TCA 16th Annual ISF Academy Chess Open 2026

The TCA 16th ISF Academy Chess Open took place on Sunday, 8 March — one of the largest scholastic events of the year. Close to 350 players from Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen competed across seven exciting rounds for top honours. The event was divided into four sections: Age 6 & Under, Lower Primary, Upper Primary and Secondary.

Age 6 and Under 

With a turnout of 17 players, and notably 6 being girls, this section is always one of the most enjoyable to witness. With a perfect score of 7 out of 7, it was Brandon Li from ISF Academy who dominated. 

A particularly heartwarming moment came from siblings Nick and Shasta Ellison (Caritas Kindergarten), who finished second and third. This was their second time joining the ISF Chess Open and they produced a wonderful result this year. It may well be a first in Hong Kong tournament history to see two siblings share the podium — a truly memorable achievement — and both also helped their school secure the team’s second‑place trophy. What an impressive effort from the Ellison family and Caritas Kindergarten!

Individual Winners:

• Age 6 Winner – Warren Tong (ISF Academy)*

• 1st Place Female – Ellison, Shasta (Caritas Kindergarten)
• 2nd Place Female – Pearce, Valerie (Hong Kong International School)
• 3rd Place Female – Li Ching Yan Joelle (ESF Kowloon Junior School)

• 1st Place – Li, Brandon – (ISF Academy)*
• 2nd Place – Ellison, Nick (Caritas Kindergarten)
• 3rd Place – Chan, Sebastian (ISF Academy)*
• 4th Place – Ho, Lucas (ISF Academy)*
• 5th Place – Liu, Elliot (Canadian International School)
• 6th Place – Cheong, Ethan (ESF Shatin Junior School) 

School Teams: 

• 1st Place Team – ISF Academy*
• 2nd Place Team – Caritas Kindergarten
• 3rd Place Team – Canadian International School*
• 4th Place Team – ESF Shatin Junior School
• 5th Place Team – Hong Kong International School
• 6th Place Team – ESF Kowloon Junior School*

View Results

Lower Primary 

The Lower Primary section enjoyed an excellent turnout of 104 players — including several already FIDE‑rated competitors, which is a wonderful indicator of the rising standard in scholastic chess. Many of last year’s top performers have moved up to Upper Primary, so it was especially encouraging to see the new generation stepping up with such enthusiasm and skill.

Once again, it took a perfect score to win the section. Warm congratulations to Shayne Meng (ESF Discovery College) for an outstanding 7/7 — Shayne continues to be a dominant and inspiring presence in the lower primary circuit.

Rounding out the top three were Cheng Cheuk Yiu (Pui Ching Primary) and Yantao Huang (Kiangsu & Chekiang Primary School), each with 6 points and placed by tie‑breaks. The overall depth of talent and sportsmanship on display made the section very enjoyable.

Individual Winners:

• Age 7 Winner – Tu, Yutian Alexander (Hong Kong International School)
• Age 8 Winner – Wang, Aiden Ziyi (Hong Kong International School)
• Age 9 Winner – Ng Yuet Sing (Kau Yan School)

• 1st Place Female – Sun Xiruo Sarah (Victoria Shanghai Academy)*
• 2nd Place Female – Shi Ceres Sun (ESF Shatin Junior School)
• 3rd Place Female – Liu Chin Wai Isabella (ISF Academy)* 

• 1st Place – Meng, Shayne (ESF Discovery College)
• 2nd Place – Cheng Cheuk Yiu  (Pui Ching Primary School)
• 3rd Place – Huang, Yantao (Kiangsu & Chekiang Primary School)*
• 4th Place – Tse Hin Yi (Kowloon Rhenish School)
• 5th Place – Wong, Catelina Adelaide (Dalton School)
• 6th Place – Sun, Spencer (Victoria Shanghai Academy)*

School Teams: 

• 1st Place Team – Hong Kong International School
• 2nd Place Team – Victoria Shanghai Academy*
• 3rd Place Team – ISF Academy*
• 4th Place Team – International Christian School*
• 5th Place Team – Diocesan Boys’ School (Primary Division)*
• 6th Place Team – Bloom KKCA Academy*

View Results

Upper Primary 

The Upper Primary section — the largest of the event with an impressive 144 players — showcased excellent chess throughout the day. Congratulations to Matthew Liang (Shenzhen Experimental Guangming School), who claimed the title with 6.5 points.

