MANILA, Philippines - Filipino Grandmaster Wesley So will leave for the US early next year to accept an offer to study under an athletic scholarship at Texas Tech, a US NCAA Division I school where he hopes to play on the top board.
So, 18, got the invitation from Hungarian GM Sofia Polgar, who coached the Knight Raiders to the national chess championship despite playing with an underdog team of players coming from different countries.
“I will go to college at Texas Tech to take up a computer course and play there upon the invitation of Sofia Polgar,” So, the country’s youngest GM and the highest ranked national chess player, told The STAR recently.
“But first, I need to pass the entrance examination before I could play there,” he added.
Aside from So, who recently received P150,000 cash incentive from the Philippine Sports Commission for winning a gold and a silver medal in last month’s 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia, 24-year-old German GM Georg Meier is also being recruited by Polgar to join Texas Tech.
Interestingly, both So and Meier happened the have the same FIDE rating of 2659 that was good for a share of 89th place in the world rankings.
“She (Polgar) told me I might play Board One or Two since George and I are almost of equal strength,” said So. “But I really must pass the exams for me to get the scholarship and I’m confident I will.”
So and Meier are expected to join GM Anatoly Bykhovsky of Israel, GM Davorin Kuljasevic of Croatia, GM Andre Diamant of Brazil, IM Istvan Sipos of Hungary and Faik Aleskerov of Azerbaijan, who were all part of the US NCAA champion squad, at Texas Tech.