The Invercargill - Southland Chess Club will be hosting the New Zealand Chess Congress from this Friday (Jan 2nd)
Congress organiser Richie Christie told whatsoninvers the two Grandmasters who have confirmed attendance are Daniel Fernandez (England). Daniel has visited our shores before in 2020 when he won the NZ Championships held in Tauranga (obviously not the national title, which we reserve for New Zealand players!). Daniel is the current Commonwealth Chess Champion having won the title in Malaysia earlier this month.
GM Jacek Stopa (Poland). Jacek has represented Poland internationally and is a former Polish Junior and European Junior Chess Champion.
Richie Christie says a number of players from the rest of the country have already entered and he expects more will travel to Invercargill to join an enthusiastic local contingent of players. On top of that, entries have already been received from chess players representing the USA, England, Poland, Australia, Sri Lanka and Germany.
Additionally, two International Masters from Wellington, New Zealand will be playing (along with a host of other top nationally ranked players including the defending national Champion FIDE Master Felix Xie of Auckland - Felix is an IM elect, having earned the International Master title in the recently held Oceania Youth Chess Championships in Brisbane, where he won the U20 title):
Anthony Ker. Anthony has won 14 New Zealand Chess Championships and 7 New Zealand Rapid Chess Championships.
Russell Dive. Russell has won 7 New Zealand Chess Championships and 11 New Zealand Rapid Chess Championships.
Richie Christie says Invercargill last hosted (the only time this event has previously been held in our city) Congress in 1994 (where IM Anthony Ker was joint NZ Champion). 2026 sees a return to Invercargill on the back of a successful 2022 South Island Chess Championships and 2023 New Zealand Seniors & Veterans Chess Championships.
This year’s edition consists of seven internationally rated chess tournaments:
· New Zealand Chess Championships
· New Zealand Major Open
· New Zealand Junior & Age Group Chess Championships
· New Zealand Junior U1000 Chess Championships
· New Zealand Rapid Chess Championships
· New Zealand Lightning Chess Championships
· Invercargill Open
This will be the 133rd Chess Congress and is being hosted in association with the New Zealand Chess Federation, FIDE & chessventures.
This festival of chess was first held in 1879 and the headline event, the New Zealand Chess Championships is widely recognised as the longest running national chess championships in the world.
The Chess Congress will be held at the Ascot Park Hotel starting January 2nd concluding on January 12
Chess followers are welcome to go along or follow the Tournament Website: https://newzealandchess.co.nz/event/133rd-nz-chess-congress-2026/
Some background about the local chess community -
The Invercargill-Southland Chess Club as it is now known has battled over the past few decades with falling numbers. It has been revived a few times, the latest being in 2017 under the lead of Edward Lee and Gary McLean.
Its history goes back to 1866 and so it will celebrate its 160th anniversary in 2026 although there were years when the club was sadly not in operation. The club is in all likelihood older than this, but records are hard to find.
The club currently meets on Friday nights and has the benefit of a free venue kindly supplied by the XO Church.
Richard Christie is a National Arbiter working on his FIDE Arbiter title, chess coach and tournament organiser. He has provided much needed support in terms of chess administration and running chess events.