Wesley So savors ‘great start to the year’ with blitz chess crown

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After a subpar 2025 season, Wesley So aims to return to the world top 10 after opening this year’s campaign with a blitz chess title in India

MANILA, Philippines – Wesley So’s pursuers tumbled in the homestretch, handing the Filipino-American Super Grandmaster the Tata Steel Chess India 2026 blitz crown without a hitch in Kolkata over the weekend.  

“Finally a win! A great start to the year,” said So after pocketing the top purse of $7,500. 

Coupled with the $2,000 he received for placing fourth in the rapid section won by Nihal Sarin on Friday, January 9, the 32-year-old So went home with a total prize of $9,500 (P562,000). 

So, the first Fischer Random world champion, is trying to recover from a disappointing 2025 season where he won only a total of $206,000 (P12.2 million) from official tournaments, and wound up dropping to No. 11 in the world rankings.

Last December 30, So wound up sixth in the season-ending FIDE World Rapid Championship won again by world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. 

This time in India, So drew with Hans Niemann in the penultimate round and moved beyond the reach of Indian No. 1 Arjun Erigaisi and No. 5 Nihal Sarin, who were derailed by R Praggnanandhaa and former world rapid titlist Volodar Murzin, respectively.

Although the Bacoor, Cavite-born  lost to Praggnanandhaa in the 18th and last round, the three-time United States champion posted 12 points, a point ahead of Sarin and Erigaisi, in the double round-robin, two-day event, including the earlier three-day rapid competition.

It was a grand comeback for So, who yielded to Vidit Gujrathi in the opener but recovered with a five-game winning run over Sarin, five-time world champion Vishy Anand, Erigaisi, Chithambaram Aravindh, and Hans Niemann to top the first round-robin with 7 points. – Rappler.com