GM Wesley So seizes St. Louis title with Magnus Carlsen, pockets P2.2M

METRO MANILA – Philippine-born United States bet Grandmaster Wesley So delivered four wins in the last six rounds to share the US$250,000 (Php12.5 million) Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament with reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen on Saturday.

With one points lagging behind the world champion Carlsen, So was able to turn it around with the win on Armenian Levon Aronian and Indian Pentala Harikrishna to take the event with 12 and forge a tie for the top spot with identical 24 points.

The win in the rapid was worth 2 points, draw is 1 point while a blitz is equivalent to 1 point and a draw to a half a point.

GM Wesley So also beat United States’ Leinier Dominguez Perez while drawing the match with Iran’s Alireza Firouzja and Russia’s Alexander Grischuk during the last-gasp rampage.

The win gave both So and Carlsen US$45,000 (roughly P2.25 million) apiece. Hikaru Nakamura came in at third with 21 points. The Filipino born GM who finished fifth in the Fischer-Random side of this same tournament topped by Carlsen, made sure this time the latter won’t  be enjoying the spoils alone.