Oceania has sent the highest-ever 19 participants to this year’s 18th edition of Asian Schools Chess Championship taking place in Bangkok, Thailand – strongly contributing to the event’s own record of 555 participants across 31 countries in the region. This year’s event is hosted by the Thailand Chess Association under the auspices of FIDE and the Asian Chess Federation.
In above photo are Guam national junior chess team at the 18th Asian Schools Chess Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.
Guam national junior chess team has fielded 12 competitors in almost every age category – and is led by the National Schools Chess Championship winner CM Tran Tuan An, playing in his last eligible tournament in the U17 category.
Serdar Bayramov of Turkmenistan playing versus Guam National Schools Chess Champion CM Tran Tuan An.
Other Guam team members include the National Schools Chess Championship winners Travis Wang (U7), Leo Lopatyuk (U9), Esther Combs (G9), Xian Chi Tran (G11) and Sarah Padrique (G17), as well as 2nd-place medalists Daniel Combs (U11), Noah Combs (U17), Noelle Camacho (G13), Michael Angelo Mendoza (U15), and Natalie Camacho (G15). Aryan Dewan rounds out the team in the U13 category.
New Zealand Chess Federation is represented by 4 young talents, including the 2024 NZ Girls Champion WCM Luna Xu and expanding its presence from last year’s Asian Schools Chess Champion in Uzbekistan, where NZ had three players.
2023 and 2024 New Zealand age group champion Richard Liu (left) in action against Ramazan Tulegen of Kazakhstan.
WCM Xu (G11) is joined in Bangkok by the 2024 New Zealand age group champions Anne Guo (G9), Vera Xu (G7), and Richard Liu (U11).
New Zealand national junior chess team at the 18th Asian Schools Chess Championship in Bangkok, Thailand: Richard Liu (U11), WCM Luna Xu (G11), Anne Guo (G9), Vera Xu (G7).
Completing the Oceania contingent at this year’s Championship is the junior chess team sent by the Australian Chess Federation – comprised of the two Batyrbekov brothers: Kaisar (U9) and Aidan (U7).
2024 VIC State age category 2nd runner up Batyrbekov Kaisar of Australia (left) vs Guam’s Schools Chess Championship age category winner Leo Lopatyuk.
Having won the qualifying zonal tournament, Kaisar and Aidan Batyrbekov had led their school team to a 2nd runner up finish in the 2024 Victorian State Junior Primary Finals. Both have also finished as the 2ndv and 1st runners up, respectively, in the age group finals.
Team Australia at the 18th Asian Schools Chess Championship in Bangkok, Thailand: Aidan Batyrbekov (U7) and Kaisar Batyrbekov (U9).