# Oceania Chess Championship

Leading chess players from the FIDE Oceania Zone 3.6 are allowed to play in the Oceania Chess Championships. The tournament is conducted by the FIDE Oceania Zone President and Oceania Chess Confederation under the auspices of the world chess federation, FIDE.

## History

Before January 2012, the Oceania Chess Championship was scheduled as part of the FIDE World Chess Championship cycle, and winners qualified to represent the FIDE Oceania Zone at the Chess World Cup. Since 2012 the Oceania Chess Championship has been held every year, with only each alternate (odd numbered) year acting as the Oceania Zone Championship and Chess World Cup qualifier. In these years, the title of International Master (IM) is awarded to the winner(s) of the Oceania Zone Championship event, as per the FIDE title regulations.
The first Oceania Chess Championship was organised by the inaugural Oceania Zone President, Graeme Gardiner, on the Gold Coast, Australia in 1999. Vladimir Feldman of Australia won the event, undefeated, with a score of 7/9. In May 2000, an additional Oceania Zonal Chess Championship was held to coincide with changes in the schedule of the FIDE World Chess Championship cycle. Only an open event was held that year, without a separate women's championship, and was won by Aleksandar Wohl with a score of 7.5/9.
In 2001, Mikhail Gluzman and Mark Chapman shared first place with a score of 7/9, but the former won a rapid chess play-off match and the title. In 2011 the Women's event resulted in a tie between Irina Berezina and Emma Guo. A playoff match was held later in the year in Sydney, and was won by Berezina with a score of 2.5/3. The 2013 Women's event again resulted in a tie between Irina Berezina and Emma Guo. Berezina won the playoff match, at the end of the tournament, with a score of 2/2. In 2015, untitled player Brodie McClymont beat IM Max Illingworth in the last round to catch him for 1st= with scores of 7.5/9, which means an automatic IM title. Illingworth beat McClymont 1.5–0.5 in the rapid chess playoff match for Zonal Champion.

## Oceania Chess Champions

    YearCityOpen ChampionWomen's Champion 1999Gold Coast Vladimir Feldman (Australia) Laura Moylan (Australia) 2000Auckland Aleksandar Wohl (Australia) 2001 Gold Coast Mikhail Gluzman (Australia) Ngan Phan-Koshnitsky (Australia) 2002Coral Coast Darryl Johansen (Australia) Irina Berezina (Australia) 2005Auckland Gary Lane (Australia) Irina Berezina (Australia) 2007Denarau Zong-Yuan Zhao (Australia) Irina Berezina (Australia) 2009Gold Coast David Smerdon (Australia) Arianne Caoili (Australia) 2011 Rotorua Zong-Yuan Zhao (Australia) Irina Berezina (Australia) 2012 Queenstown Darryl Johansen (Australia) Helen Milligan (New Zealand) 2013Nadi Igor Bjelobrk (Australia) Irina Berezina (Australia) 2014Ballarat Christopher Wallis (Australia) Vineetha Wijesuriya (Australia) 2015Sydney Max Illingworth (Australia) Emma Guo (Australia) 2016Auckland Alexei Kulashko (New Zealand) Heather Richards (Australia) 2017Auckland Anton Smirnov (Australia)  Layla Timergazi (New Zealand) 2019 Guam  Max Illingworth (Australia)  Julia Ryjanova (Australia) 2021 Online chess  Temur Kuybokarov (Australia)  Julia Ryjanova (Australia) 2023 Melbourne  Temur Kuybokarov (Australia)  Julia Ryjanova (Australia)

## Oceania Senior Chess Champions

    YearCitySenior ChampionSenior Women's Champion 2010Christchurch Brian Jones (Australia) Vivian Smith (New Zealand) 2011 Melbourne Mirko Rujevic (Australia) Vivian Smith (New Zealand) 2012 Parramatta Anthonie Luchtmeijer (Australia) Helen Milligan (New Zealand) 2013Christchurch David Lovejoy (Australia) Helen Milligan (New Zealand) 2014Sydney Gary Lane (Australia) Vivian Smith (New Zealand) 2015Auckland Leonard McLaren (New Zealand) Helen Milligan (New Zealand) 2016Nadi Gary Lane (Australia) 2019Auckland Michael Steadman (New Zealand) 2021NoosaCancelled due to COVIDCancelled due to COVID

## Oceania Youth Chess Champions

    YearCityYouth ChampionYouth Girls Champion 2023Canberra Cameron McGowan (Australia)  Lillian Lu (Australia)

## Oceania Presidents

| Year | President |
| 1998-2002 | Graeme Gardiner (Australia) |
| 2002-2010 | Gary Bekker (Australia) |
| 2010-2014 | Brian Jones (Australia) |
| 2014-2022 | Paul Spiller (New Zealand) |
| 2022- | Shaun Press (Papua New Guinea) |