‘Adoptive’ mother Lotis ‘Key’ to Wesley’s rise over the years

CHENNAI: Philippines-born America superstar Wesley So is among the crème de la crème in the chess world, but would not be the player he is today without his ‘adoptive’ mother Lotis Key’s support. Lotis is with Wesley in Mahabalipuram for the 44th Olympiad and has been accompanying him for tournaments since 2015.

“I first met her at a private dinner in Minnesota in 2013 (when he was at the university level). She was the one who convinced me to become a chess professional. Back then, I was only 19 years old and I was only in the top-100 in the world. Two years later, I reached the top-10. It (meeting her) is one of the best things to have happened in my life,” said World No.7 Wesley, an integral member of the top-seeded USA team in the Open section.

Explaining how they crossed paths nine years ago, Lotis said: “He (Wesley) was an abandoned boy. He had come from the Philippines to America at 17 or 18 to play chess in a university. He was also studying to get a degree in finance. I met him accidentally at a dinner. He seemed lost and lonely.”

She added: “He asked me if he could visit us in Christmas time since he had nowhere to go. I asked him what he wanted to do in his life. He replied: ‘I would like to play chess, but I think I am not good enough’. I said: ‘You come to us and we will take care of you for a year’. All he needed was support, a safe place to sleep, food and encouragement.”

Why does Lotis give Wesley company all the time? “To be the best, a player must trust somebody. And to trust somebody, you have to be with them a lot. The family agreed that I should be with him. I will give my life to help this boy,” said Lotis.

“An elite player must play [only] chess and not look after logistics. He must not be looking for the plane, hotel, ground transport, food and clothing. These things could suck the energy [of a player]. A great player must have 100 per cent energy to focus on his game.”

Wesley stressed that his mother’s presence during travel has been extremely beneficial. “Logistically, I cannot do things myself because I travel to places that are far away. She has helped me a lot in that regard. It (such support) is very important when I travel internationally and to unknown places. It is important that I have someone to help me mentally and psychologically,” said Wesley.