[imagefield_assist|fid=17291|preset=fullsize|lightbox=true|title=Wesley So joined Susan Polgar's internationally renowned SPICE program in 2012.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=700|height=560]
By Mike Wilmering
This article was originally published on stlpublicradio.org on January 22.
The prestigious Tata Steel chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, started last week, and for once, super-GM Hikaru Nakamura is not the only St. Louis representative competing against the world’s best.
Nakamura, the U.S. No. 1, is no stranger to top-level tourneys. But for GM Wesley So, a Webster University sophomore, Tata Steel is his first-ever super-elite event.
Wesley So has the talent to reach the top 5 in the world, according to Susan Polgar, his coach at Webster University.
So, a native of the Philippines, joined Susan Polgar’s internationally renowned SPICE program in 2012, and he’s experienced remarkable growth in that short time span. So has improved his rating from around 2650 to 2732, and he’s on the verge of cracking into the world’s top 20. At just 20 years old, who knows where his potential might lead.