A tight chase followed: six players finished on 6 points, making the tie‑breaks decisive. Shreenidhi Balaji (ESF Discovery College) drew her final game with Matthew and secured second place on superior tie‑breaks. Jake Chong (KCIS) finished third — a special mention for stepping up from Lower Primary to compete in Upper Primary and delivering an excellent 6‑point performance; his only loss was to the champion, Matthew.

Individual Winners:

• Age 10 Winner – Wang, Daniel （Yew Chung International School） 
• Age 11 Winner – Aravind, Tejas  (ESF Discovery College) 
• Age 12 Winner – Bedadam, Vihaan (Chiu Sheung School)* 

• 1st Place Female – Peng, Lixiao Sonia (ESF Clearwater Bay School)
• 2nd Place Female – Yin, Ruiyan (ISF Academy)
• 3rd Place Female – Lakshika, Jain (Kellet School)* 

• 1st Place – Liang, Matthew (Shenzhen Experimental Guangming School)
• 2nd Place – Balaji, Shreenidhi  (Discovery Bay International School)
• 3rd Place – Chong, Jake (Kiangsu & Chekiang International Section)*
• 4th Place – Gai, Trajan (Malvern College)
• 5th Place – Lau, Clement (ISF Academy)
• 6th Place – Peng, Litan Elena (ESF Clearwater Bay School) 

School Teams: 

• 1st Place Team – ISF Academy*
• 2nd Place Team – Pui Ching Primary School
• 3rd Place Team – ESF Clearwater Bay School
• 4th Place Team – Yew Chung International School
• 5th Place Team – Victoria Shanghai Academy*
• 6th Place Team – ESF Shatin Junior School 

View Results

Secondary 

The strongest section of the event featured a competitive field of 80 players, including many of Hong Kong’s top juniors. Nearly half of the section was FIDE‑rated — a testament to the flourishing standard of youth chess in the region.

After seven intense rounds, Thanneermalai “Thambu” Kannappan (ESF West Island School) took the title with 6.5 points. Thambu’s victory is another proud milestone in his scholastic career: he has won in every age group from U6 through to Secondary (this is his second Secondary title) and has represented Hong Kong in the Olympiad.

Rounding out the top six were Krish Shah (GSIS), Brandon Fang (ISF Academy), Scott Law (CAIS), Caius Chan (FIS) and Kainos Wong — all of whom delivered strong performances. We’re especially proud to note that these players have been coached by the TCA coaching team; their results reflect dedication, hard work and great guidance.

Individual Winners:

• Age 13 Winner – Ao Lok Chee (HKUGA College)
• Age 14 Winner – Zhou, Richard (HKBU Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School)
• Age 15 Winner – Agarwal, Amartya Shiv (ESF Island School) 
• Age 16 Winner – Fung, Nelson (St. Paul’s College) 
• Age 17 Winner – Sun, David (International School of Macau) 

• 1st Place Female – Chang, Annabel (ISF Academy)
• 2nd Place Female – Sun, Vivian Youtian (ESF Shatin College)*
• 3rd Place Female – Lee Seo Yoon Marissa (ESF South Island School)*

School Teams: 

• 1st Place Team – ISF Academy*
• 2nd Place Team – St. Paul’s College
• 3rd Place Team – ESF West Island School
• 4th Place Team – HKBU Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School
• 5th Place Team – Christian Alliance International School
• 6th Place Team – Diocesan Boys School

View Results

What’s next?
Please mark your calendars for our exciting upcoming TCA tournaments:

• Beginners Tournament 2026 — Apr 19 & 26
• TCA Road‑to‑Masters Early Summer Standard Tournament 2026 — May 1–3
• Hong Kong TCA Scholastic Championship 2026 — Jun 7

View all tournaments

Special offer: Enjoy 20% off any ActiveKids Easter Holiday Camp if you book by March 20 — don’t miss this chance to combine fun with improvement. We look forward to seeing everyone continue their great progress! Book NOW!