THE Fiji Chess Team has made a remarkable impact at the Oceania Youth Zonal Chess Championship 2025, which concluded on Wednesday, December 17, in Brisbane, Australia.
The competition, featuring top youth chess talents from across the Oceania region, saw Fijian players achieving impressive results across multiple divisions, proving their skill and potential on the international stage.
In the under-14 Open Division, Lionel Vaurasi was the standout performer for Fiji.
Despite being a lower-rated player, Lionel stunned the competition by defeating Joshua Barnes of New Zealand in round 2, a victory over a much higher-ranked opponent.
He continued to show his resilience with a draw against William Searle of Australia in Round 3 and impressive wins against Bryce Chen (Australia) in Round 6, Pavle-Jay Ng (Australia) in Round 8, and Ethan Zhang (Australia) in Round 9.
Lionel’s consistent performance throughout the tournament earned him the title of Fiji’s highest scorer.
In the U14 Female Division, Latileta Masau delivered a strong showing for her first international tournament, defeating Emma Ye of Australia in round 2 and Hinavakamea Helu of Tonga in round 6.
Latileta triumphed over Noelle Marie Camacho of Guam in Round 7 and ended her tournament with two hard-fought draws, against Aadhya Sai Katakam and Kyra Madan, both from Australia. Latileta’s resilience and strategic play made her one of the standout performers in her division.
The U18 Open Division saw Praveer Singh demonstrate impressive tactical play, scoring a key victory over Rayen Tiong of Australia in round 4.
He drew with his teammate Randev Singh in Round 6 and closed out the competition with another draw, this time against the higher-rated Nachiket Ramprasad of Australia, showcasing his ability to hold his own against tough competition.
WCM Tanvi Prasad delivered a steady performance in the U20 Female Division. After a draw with Natalie Camacho of Guam in round 3 and another draw with Kaina Delrieu of Vanuatu in round 5, Tanvi secured a major win against Angela He of Australia in Round 6, defeating a higher-rated player.
She followed that up with another impressive win against Linda Qian of Australia in round 7.
In the U20 Open Division, CM Rudr Prasad defeated Wiseman Daumana of Nauru in Round 6 and triumphed over Maxime Bouchard of New Caledonia in round 7.
Rudr’s growth as a player positions him as one of the rising stars of Fijian chess.
The Fiji team arrived back in Fiji on Thursday, December 18, 2025, after a successful tournament in Brisbane.
Latileta Masau of Chess Fiji. Picture: Vanuatu Chess Federation/Jeremy Ellison.
