The TCA Novice Tournament took place over two weekends, with the U11 and U18 competitions held on Sunday, November 2nd, followed by the U7 and U9 sections on Sunday, November 9th.
This tournament has a longstanding history of providing up-and-coming young players the opportunity to compete for a podium finish. To participate, players must not have placed in the top three in any previous chess competitions. While “novice” may not always mean brand new to chess, we define it as a young player who lacks sufficient tournament experience to contend for top placements.
U7 Section
TCA student Jamie Li emerged as the undefeated champion in the U7 section, achieving 7 points out of 7 while displaying remarkable confidence throughout his matches. A special mention goes to Ceres Sun Shi, the runner-up with 6 points, who only lost to Jamie and triumphed over all other competitors. Leonie Law was awarded the title of Best Female Player in this section.
Additionally, Sebastian Chan (born in 2020) was recognized as the best U5 player, finishing with 4 points and only losing to more experienced opponents: Jamie Li (the overall U7 champion), Leonie Law (female champion), and Adam Naija.
- Age 5 Winner: Chan, Sebastian
- Age 6 Winner: Chan, Winston
- Age 7 Winner: Wang, Jake
- 1st Place Winner – Li, Jamie
- 2nd Place Winner – Shi, Ceres
- 3rd Place Winner – Wong, Ping Hay
- Female Champion: Leonie Law
U9 Section
Max Jin was the undefeated U9 champion, allowing ties only against runner-up Eugene Cheng and third-place Lok Chan, winning the remaining four games. Jin finished with 6 points out of 7, while Eugene Cheng followed closely with 5.5 points, and Lok Chan secured third with 5 points. Chenxin Zhao (Emma), a TCA student from ISF, was recognized as the best female player in this category.
- Age 8 Winner: Cai, Andy
- Age 9 Winner: Tu, Max
- 1st Place Winner – Jin, Max
- 2nd Place Winner – Cheng, Eugene
- 3rd Place Winner – Chan, Lok
- Female Champion: Zhao, Chenxin (Emma)
U11 Section
The U11 section featured a respectable turnout of 14 players, including several regular weekend competitors. However, many still lacked the experience needed to push for top positions. A notable moment occurred in Round 6, when three players found themselves tied for first place at 4 points each, with five others just a point behind, all facing one another.
In Board 1, Shaunak accepted a draw in a winning position due to time pressure. Board 2 had Wayne offering a draw while up a piece. Meanwhile, Tristan, under pressure in Board 3, fell victim to time, despite having a winning position. Board 4 saw Owen Chiu take advantage of the top board results, positioning himself well for the final round.
Post-tournament discussions highlighted how Round 6 was a critical moment, with some players missing opportunities for trophies because they didn’t fully consider the implications of previous results. A valuable lesson indeed!
- Age 10 winner – Chau, Brandon Chak Ming
- Age 11 winner – Long, Yueqi
- 1st Place Winner – Yu, Mason
- 2nd Place Winner – Yeung, Curtis
- 3rd Place Winner – Sen, Shaunak
U18 Section
The U18 division employed a round-robin format, allowing all players to compete against each other. This format is often used when player entries are low and helps us promote competitive play among our older participants.
The section was won by Shaurya Sen, despite suffering a last-round loss to second-place finisher Aidan Lo. Rounding out the top three was our TCA student, Wong Hei Lam!
- 1st Place Winner – Sen, Shaurya
- 2nd Place Winner – Lo, Aidan
- 3rd Place Winner – Wong, Hei Lam
Thank you to all players and families for being here and for believing in their potential. Your presence is a testament to your commitment to their development, both as players and as individuals.
Our next annual tournament will be the TCA End of Year Tournament 2025 on Dec 14. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your skills and spend a full day of chess. Click here to register now.
