The 47th Trusts Open Chess Tournament, held over King’s Birthday Weekend from May 31 to June 2, 2025, at the Te Pai Centre in Henderson, Auckland, showcased the vibrancy and competitiveness of New Zealand’s chess community.
Our very own Warren Flaunty, WLT Elected Member the first move (on the board) after officially opening the tournament.
Organised by the Waitakere Chess Club, the event featured four distinct Swiss-format tournaments, A, B, C, and Junior. Each comprising six rounds with a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move.
In the top-tier A Grade, FM Alphaeus Wei Ern Ang delivered a flawless performance, securing first place with a perfect 6/6 score. FM Felix Xie followed closely with 5/6, while John Ray B Batucan clinched third with 4.5/6. Notably, IM Anthony F Ker, FM Robert W Smith, Ilias Angelo (Leo) Baker, Markis Yao Zen Tew, and Saptorshi Gupta shared fourth position with 4/6.
Richard Jingjie Liu topped the B Grade with an impressive 5.5/6. Xxavier Willoughby-Ansell secured second place with 5/6, while Lucas Hoang, Yanshuo Pei, Jenre Angelo Fabay, Nathan Sun, and Timothy Huy Minh Ha shared third place with 4.5/6. In the under-1650 category, Ningnan Wang, Alan Gaynor, Vihaan Bala, and Nahuel Lino Serron each scored a solid 4/6.
Senuk Rathayake led the C Grade with 5.5/6, followed by Jasreman Preet Singh with 5/6. Nicole Xiaoyin Zhao, Maksim Korolev, Khim Tee Tan, Mingjun Elvin Sun, Vidhur Kannan, Conghan (Kirby) Shao, and Zane Sarmad each achieved 4.5/6 to share third place.
Among under-1000 players, Yucheng (Aiden) Ren, Kyan Choi, Lucy Chen, and Jayden Chen each finished with a commendable 4/6. Jayden Hsu emerged victorious in the Junior Grade with 5.5/6. Agastya Iyer claimed second place with 5/6, and Brooklyn Sun finished third with 4.5/6. In the under-10 division, Raphael Zhang led with 3.5/6, while Ryder Chen topped the under-8 category with 3/6.
The Trusts are proud to support the 2025 tournament with a donation of product towards the event prizes. The 47th Trusts Open was not just a tournament, it was a celebration of strategy, skill, and the strong sense of community that makes New Zealand’s chess scene truly special.
Congratulations to the winners and participants of the tournament!
