So stays in world top 100

MANILA, Philippines - Grandmaster Wesley So kept his place in the world Top 100, placing 76th overall, in the latest FIDE rankings and is on course in his bid to reach the 2700 plateau depite losing a few points in the last quarter.

So, 18, actually started the year on the right foot after finishing tied for fourth in last January’s Tata Steel Chess tournament in the Netherlands where he gained 7.40 points. His withdrawal in last February’s Aeroflot Open in Russia cost him 13.90 points. His rating dipped from 2673 in January to 2667 in April.

Super GM Viswanathan Anand of India is on top with a 2817 rating.

So is also fourth among the world’s top juniors, behind Italian GM Fabiano Caruana (2716), Dutch GM Anish Giri (2690) and Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem (2689).

GM Joey Antonio remained at second with 2589 with no tournament the last three months while GM Mark Paragua gained 36 points from 30 games to improve from 2511 to 2547 for No. 3.

GM John Paul Gomez got 11 points and now has a 2538 rating while Europe-based GM Roland Salvador surged from 2533 to 2536 for No. 5.

Rounding up the top 10 were GM Darwin Laylo (2516), GM Joseph Sanchez (2513), IM Oliver Barbosa (2461), GM Eugene Torre (2495) and IM Richard Bitoon (2480).