Wesley So

Filipino-American Grandmaster, US Champion, Fischer Random World Champion

Wesley So is a Filipino-American chess grandmaster, born on October 9, 1993, in Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines. He became a grandmaster at age 14 and later moved to the United States in 2014, becoming a naturalized US citizen. He quickly established himself as one of the strongest players in American chess history.

So's trophy case is stacked: three-time US Chess Champion (2017, 2020, 2021), Fischer Random World Champion (2019), two-time Sinquefield Cup winner, Chess.com Global Championship winner (2022), and most recently the 2026 American Cup champion. His 2025 Sinquefield Cup victory, nine years after his first, returned him to the world top 10.

Known for his solid positional style and remarkable consistency at the elite level, So has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the world. Off the board, he is known for his thoughtful, faith-driven approach to competition. He maintains an active presence in both classical and rapid/blitz formats, winning the 2026 Tata Steel India Blitz to kick off the year.