16 Dec 2024
National chess champions
Churchie has again demonstrated its dominance in Australian school chess, securing its sixth Australian Schools Teams Chess Championships title in five years.
Mirroring its stellar 2022 performance, Churchie claimed victory in the primary and secondary boys divisions at the championships held at Duncraig Senior High School in Perth from 7 to 8 December 2024.
Sravan Renjith (Year 11) and Jayden Ooi (Year 9) delivered standout performances in the secondary division, earning senior board prizes for their outstanding play. The primary division team excelled across the board, with Jayden Xing (Board 1), Owen Shen (Board 2), Yuwei Wang (Board 3), and Austin Li (Board 4) all securing individual board prizes. Azaan Bansal (Year 2), the primary reserve player, also rose to the occasion and won both of his games with remarkable poise.
The team, led by Director of Chess Max Condon, Head Coach Dr David Smerdon (Grandmaster) and primary coaches Henry Slater-Jones and Maximillian Windsor, underwent intensive preparation at a chess camp ahead of the championships to ensure they were ready to compete at the highest level.
The competition, held over two days, required resilience and strategic acumen. The primary teams played an eight-round tournament, while the secondary division competed in six rounds. At this elite level, victories are often determined by the narrowest margins, including countbacks. This year, however, our teams led from the outset, clinching their national titles before the final rounds. Unwavering in their commitment, they concluded the tournament on a high note with strong final-round performances.
This is a remarkable achievement for Churchie Chess, showcasing our players’ depth of talent, dedication and hard work along with the support they receive from their coaches and families. It caps an outstanding year for our Premier Chess team, who also won the GPS Premiership for the fifth consecutive year.
Congratulations to all who contributed to this incredible success. We are excited to continue building on this legacy of excellence in years to come.
Pictured above: four of the senior division team winners, Jayden Ooi, Ryan Liaw, Nicholas Bond and Ryan Xing
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