Awad and Van Der Byl Share Spoils in Dramatic Autumn Cup Finale

The Gold Coast Chess Club's Autumn Cup 2025 has concluded after a thrilling seven-round battle, with Jonah Awad and Orsen Van Der Byl emerging as deserving co-champions. The tournament was a fantastic showcase of fighting chess, filled with surprising upsets and nail-biting encounters that kept everyone guessing until the very last move.

The race to the top was a photo finish. Going into the final round, Orsen Van Der Byl was in the driver's seat, but a stunning victory by the formidable Adam Vagg threw the final standings wide open. This crucial result allowed Jonah Awad, who secured a final-round win himself, to catch Van Der Byl at 5.5/7, forcing a tie for first place. Both players demonstrated immense skill and resilience throughout the event, navigating a field of tough competitors to share the top honours. Congratulations to both Jonah and Orsen on their fantastic performance!

While the battle for first place was captivating, the tournament was also rife with giant-slaying upsets. The most notable shockwave was sent by unrated newcomer Darwin Huang. In a stunning fourth-round clash, Huang took down the tournament's top-seeded player, Oleg Kitikov (1567). This incredible result proves that ratings are just a number and that on any given day, courage and creativity can triumph. It was a highlight of the event and earned Darwin the well-deserved prize for the top Unrated player. A heartfelt thank you to all 26 players who participated and made the Autumn Cup 2025 a memorable event. The fantastic spirit of competition and camaraderie is what makes our club special. We look forward to seeing you all at our next event!

Final Prize Distribution Summary

1st-2nd Place (Tie): Jonah Awad ($200), Orsen Van Der Byl ($200)

3rd Place: Adam Vagg ($100)

Rating Group A (<1200): Dejun Sun ($100)

Rating Group B (<600): William Lai ($100)

Rating Group C (Unrated): Darwin Huang ($100)

Total Prize Money Awarded: $800

To see some of the games played during the tournament you can find them in the following Lichess Study https://lichess.org/study/AWtjROSg