Interclub Match - GCCC Vs Logan City Chess Club - Match Report

On Tuesday 29 September 2026, the annual interclub match between Gold Coast Chess Club and Logan City Chess Club brought together 22 players for another chapter in what has become a much-anticipated meeting between two neighbouring Queensland clubs.

Hosted this year by Gold Coast Chess Club at the Upper Coomera Centre, the event had all the ingredients of a great club match: competitive chess, familiar faces, new friendships, plenty of conversation — and, of course, pizza.

Eleven players represented each club, with the teams arranged in board order according to approximate playing strength and anticipated match-ups, as determined by the respective team captains.

Each player played two games, switching colours between games — one game with the White pieces and one with Black. The time control was 20 minutes plus 5 seconds per move, giving players enough time for serious competitive chess while keeping the match moving at a lively pace.

And in keeping with the social spirit of the occasion, the games were broken up by a pizza intermission, giving everyone a chance to refuel, chat and discuss the action before returning to the boards.

The first round saw Logan City Chess Club take an early lead, with the score standing at:

Gold Coast Chess Club 4 – 7 Logan City Chess Club.

But Gold Coast came back strongly in the second round. The second round finished:

Gold Coast Chess Club 5½ – 5½ Logan City Chess Club

This made for a competitive second half, but Logan's advantage from the first round proved decisive.

Final Score

After all 22 players had completed their two games, the final score was:

Logan City Chess Club 12½ – 9½ Gold Coast Chess Club

Congratulations to Logan on the overall win, and well done to both teams for producing a competitive and enjoyable match.

Strong Juniors Lead the Way

The Logan team brought considerable junior strength to the top boards.

On Board 1, Gold Coast's experienced player David Harvey, born in 1953, faced the formidable Lachlan Wang, a strong junior player who has already a veteran member of Logan Chess Club of around eight years — remarkable given that he is only 14 years old.

Lachlan, the higher-rated player, proved too strong on the day, winning both games against David for a 2–0 result.

The result was another reminder of the depth of junior talent developing within Queensland's chess clubs.

Experience vs Youth on Board 2

Board 2 produced one of the more interesting match-ups of the day.

Ian Li, (14 years old) a strong junior player, represented Logan against Gold Coast's Oleg Kitikov, (77 years old) . Oleg brought decades of life experience to the board against a much younger opponent who was the higher-rated player.

Despite the rating difference, Oleg produced an upset, winning one of the two games. The board match finished 1–1, with the result illustrating one of the enduring attractions of chess: ratings provide an indication of playing strength, but individual games still have to be won over the board.

Gold Coast's Young Captain

Gold Coast Chess Club was captained by 15-year-old Dejun Sun, who had an especially notable reason to take on the captaincy this year: Dejun is the club's 2026 Club Champion.

Playing on Board 3, Dejun faced 14 year old Logan junior Neo Jigando, the higher-rated player. Neo took the board match 1½–½, winning one game and drawing the other.

Having a 15-year-old club champion leading the Gold Coast team says plenty about the changing face of club chess, where talented young players increasingly find themselves taking on leadership responsibilities alongside experienced adult players.

Exciting Battles Across the Boards

The competitive spirit continued throughout the lineup.

On Board 4 was an Under 10 Battle. Logan's Azaan Bansal scored a clean 2–0 result against Gold Coast's Ruoshui (Ryan) Wang.

Board 5 was much closer, with Tosin Adeleye and Hayden Mar sharing the points with a 1–1 result.

On Board 6, Gold Coast's Elijah McNamara had an excellent match against Logan's Andrew Lin, winning both games for a 2–0 score.

Lyndon Cerfonteyn and Mark Cervenjak fought out another evenly matched contest on Board 7, finishing 1–1.

A Junior Win on Board 8

Board 8 produced another excellent performance from one of Logan's juniors. William Song scored 1½ points to ½ against Gold Coast's experienced player Slavko Kojic, winning the board match and demonstrating once again the strength and promise of the younger players taking part in the event.

On Board 9, Jackson Sun was undefeated, winning both games against Logan's Ruiwen Song.

Board 10 was another balanced encounter, with Phil Bennet and Shivam Karthikeyan splitting their two games 1–1.

Finally, on Board 11, Logan's Richard Mar scored 1½ points against Gold Coast's Yuji Kusano, who fought hard to secure half a point.

More Than Just a Match

While the results provide the competitive framework for the day, the annual Gold Coast–Logan encounter is about more than simply adding up points.

These interclub matches give players an opportunity to compete against people they might not normally meet in their regular club nights and weekend tournaments. They also provide a chance for players of different ages and experience levels to share the same boards — from long-time club members to talented juniors just beginning to make their mark.

That combination of serious chess and social interaction is what makes the annual fixture special.

The Gold Coast Chess Club and Logan City Chess Club may be neighbours, but on match day the boards become a friendly battleground. Players compete hard, analyse their games, share a meal and enjoy the company of fellow chess enthusiasts.

Individual Match Results:

A Special Thank You

Gold Coast Chess Club would particularly like to thank Phil Bennet for instigating this annual interclub event and organising the Logan City Chess Club team.

We would also like to extend a big thank you to all the Logan players who made the trip to Upper Coomera on a Tuesday evening. Anyone familiar with the M1 knows that travelling through the traffic at that time of day is no small commitment, so we greatly appreciate everyone making the journey to join us for the match.

Their willingness to travel, compete and share an evening of chess is exactly what makes this event such a worthwhile tradition for both clubs.

Until Next Year...

The 2026 interclub match at Upper Coomera once again demonstrated why these events are such an important part of club chess in Queensland.

Twenty-two players, two games each, plenty of battles, a few surprises, strong junior performances, experienced players showing that age is no barrier to competitive chess — and a well-timed pizza break.

For Gold Coast and Logan, the annual match is becoming more than just a fixture on the calendar. It is a tradition.

See you again in 2027.

2026 Interclub Match Players from Gold Coast Chess Club and Logan City Chess Club