Jeez not even endgames. Sounds foolish.
Wesley So

The Soviets were so careful about establishing the foundation for their young and best pupils. It seems they knew something about making champions. So could be ruining his best potential.
I remember when Anand was still young that a Soviet GM declared that he would never be champion because he had no great system backing him, no foundation. Well I think genius and very hard work can make up for that. If the GM would have thought for a second, he'd have realized that one champion already had come out of Brooklyn without the benefit of being part of the Soviet system. Apparently, Anand is extremely gifted (his speed of thought is supposed to be remarkable) and he has worked hard. Maybe So can do the same if and when he decides to.

I suspect this can only be because he's already mastered them. After all, he doesn't suddenly play like a 2000 player after the opening.

Next year Wesley will move up to Corus B and he will be put to a more difficult test. It will be interesting to follow his career as he is obviously a big talent.

I suspect this can only be because he's already mastered them. After all, he doesn't suddenly play like a 2000 player after the opening.
mastered what specifically?

I suspect this can only be because he's already mastered them. After all, he doesn't suddenly play like a 2000 player after the opening.
mastered what specifically?
Tactics, endgames, strategy, all of chess that isn't opening theory.

I'm surprised that you were shocked to learn that Wesley So only studies openings.
You're a master Rex. Wesley is a grandmaster, he can write books on the opening,middlegame and endgame. Heck, we've got IM's and lower rated people sharing their expertise on chess. But to clarify what Wesley mean't was that he studies openings for novelties and prepare for any surprises in the opening by his opponents. As a gm he's already mastered the middlegame and endgame parts of chess. Just like Anand,Kramnik and Kasparov. They only study the openings to look for novelties. At that level if you don't already know the different facets of the game then you won't even make it to IM I suspect.

Next year Wesley will move up to Corus B and he will be put to a more difficult test. It will be interesting to follow his career as he is obviously a big talent.
My take on this is that he believes openings may give him the best practical results. If his losses due to lack of middlegame or endgames started to mount, I suspect he would reevaluate this decision.

It's interesting for us older folks that one-time child prodigy Sammy Reshevsky once made a similar comment about his chess study. He recognized that he had sufficient mastery of the other aspects of the game and was getting killed by the Soviets in the opening, so he spent quite a while working exclusively on that.
Obviously, at this point in his career he thinks he needs to update his opening repertoire. There is a solid Phillippine organization behind him which has produced half a dozen GMs in a few years. So far he is the only Filipino GM who has broken the 2600 barrier. At age 15. If he continues with this current rate of improvement he might be in the top 5 before the age of 20. Of course when a GM says he is studying the opening he might also mean studying the middlegame structure and the endgame that comes after the specific opening as well as the hidden opening tactics behind the specific opening.

I suspect this can only be because he's already mastered them. After all, he doesn't suddenly play like a 2000 player after the opening.
mastered what specifically?
Tactics, endgames, strategy, all of chess that isn't opening theory.
He may have mastered all of chess relative to us normals but he must have a lot of endgame knowledge to learn to compete with the 2700s. Even Magnus could use some more endgame. Botvinnik was WC and he decided he needed to learn more on specific endings.
Stronger GMs have trainers etc.. He can't be done.
I'm not sure if he isn't running through GM games and picking up strategy there, just not studying books per se.

Remember how Capablanca used to say he never studied openings. Well now it's gone full circle. Is it possible though, that what he said could be taken with a pinch of salt. I tell you what, if he remains as exciting as I'm told he is, he can do what he wants :)
here is Wesley's rating progression compared with 9 other modern prodigies
http://chessphi.wordpress.com/vanguards/wesley-so/progression-chart/

Is this true, GM Wesley So will represent Singapore next year? That country for sure offered the So family they can't refuse. Whatever it is, Mabuhay ka Wesley!

...first , i salut this young GM from 'd Philippines, one of 'd great ones...& ...Openings... my misery! need a mentor!!!

Well guys that's Wesley So for you. One of the greatest chess players of the Philippines. I'm proud of you Wesley for bringing up achievements for beloved country. I hope that my future son will be like you as well a world class champion.

I'm surprised that you were shocked to learn that Wesley So only studies openings.
You're a master Rex. Wesley is a grandmaster, he can write books on the opening,middlegame and endgame. Heck, we've got IM's and lower rated people sharing their expertise on chess. But to clarify what Wesley mean't was that he studies openings for novelties and prepare for any surprises in the opening by his opponents. As a gm he's already mastered the middlegame and endgame parts of chess. Just like Anand,Kramnik and Kasparov. They only study the openings to look for novelties. At that level if you don't already know the different facets of the game then you won't even make it to IM I suspect.
indeed.
I was shocked to hear Wesley So, winner of Corus C and one of the most perspective young players, saying that he studies openings only, and pays no attention to middlegame or tactics in his preparation. Amazing. See the video interview by Macauley Peterson.