Hong Kong Interschool and Open Team Chess Championship March 28–29, 2026

Over two days at the end of March, 62 teams and more than 250 players came together for what turned out to be one of the largest scholastic chess competitions Hong Kong has seen.

Organised by Scholastic Chess Hong Kong, the championship brought the usual interschool competition but also opened its doors to chess clubs and academies — meaning some of the city's leading training centres were competing alongside school teams across every division. That mix made for a richer, more varied field, and you could feel it in the quality of play throughout the weekend.

The divisions ran from U7 through to U18, giving players at every stage of their development a chance to test themselves at the right level. Watching the youngest competitors take their first steps in tournament chess while the older divisions played out genuinely tense, high-level games — it's a reminder of how much the game has grown here.

Division Results

In the U7s, Caissa A took gold, with TCA A and Scholastic Chess A completing the podium. TCA A dominated the U9s, with Caissa A and Victoria Shanghai Academy A finishing behind them. Youth Chess Academy A claimed the U11 title, ahead of Caissa A and Pui Ching Primary School A. The U13s saw TCA A on top again, with Youth Chess Academy A in second and Caissa A in third. And in the U18s, TCA A made it a remarkable run of divisional wins, with Caissa A and St. Joseph's College A rounding out the top three.

In the overall standings, St. Joseph's Anglo-Chinese Primary School A led the school category, followed by Chinese International School A and Victoria Shanghai Academy A. Among the clubs, TCA A finished first, with Caissa A in second and TCA B in third.

Live Coverage

One of the highlights this year was the live broadcast of top boards across all divisions on Lichess, which gave parents and the wider community a way to follow the action in real time. On the second day, Grandmaster Alex Shimanov joined to provide live commentary on the U11, U13, and U18 games — breaking down the positions, explaining the ideas behind the moves, and bringing an extra layer of insight to what was already an engaging day of chess. It's the kind of thing that turns a tournament into a genuine learning experience, not just a competition.

Looking Ahead

Events like this one show how far chess in Hong Kong has come. A field this size, this competitive, with players coming through from so many different schools and academies — it reflects something real happening in the community. Thanks to everyone who played, coached, supported, and showed up. We're already looking forward to the next one.

– Principal Oliver Conran