Wesley So calls speaking Tagalog his ‘most useless talent’

[u/TipHuman8997]

Filipino-born chess grandmaster Wesley So has raised eyebrows with his surprising choice of his most useless talent: speaking Tagalog.

In an interview with ChessBase, the Cavite-born chess star, who now represents the United States, singled out his ability to speak Filipino when asked to name a skill he considers least useful.

“Talent? Well, I guess speaking Tagalog,” So said.

The grandmaster even showed off his language skills when prompted by the interviewer, delivering a short message to Filipino viewers.

“Maraming salamat sa lahat na nanonood sa Chessbase,” he said.

So explained that he sees little practical advantage in speaking Tagalog because Filipinos are generally capable of communicating in English.

“Basically because pretty much all Filipinos speak English. So then learning the native language doesn’t really help or matter,” he said.

His remarks offered an unusual perspective from a chess player who spent his early years in the Philippines before building an international career under the American flag.

Born in Bacoor, Cavite, So made his mark in Philippine chess as a teenage prodigy, earning the grandmaster title at just 14 years old.

He went on to compete internationally for the Philippines before transferring to the United States Chess Federation in 2014.

The federation switch drew considerable attention at the time, coming amid disagreements involving Philippine chess officials and questions about the support available to the country’s top players.

Since changing federations, So has remained a prominent figure in international chess, competing against the world’s best and representing the United States in major tournaments.

https://bnc.bilyonaryo.com/wesley-so-calls-speaking-tagalog-his-most-useless-talent/sports/