🌍 TCA Travel Program – Spain Sant Martí Open 2026

🌍From Hong Kong to Barcelona: TCA’s 1000‑Point Leap at the Sant Martí Open 2026

This July, 13 players from The Chess Academy proudly traveled to Spain to compete in the XXVI International Open Sant Martí 2026 (Jul 13–21). 🏆

Supporting them was our team of four dedicated coaches — including two Grandmasters, a Woman International Master, and a FIDE Master — who provided expert guidance, game preparation, and post‑match analysis throughout the tournament.

This immersive experience gave our students invaluable exposure to international competition, strengthened their skills, and deepened their passion for chess. Together, they achieved an impressive milestone of over 1000 Elo points gained during the event.

✨🎥 Enjoy the video of our group during pre‑tournament preparation, capturing the energy and excitement as they stepped onto the global stage!

🌟 Outstanding Performance by TCA Students

Our young talents made a strong impact at this tournament, achieving remarkable results across both Group A and Group B. Together, the team gained over 1000 Elo points — an impressive milestone for our academy!

🔹 Group A

• CM Yiheng Li (Henry): 11th place, 6 points, +91.6 Elo — highlighted by victories against Spanish GM Orelvis Pérez and Peruvian IM Gianmarco Leiva.
• Krishiv Shah: 40th place, 5 points, +118.4 Elo.
• Paul Ashton Nguyen: 48th place, 5 points, +93.6 Elo.

Hong Kong player FM Niilo Man Nissinen, one of our TCA loyalists, also scored 6 points in Group A, including a draw against Cuban GM Dylan Berdayes.

🔹 Group B

• Jake Chong: 5th place, 7 points, +145.6 Elo — finishing just one point behind the champion.
• Clayton Lau: 15th place, 6.5 points, +155.6 Elo.
• Other strong performances came from Mike Huang, Zhuoer Xin, Duncan Chiu, Isaac Say, Chloe Lau, Ethan Tu, and Max Tu.

👏 Congratulations to all our students and families! Every tournament is a mark of the children’s growth; every breakthrough is the best reward for their hard work. This European journey has shown us the transformation of Hong Kong’s rising chess stars!