Gardena Spring Trophy
In the 2011–2012 season, Chen moved up to the junior level. He was coached by Genia Chernyshova and also traveled to Lake Arrowhead, California, to work with jump specialist Rafael Arutyunyan. Arutyunyan became his main coach in mid-December 2011. Chen won the junior men's title at the 2012 U.S. Championships in San Jose, California on January 24, 2012. Making his first international appearance, he won the novice men's event at the 2012 Gardena Spring Trophy in Selva Val Gardena, Italy.