So declines invite to spearhead Phl team in world meet

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will have to do without Grandmaster Wesley So in the World Chess Olympiad from Aug. 1-15 in Tromso, Norway.

So, 20, on Friday declined the official invitation he received from the National Chess Federation of the Philippines to man the top board of the Phl team in the biennial meet, saying he had already committed to coach the United States team in the same event.

"Wesley just received an email today from the NCFP secretariat about the upcoming Olympiad," said Susan Polgar, So's coach at Webster U, in her website susanpolgar.blogspot.com.

"He (So) officially declined his official invitation today, the same day he received the email, and reaffirmed to Chairman Pichay his duty as coach of the US team," she added.

Polgar said the letter included an attachment of an official communication letter from NCFP president Butch Pichay to Phl Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia where in it stated that the team will be composed of So and GMs Julio Catalino Sadorra, Oliver Barbosa, Eugene Torre and John Paul Gomez.

After declining, So, who has already filed the papers as early last year with an intention to play for the US squad, asked Pichay that he be given the release papers.

"In the same email, Wesley also made the third request to Chairman Pichay for consent to immediately switch federation to the US. It is now up to Chairman Pichay and the NCFP to decide what course of action to take," said Polgar.

Pichay, however, remained adamant saying So is still part of the Phl team.

Without NCFP's go signal, So will have to wait one more year before he could suit up for the American team or play in international chess federation FIDE-sanctioned tournaments like the Olympiad and World Championship.

One of the causes that allegedly influenced So from deciding to switch federations was the decision of the country's top sports officials not to recognize his gold medal victory in the World University Games in Kazan, Russia last year, depriving him of the Php1 million incentive.