Wesley So is 2017 U.S. Chess?Champion
By Jose "joeyj" Jereos Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 16 Apr 2017
The US Chess Championship that took place in Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. ?from 29th March to 10th April 2017 was won by?GM?Wesley So, a three time?Philippines National Champion?(2009, 2010 &2011) and who?now represents the U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) since?29 October 2014.? This was Wesley So's ?first?victory at the US National Championship and?seized the coveted title of 2017 U.S. Champion (his 3rd attempt since 2015).
The 12 of the strongest chess players in USA?who competed in the men?s section with an average rating of 2684.83 (Category 18: 2676-2700) are So, Caruana, Nakamura, Xiong, Robson, Onischuk, Shankland, Kamsky, ?Naroditsky, Akobian, Zherebukh and Shabalov. The top 3 seeded players (So, Caruana & Nakamura) belong to the elite World?s Top 10 rated players.
Standings after 11 rounds
At the end of the 11th round (single round robin), Wesley So (3-wins, 8-draws & no loss) and the 2006 US champion Alexander Onischuk (4-wins, 6-draws & 1-loss) were tied at 1st place with identical score of 7.0/11. Per regulations the tie at 1st place shall be decided by playoffs:?A combination of rapid, blitz and armageddon games.
Wesley So wins playoff: ?So 1.5 ? 0.5 ?Onischuk
After 2 very exciting playoff rapid matches between Wesley So and Alexander Onischuk, So won game 1 with white and had drawn game 2 with black to score 1.5/2 and the champion trophy for the winner + 50,000 USD.
?I really wanted to win this one this year ? because it?s the strongest national competition in the world,? So said. ?All the great [U.S.] players have won this one.?
GM Wesley So: ?11 Rounds Results
GM Wesley So?s Tournament Performance Rating (TPR) was 2774, ?and this resulted to a loss of -6.6 ?in rating points and a ?Live Rating @?2815.4? but still enough to stay?#2 in the?World Chess rating list. ?The other top rated players Caruana (2817: World?s #3) with 2737 TPR and Nakamura ( 2793: ?World?s #6) 2740 TPR were not as lucky as well in the ratings game, with the defending 2016 US champion Caruana and 4-time US champion (2005, 2009, 2012 & 2015) Nakamura tied for 3rd to 5th places with Varuzhan Akobian scoring 6.5/11 each thereby losing -10.7 and -7.2 rating points respectively that affected their own ranking in the Top 10 World Live Chess Ratings.
Final Standings after the Playoff
So?s 2824.5 that he scored in R4 when he won against GM Onischuk ?was his highest ever rating that stands as the #6 ?Highest Ever Rating in Chess history.
?No Loss? streak
ref: ?Wesley So Live?Ratings
After winning?the US Championship?2017, So extended his ?No Loss? streak ?to 67 games?in a row for Standard/Classical Chess. ? Dating back his last loss to Carlsen in R4 @ Bilbao on 16 July 2016, he completed the remaining 6 games at Bilbao 2016 with a +1=5 to finished 3rd place. He won the Sinquefield Cup in 14 August 2016 with a 5.5/9 (+2=7-0),?then the Olympic Team Gold for USA and Individual Board-3 Gold in Baku with a 8.5/10 (+7=3-0), then the London Chess Classic (LCC) with a 6.0/9 (3=6-0) +?1st Place?overall in the Grand Chess Tour 2016 to make him the best player of the year 2016.
Starting 2017 GM So won Tata Master 2017 @ Wijk aan Zee (above World Champion Magnus Carlsen who placed 2nd) ?scoring 9.0/13 ?(+5=8-0) and now the 2017 US Championhip.
It is also now three 1st place finish in a row for GM Wesley So. ?And these 3 consecutive tourneys are considered very strong. Isn?t it fantastic and amazing ?
Champion: US Championship 2017, Tata Masters 2017 & London Chess Classic 2016 + Grand Chess Tour?
Next stop for GM Wesley So
Gashimov Memorial 2017,?Web?(9)
20 ? 30 Apr 2017, Shamkir (Azerbaijan)
Players:
So, Kramnik, Karjakin, Mamedyarov, Adams, Harikrishna, Eljanov, Wojtaszek, Topalov, Radjabov
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Jose "joeyj" Jereos Jr..
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Spicing up “Thrilla” card
By Joaquin Henson, Thu, 04 Sep 2025SATURDAY: Oscar Valdez vs. Ricky Medina to be Broadcast LIVE on ESPN Deportes in the United States
Thu, 04 Sep 2025SUGAR NUNEZ: I’M JUST GETTING STARTED
Thu, 04 Sep 2025Jennifer Lozano’s Targets Run at 2025 World Boxing Championships
Thu, 04 Sep 2025University of the Philippines is Quezon City chess champ
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 04 Sep 2025Ultimate Arm Wrestling Showdown on Sept. 7 in Digos
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 04 Sep 2025Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimàn: Technological evolution or revolution?
By Mauricio Sulaimán, Wed, 03 Sep 2025Result or Matias-Smith WBC super lightweight title match purse bid
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 03 Sep 2025Vicelles fights in Japan on Sept. 7
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 03 Sep 2025Yoelvis Gomez Speaks After Winning the WBA Continental Latin America Title
Wed, 03 Sep 2025Connor Coyle sets the record straight ‘Clean from Day One. Never cheated, never will’
Wed, 03 Sep 2025Requito stops Bambam in 3rd round
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 03 Sep 2025Villarosa draws with Labajo, Enano wins
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 02 Sep 2025Suarez, Magsayo Reliving High Point in PH Boxing at Super Featherweights
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Tue, 02 Sep 2025Pacman back into full-time boxing
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 02 Sep 2025