Team Fiji concluded the 2025-2026 season of the Global Chess League with a commendable 21st-place finish among 65 club teams from around the world, highlighting the nation’s growing presence on the international online chess stage.
The competition, established in 2020 by English chess enthusiast Peter Hornsby, continues to attract players and teams from countries including Iran, Romania, Ukraine, Brazil, the United Kingdom, China, Chile, India, Pakistan, Armenia, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.
Led by former national representative Avinesh Nadan, Fiji accumulated 160 points throughout the season despite fielding a relatively small squad.
Online representative Candidate Master (CM) Goru Arvind said the latest season featured a fast-paced arena format with five minutes per player and a two-second increment per move, requiring quick thinking and strong decision-making.
“Fiji is one of the smallest countries in the event, and we also tried out some new players,” Arvind said.
Among Fiji’s standout performers were Arvind, who scored 70 points, Nadan with 52 points, Lionel Vaurasi of Yat Sen Primary School on 22 points, CM Rudr Prasad with 10 points and Ayaan Chand of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School with six points.
Arvind also finished an impressive 32nd overall among 851 players, while Nadan ranked 55th.
Looking ahead, Fiji plans to introduce more emerging talent into the squad for the next season, which begins in September 2026.
Players such as Brent Newton and Tomasi Sauqaqa have been identified as promising prospects as Fiji continues to use the competition to develop young players through international exposure.
