From pandemic pastime to potential grandmasters: Meet South Australia’s rising chess talent
From an eight-year-old taught by her sister, to young powerhouse twins and teenagers aiming to beat grandmasters, meet the young chess players who can beat us all.
SA News
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Amid a global chess boom, a new generation of talent is filling up South Australian clubs and classrooms – some have the potential to become grandmasters.
South Australian Chess Association president Alan Goldsmith said the resurgence of chess started during the pandemic, with hit series Queen’s Gambit and popular websites like chess.com further driving the revival of the centuries-old game.
“Chess actually benefited enormously from Covid because everyone was stuck inside and they discovered that there is a lot of activity on the net playing chess,” he said.
While interest has grown across the board, Mr Goldsmith said the game has become popular with young people under the age of 14.
“I run things like the state junior championships and in the under-10 or under-11 championships, we get 50-60 kids coming along and playing for three days,” he said.
“These little kids, some of them are beginners but lots of them are becoming really, really powerful.”
Australia has produced just 10 grandmasters but Mr Goldsmith said there are a number of rising stars in SA with the potential to achieve the most prestigious title awarded by the International Chess Federation.
The surge of interest in chess among young people is also playing out in local schools.
At Glenunga International High, the sport has exploded in popularity within the past five years.
In 2021, there were just 10 students taking part in the inter-school chess competition. This year, 85 students and 20 teams were involved.
Despite its rising popularity, West Torrens Chess Club vice president Madee River said the sport was still struggling to attract investment.
He said while a number of local councils, including Burnside, West Torrens and Charles Sturt, provide support for the chess community, the state government has yet to come to the table.
He added the community was “crying out” for a new, modern venue, with the chess association venue in the city now dilapidated and inaccessible for wheelchair users.
“We (also) want some events that can attract big, big chess players from around the world, whether that’s Asia or the Pacific or potentially further … that requires money,” he said.
A government spokesperson said organisations that build inclusive communities can receive up to $10,000 through the Department for Human Services’ Social Impact grants program, which funds initiatives like infrastructure upgrades to improve accessibility.
“We support the role chess plays in engaging young people and bringing our community together,” the spokesperson said.
Charlotte and Cindy Chen
Age: 12
For Charlotte and Cindy Chen, chess brings a world of possibilities – both on and off the game board.
“(I love) the complex thinking and the strategy that comes with it and the different possibilities that can be played,” said Charlotte.
The 12-year-old twins have a long list of achievements behind them that include multiple national and state titles.
Cindy is the national under-12 girls’ champion and was named the national under-10 girls- champion in 2023. She’s also a two-time state under-12 girls’ champion.
Charlotte, meanwhile, took third place in the national under-14 girls’ this year and was last year’s state under-13 champion as well as the state under-11 champion in 2023.
To achieve that kind of success, the sisters say they carefully review their past games and play as often as they can in their spare time – but rarely against each other.
“We do study together but we don’t really play against each other,” said Charlotte.
“Sometimes we do it in the tournament … which is kinda hard because we know each other so well.”
Cindy added “It’s like playing against yourself”.
The sisters began playing chess through their school program at Linden Park Primary at age eight.
Both remember the feeling of their first win and how it inspired them to keep going.
“I felt really good so I wanted to keep playing. I started wanting to play chess better,” said Cindy.
“I like the winning, how there’s a challenge that comes with it and you have to earn the win.”
The sisters said South Australia has many great chess players but they especially looked up to local teen Athena-Malar Retnaraja, who was recently awarded the coveted Women Candidate Master title by the International Chess Federation.
Charlotte and Cindy both said winning a title was something they aspired to in the future.
“I just want to keep on playing chess and continue to improve and learn,” Charlotte said.
“Maybe one day we can get on a bigger stage and maybe get a title but I think we’re really far from that.”
Tarush Jindal
Age: 12
At just 12 years old, Tarush Jindal has already hit the first milestone to becoming a chess grandmaster.
The West Torrens Chess Club member has won the Junior South Australian State Chess Championship twice, earned multiple trophies and in June, crossed the FIDE rating of 2000, qualifying for the Candidate Master title.
“(It’s) the first milestone on my path to becoming a grandmaster,” he said.
Tarush started playing chess when Covid hit and outdoor activities were limited, turning to YouTube to learn the basics.
“My growing interest quickly turned into a passion, and seeing this, my parents enrolled me in a chess-coaching class.”
After that, there was no looking back, he said.
“My long-term goal is to earn the prestigious grandmaster title and proudly represent Australia on the international stage,” he said.
Athena-Malar Retnaraja
Age: 16
Newton
When Athena-Malar Retnaraja was awarded the prestigious Woman Candidate Master title in April, she became the first and youngest titled junior in South Australia.
But she hopes to go even further by the end of the year.
“I hope to achieve my Woman FIDE Master title,” she said.
“My main goal as a chess player is to obtain the title of FIDE master, which I hope to achieve within the next few years.”
Working towards this, Athena trains for two hours every day and thoroughly prepares for every game.
“To prepare for a game, I usually research my opponent and determine if I can find their repertoire, which I can then use to have an idea of what to play against their opening,” she said.
