What an incredible way to wrap up the year! The TCA 17th Annual End of Year Tournament 2025 was an absolute showcase of talent, grit, and pure excitement, bringing together Hong Kong’s strongest masters and most promising rising stars.
From the “gripping battles” of our U7 competitors—who displayed remarkable determination with zero draws offered —to Jake Wang’s jaw-dropping queen sacrifice that delivered a stunning checkmate in the U11 section, the energy in the room was electric. Whether it was Niilo’s heroic six-game winning streak to snatch the Invitational title or the high-level technical skill shown by our FIDE-rated players, every match proved that the “fighting spirit” of our community is stronger than ever.
The Tiny Titans: U7 Warriors with Big Spirit
Kudos to Anderson Fok, Hin Yi Tse, Alexander Tu, Shu Muyan, and Catalina Wong! Their games were gripping battles, displaying pure determination with no draws offered—an impressive feat for kids aged 6-7 years old! It’s truly remarkable to witness such concentration and fighting spirit at this young age.A special mention goes to Anderson Fok, the U7 Champion, who diligently wrote the scoresheet for most of his games—what an amazing achievement!
U7 Section Final Standings:
- 1st Place Winner: Fok, Chi San Anderson (La Salle Primary School)
- 2nd Place Winner: Tse, Hin Yi (Kowloon Rhenish School)
- 3rd Place Winner: Wong, Catalina Adelaide (Dalton School Hong Kong)
Female Standings:
- Female Champion: Shi, Ceres Sun (Shatin Junior School)
- Female 2nd Place: Wong, Nicole (International Christian School)
- Female 3rd Place: Li, Charlotte (Kellett School)
Age Winners:
- Age 5 Winner: Li, Xiyu Brandon (ISF Academy)
- Age 6 Winner: Tu, Yutian Alexander (Hong Kong International School)
- Age 7 Winner: Shu, Muyan (ISF Academy)
The Technical Powerhouse: U9 Rising Prodigies
Ernest Liu lived up to his favourite status by becoming the Under-9 Champion, going undefeated with a thrilling draw against TCA student Jonathan Huang, who finished fifth overall, tied on points with the fourth. Ernest defeated strong opponents to take the title, including Charlie Liu, Philip Sun, Gloria Li, Jacob Zhang, Max Jin, and Spencer Sun.
TCA student Joey Xin finished in third place (tied on points with the second place), losing only to Spencer Sun. Joey is highly active in our online classes, attending regularly from Monday to Friday, along with in-person sessions at our Kennedy Town academy.
Sarah Sun, another standout from TCA, achieved an impressive 4.5 points, consistently competing among the top boards and only losing to the runner-up and third-place finisher, Spencer Sun and Joey Xin.
We are excited about the high level of technical skill and competitiveness displayed in this category, featuring four officially rated players in classical chess, demonstrating the strength of our competitors.
U9 Section Final Standings:
- 1st Place Winner: Lui, Ernest (Beacon Hill School)
- 2nd Place Winner: Sun, Spencer (Victoria Shanghai Academy)
- 3rd Place Winner: Xin, Zhuoer Joey (CCC Wanchai Church Kei To Primary School)
Female Standings:
- Female Champion: Sun, Sarah (Victoria Shanghai Academy)
- Female 2nd Place: Li, Gloria (ISF Academy)
- Female 3rd Place: Cheng, Eleonore (French International School)
The Ultimate Showdown: U11 Strategic Fireworks
The U11 section was fiercely competitive, featuring 38 entries, including a significant number of FIDE-rated players. The top seeds advanced smoothly through the initial rounds, with some facing each other in Round 3, resulting in draws. By Round 5, Law Ching Yin of CAIS had a full-point lead, which was narrowed in Round 6 after a hard-fought draw against Declan Yeo from SIS. Entering the final round, Jake Wang from St. Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School and Clement Lau of ISF trailed Law Ching Yin by half a point.
