Why he isn’t higher:

The number of super-tournaments he has won and his second-place world ranking are impressive figures, but it cannot be overlooked that he has only qualified for the Candidates Tournament once in his career. Moreover, he finished with a negative score in second-to-last place there. To achieve a higher ranking, So would need more successes in the World Championship cycles.

Best Game:

Wesley So vs Michael Prusikin

Bad Wiessee 2006