Ten days. One typhoon. Five incredible kids who left everything on the board. Honestly, watching this team compete at the 10th East Asia Youth Chess Championship in Hainan was one of the proudest experiences of my coaching career, and I’m still buzzing about it.
I coached alongside IM Carlo, and between us we poured everything into preparing this group for a tournament that tested their nerves as much as their calculation. There were tears after tough losses, huge grins after breakthroughs, and somewhere in between, a silver medal that had the whole team cheering.
The Grind Nobody Sees
People see the trophies. They don’t see the 6am wake ups, the war room strategy sessions, or the sheer discipline it takes to show up focused every single day for ten days straight. That’s the part I’m most proud of.
Our routine was relentless but it worked beautifully:
- Team breakfasts to set the tone before anyone touched a chess piece
- Final prep, then straight into the playing hall
- Post-game reviews the moment players walked out, while every move was still burning fresh in their minds
- A serious 3 to 4 hour afternoon training block, holed up in Coach Carlo’s room, which we jokingly (and proudly) called the war room
- Early nights for our youngest players, and quiet late sessions for the older kids sharpening their prep
A typhoon swept through at one point, and we barely blinked. The kids were too locked in to notice the weather, which honestly says everything about their focus. And when we finally got a day off, they let loose completely: water park, go-karts, arcade games, the beach. They earned every second of it.
Performances Worth Celebrating
Every single player stepped up, and I want that on record.
- Jake Chong claimed Silver in U10 Standard, an outstanding result, and backed it up with two more top 10 finishes.
- Isaac Say stayed remarkably consistent in U12, landing 5th, 7th, and 10th across formats.
- Chloe Lau went toe to toe with a brutally competitive U16 field and came out with three top 10 results.
- Anderson Fok, still one of our youngest, grabbed a 10th place finish in U8 Standard.
- Balthazar Chow took on his first major international tournament with real courage, and the experience he gained is priceless.
The Part That Matters Most
Here’s the truth: the standings are great, but they’re not why this trip mattered. What mattered was watching this team grow closer, watching parents cheer for each other’s kids like they were their own, and watching every single player come home hungrier for the next challenge.
That’s the real story of the 10th East Asia Youth Chess Championship this year. Congratulations to every player who made this trip unforgettable. Coach Carlo and I couldn’t be prouder of you.