Profile Text
Birth Name: Wesley Barbossa So
Place of Birth: Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines
Date of Birth: October 9, 1993
Ethnicity: Chinese-Filipino
Wesley So is a Filipino and American chess grandmaster. A prodigy, he is a three-time U.S. Chess Champion and three-time Philippine Chess Champion. He has been ranked number two in the world on the FIDE rating list, had an Elo rating of 2822, then the fifth-highest in history; and was the inaugural official Fischer Random world champion. He represented the U.S. on board 3 at the 42nd Chess Olympiad, winning gold individually and in team.
Wesley was born in the Philippines, of Chinese descent. He represented the Philippines, until moving to the U.S. in 2014; he became a citizen in 2021. He lives with Filipino-American film and theatre actress Lotis Key and her family in the U.S., whom he considers his adoptive family.
Wesley is an evangelical Christian.