“(I) complete puzzles, read various books on openings, middlegames and endgames, look at new openings I can potentially play, and also review chess lines which I have previously learned.”
The Newton teen also takes inspiration from Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgár.
“The amount of work she has put into chess and her self-confidence to play amazing chess, especially during a time where many more males played compared to females, supported my mentality that my mother had instilled in me from a young age – that chess is not about the gender or the age of the person you play, but about the ability,” she said.
Ethan Retnaraja
Age: 18
Newton
When Ethan Retnaraja watched his first chess game between his father and his uncle after Christmas dinner in 2012, he was instantly mesmerised.
Today, he’s not only working towards his first chess title – Candidate Master – but hoping to create his own event too.
“My other goal is to launch and run an annual national chess tournament in Adelaide where players and even Grand Masters from interstate will participate so that our local players can observe and learn,” he said.
Ethan said his biggest achievement to date was representing Australia in the under-12s Asian Youth in 2018.
“It was the first time I played internationally and I got paired against really good players, some of whom have gone on to become titled players.
“It was also this tournament that I was in the same field as Gukesh Dommaraju, the recent World Champion.”
Robert Rymill
Age: 10
Penola
Every morning, Robert Rymill rises before the rest of his family, jumps online and challenges chess players from all around the world.
On weekends, he makes the 50km trip to his nearest chess club in Mount Gambier to play other locals and train with his coach, Valentine Pylypenko.
It’s a long way to go but the 10-year-old has big plans for the future.
“My ultimate goal is to become world number one and a grandmaster,” he said.
“But before that, I’d like to win more state championships and national titles … then travel overseas to compete in international tournaments.”
Robert learned the basics of chess from his grandfather just two years ago but he has already won the South West Victorian Zonal tournament this year and placed equal top in a City of Adelaide state championship.
“My grandfather has now passed away, but I think he’d be really proud that I’m playing and improving a lot,” he said.
Robert is next preparing to play in the Victorian Junior Championships this year.
Emma Zuo
Age: 10
Campbelltown
Emma Zuo dreams of becoming like her idol Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgar.
“She’s one of the strongest female players ever and beat so many top grandmasters,” she said. “She’s brave and amazing – I wish I could play like her some day!”
But at 10 years old, Emma is already making her own mark in the chess world.
A two-time state championship winner, Emma has also come second and third in the National Puzzle Solving Championship and won many local tournaments.
“My big dream is to become a grandmaster,” she said. "I know it takes tons of practise and learning, but I love chess so much. I’m going to keep working hard!”
Ella Zuo
Age: 8
Campbelltown
When Ella Zuo saw her older sister Emma “making cool shapes” with chess pieces, she instantly knew she wanted to play too.
“Mum paid Emma $2 to teach me … but I think she spent it all at the school canteen!” said Ella.
Those lessons paid off.
By the age of eight, Ella – who now receives official coaching – had won two SA state champion titles and a national championship title. She also came third in the National Puzzle Solving Championship last year.
In addition to taking chess lessons and reviewing past games with her coach, ElIa also plays chess at the Campbelltown library every Tuesday.
“I also play with my sister Emma if she is free (she is very busy),” she said.
Ella hopes to one day earn the grandmaster title through systematic training.
“I solve positions through dynamic understanding, not memorisation,” she said.
“Sometimes as a young female champion in open tournaments, I prove creative thinking transcends gender expectations.”
Chenbi (Lucas) Zang
Age: 11
Klemzig
It was a family board games day that sparked Chenbi Zang’s interest in chess three years ago.
“Because there was a chess board in the board game set, it caused me to become eager to learn how to play chess,” he said.
“I soon found out how to play chess by learning online independently. After I played my first game, I loved chess, marking the start of my chess journey.”
Today, Chenbi says his proudest achievement is taking out second place in this year’s Australian Junior Championships in the under-12 category.
“I was extremely proud of my achievement because, compared to others, I was ranked mediocre and I ended up gaining lots of ratings because of this exceeding performance,” he said.
William Carrigan
Age: 17
Burnside
Nearly a decade ago, William Carrigan started playing chess at lunchtime with school friends. Today, he is considered among the top teen talent in the state.
In 2023, he took second place in the under-16 section of the State Junior Championship.
His proudest achievements are about progress rather than prizes.
“One of my favourite tournaments I’ve played was the National Junior Championship 2024, which was held in Adelaide,” he said.
“Even though I only won three out of nine games, I played very well overall, putting up a good fight against some of the strongest young players in the country in what was by far the strongest tournament I had played in at the time, so I was very proud of what I achieved.”
William said his long-term goal for chess was to earn a title “like grandmaster or international master”.
“For me, earning a title is still far away at this point, but it is something I am keen to work towards over the coming years,” he said.
Alexander Horlin-Smith
Age: 16
In fewer than three years, Alexander Horlin-Smith has gone from a chess beginner to one of Australia’s top under-16 players.
With grandmasters like Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen among his favourites, the 16-year-old hopes to also become a professional chess player and travel abroad for the world tour.
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