In the decisive final game between Jake Wang and Law Ching Yin, a critical tactical moment occurred. Jake (Black) played 1…g3!, appearing to blunder the queen after 2.Qxh3. Black responded with 2…gxf2+, 3.Kh1 Rg1+!, and 4.Rxg1 fxg1=Q#, executing a stunning checkmate that amazed players and spectators alike!
This victory secured Jake Wang first place in the U11 section over Clement Lau on tie-breaks. Female players also performed strongly, with Josephine Chan and Lakshika Jain (both from TCA) finishing in the top 10 overall with 4.5 points, closely followed by Vivian Sun (Shatin College) with 4 points.
U11 Section Final Standings:
- 1st Place Winner: Wang, Yujin Jake (St. Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School)
- 2nd Place Winner: Lau, Clement (ISF Academy)
- 3rd Place Winner: Law, Ching Yin Scott (CAIS)
Female Standings:
- Female Champion: Chan, Josephine Hei Yin (ICS)
- Female 2nd Place: Jain, Lakshika (Kellett)
- Female 3rd Place: Sun, Vivian Yutian (Shatin College)
The Master-Level Gauntlet: U18 Elite Contenders
It was a successful and officially FIDE-rated event, featuring intense competition among 15 talented players (14 boys and 1 girl). The competition was notably close, with every participant managing to score points, which speaks to the balanced and fighting spirit across the board. The final standings saw a strong performance from TCA Master Level students, who took the top two spots.
Five of the participants already hold official FIDE ratings, contributing to the high level of play throughout the event. It was encouraging to see such engagement and steady growth in this youth section.
U18 Section Final Standings:
- 1st Place Winner: Chiu, Duncan Ray (South Island School)
- 2nd Place Winner: Zhu, Nathaniel Adrian Yi-xing (Chinese International School)
- 3rd Place Winner: Leung, Ngai Chiu Micah (King George V School)
Female Standings:
- Female Champion: Chen, Sun Yuet Priscilla (International Christian School)
Age Winners:
- Age 12 Winner: Yeo, Ren Jie Aidan (Singapore International School)
- Age 13 Winner: Pang, Maximus (ISF Academy)
Invitational Section
The TCA Invitational Year-End Tournament was a fiercely competitive event, attracting some of Hong Kong’s strongest players—a brilliant mix of top-ranked masters and rising young talents! 🌟
🥇 Niilo, the pre-event favorite, claimed 1st place! His path to victory was challenging, losing a tough match in the first round against Henry, but he made an incredible comeback, winning 6 out of 6 games afterward to clinch the title! 🔥
Henry led early with 4.5/5 points until a key loss in Round 6 to Brandon Chan shifted the momentum to Niilo.
Final Standings:
1️⃣ Niilo – Tournament Champion 🥇
2️⃣ Henry – Strong start, finished 2nd 🥈
3️⃣ Samuel Lam – 3rd place 🥉
4️⃣ Brandon Chan – Solid performance, including a key win over Henry
5️⃣ Boris Chan – 3 points
6️⃣ Brandon Fang – 2.5 points
7️⃣ Paul Nguyen – 2 points
8️⃣ Jake Chong – Brave competitor at only 8 years old!
👏A special shout-out to Jake Chong, who faced this strong field with impressive courage! He held his own deep into games, and though inexperience prevented him from converting some winning positions, this was a valuable experience for one of Hong Kong’s most promising players under 10. 🌱
🎊 Congratulations to all our participants for making this year-end finale so unforgettable! We are already gearing up for an even bigger 2026 season and can’t wait to see you back at the board.
Mark your calendars for our upcoming TCA tournaments:
- TCA Road-to-Masters Winter Rapid 2026 (Rated) on January 11
- TCA FreeStyle Tournament on January 18
- 16th Annual ISF Academy Chess Open on March 8, 2026
We can’t wait to see all of you again at our upcoming events! 💪♟️
