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Emil Guillermo: UPDATE–Wesley So loses match, but Carlsen wins his to take lead in the Gashimov chess tourney in Azerbaijan

UPDATE

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen  took over the lead in the Gashimov Memorial in Azerbaijan with a win over Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. 

The win gives him a  half point advantage over American Filipino chess hero Wesley So, who lost his fifth round match.

So, playing black, was outmaneuvered by former world champ Visanathan Anand.

Just a mild set back for So, who had  won his fourth round game vs. Rauf Mamedov.  That full point win gave So a momentary  advantage over the rest of the field.

The tourney still  seems destined for a  big match between So and the  World No. 1, Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

So’s strong play in Azerbaijan is a real switch from the previous week in the U.S., where he uncharacteristically lost three games and forfeited a fourth at the U.S. Championships.

 

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Emil Guillermo:Britt McHenry’s video displayed how “Media Privilege” is more intoxicating than “White Privilege.”

BrittMcHenry

Still talking about that “ugly” Britt McHenry video?

Kudos to her employer for getting it right.

No matter what anybody says, her words and tone on that video were indefensible.

A suspension is light by comparison.  I explain why in this column you can click on here.

Every person who has been on TV for a living knows this is the dual edge of “media fame.” You can cross the line and think you are “above it all.”

You’re not.

 

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blog, Filipino, news, sports

Emil Guillermo: After disastrous U.S. Chess Championships, Wesley So rebounds in Azerbaijan tourney. UPDATED with So’s third round results.

chesssorobsonmatch

SEE UPDATE BELOW

Last week, Wesley So (right) lost to three lesser players, including his old college roommate Ray Robson, who went on to edge past Wesley for overall 2nd place in the tournament.

But that was in St. Louis.

Since then, So has gone to the other side of the world, to Azerbaijan, where he is playing like his old self.

After two matches, Wesley So seems to have regained confidence and form with dominant play, winning one and drawing one, at the Gashimov Memorial tournament in Azerbaijan.

On Saturday, So  drew his match with co-leader Vladmir Kramnik to  continue to share the top spot in the tournament.

So opened Friday night with a crushing defeat of Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri  in just 32 moves.

So, a Filipino playing as an American, disappointed last week when he failed to challenge Hikaru Nakamura for the No.1 spot in the U.S.

Personal issues between So’s biological mom and the family  with whom he stays in the U.S., led to bitter arguments during that tournament. Some believe that had an affect on So’s play.

So was ranked 8th in the world during the U.S. tournament.

UPDATED 4/19/15 11:16pm PDT

Wesley So beat Michael Adams of (England) in Round 3 of Gashimov.

 

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Emil Guillermo: The new Asian American Identity– Just American, please?

 

chloenyu

Recently, I asked some young Asian Americans how they liked to identify.

I was surprised.

They didn’t say  “Asian American.”

Now I understand a Samoan saying , “Poly,” or “Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander.”

But these were two people in their ’20s, of Japanese and Chinese descent. Old school.

And they didn’t say,” Asian American.” Read my column here.

Names evolve. Now we have Asian Pacific American, Asian American Pacific Islander, Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander.  It’s always about inclusion, right. Not about bringing poetry to bureaucracy.

But there’s something to be said for how a phrase ages in time.

I don’t know the exact reason why the NAACP doesn’t say change the “cp” part of its name to make it  more “PC.”

Who says “colored people,,” except for racists, right?

But I imagine they kept the phrase because of the history of the term. It’s a phrase that proudly shows its age. And shows what’s been overcome.

Asian American is the seed, not just our root phrase.  From it, the community has expanded to include all different Asian and Pacific Islander ethnicities.

There’s still good reason to hoist it as a unifying banner. There’s history.

And it shows how far we’ve come.

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