Born on 7 October 1972, he became an International Master (IM) in 1991 and a Grandmaster in 1993. He won the Dutch Championship six consecutive times from 2000 to 2005. He has also represented the Netherlands at the Chess Olympiad eleven times from 1992 to 2012, with his best result being fifth in 2002.
Van Wely is particularly successful at open tournaments, winning the tournament in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1996 and the Buenos Aires tournament in 2005. He was also a frequent participant in the elite Tata Steel Chess Tournament and has twice finished in third place.
Van Wely also provides live commentary at major chess events, such as the World Chess Championship. Aside from chess, he also regularly plays poker.
In 2015, he was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau, one of the Netherlands' highest civilian awards.
Overall, Van Wely is recognized as one of the Netherlands' most important chess figures of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He is especially known for his uncompromising, fighting spirit at the chess board.