Career
In 2002, in Maastricht, Netherlands, van Wely took on the computer program Rebel in a four-game match, with each player winning two games. In 2005, he led the Dutch team to victory at the European Team Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. Van Wely is a frequent participant in the elite Tata Steel Chess Tournament.
As of 2010, he has participated in the tournament 19 years consecutively.
In 2011, he came in first at Berkeley International tournament in Berkeley. On 9 July 2012, Van Wely was denied access to the United States because he lacked a work visa.