Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Webster University teammates and roomates to face off


Chess: 18-year-old So to face 17-year-old US Grandmaster in time trial
July 3, 2012 2:08pm

Two young Grandmasters, one of whom being Filipino Wesley So, will face-off in a non-stop, three-hour chess showdown starting at 6:00 a.m., on July 30, in a match that could consist of as many as 50 games, to be streamed online at Chess.com.

The 18-year-old So will face-off against 17-year-old Ray Robson of Florida, in an online match that will test their classical chess skills, their ability to think quickly, and their endurance.

The match’s unique format gives the two prodigies three hours to complete as many games as possible, with time-controls for each game getting progressively shorter, from five minutes per side at the bout’s onset, down to just one minute during the final phase, all for a grand prize of $1000.

Born and raised in Bacoor, So achieved the title of Grandmaster at age 14 and is the highest-rated Filipino player of all time. In 2008 he became the youngest person to ever achieve a chess rating of 2600 or better, breaking a record formerly held by the world's #1-rated player, Magnus Carlsen. The following year, he won first place in his group at the
prestigious Corus Chess Tournament in the Netherlands.

His opponent, Robson, became the youngest American Grandmaster in history in 2009, also at the age of 14. He has won many national scholastic titles and competed in multiple US Championships, and other events around the world. He won the US Junior Chess Championship in 2009, becoming one of the youngest players ever to do so.

The event will be commentated by International Masters David Pruess and Daniel Rensch, and will feature interviews with So and Robson before and after the competition.

This match is part of an ongoing series hosted by Chess.com, and will be viewable by anyone at www.chess.com/tv - AMD, GMA News

Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com

Both players will begin their study at Webster University under the SPICE institute next month and they will also be roomates.

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