This chess prodigy is the eighth youngest person in chess history to achieve the Grandmaster title, becoming GM at the age of 14 years, 1 month and 28 days. So started learning chess at the age of six, and began competing in junior tournaments at nine.
In 2006, So became the youngest member of the national men's team to participate at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy, at the age of 12. In December of the same year, he also became the youngest National Open Chess Champion.
In May 2007, So went on to become the youngest National Junior Open Chess Champion. He achieved his third and final GM norm on December 8, 2007 at the third Pichay Cup International Open to become the youngest Filipino GM.
So's impressive resume also includes titles at the 2008 Philippine "Battle of Grandmasters," the Dubai Open Chess Championships in 2008, and the Aeroflot Open in Moscow, Russia in 2009.
So is currently ranked 60th in the world, boasting an Elo rating of 2673 as of January 2011.