Written by IA, IO Nguyen Phuoc Trung
The ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships is the signature event of the ASEAN Chess Confederation, which is open to all players in the ASEAN region and all countries. The event has been held annually since 2000.
1st ASEAN Age Group Opening Ceremony
Countries:
Initially, the tournament was named the ASEAN Age Group Chess Championships and was only open to players in ASEAN countries. By the 8th edition in 2007, the tournament was open to non-ASEAN countries and was renamed the ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships, a name which it has retained until now.
The inaugural event was held in Vung Tau City, Viet Nam, in 2000, with 155 players from 7 countries. By the 20th edition in 2019, the number of players had exceeded 400, and in 2015 Singapore set what was then a record with 448 players from 16 countries. Singapore broke its own record at the 24th edition in 2026, where 738 players from 26 federations made it by far the largest ASEAN+ Age Group ever held. Macau in 2014 long held the record for participating countries with 22, the only time the event was held outside ASEAN, until the 2026 edition brought 26 federations to the board.
Up until the 20th edition, a total of 30 countries and territories have participated in the tournaments, including nine ASEAN countries: Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The tournament has since expanded to include 21 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, China, Denmark, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, and Chinese Taipei.
1st ASEAN Age Group Closing Ceremony
Format:
For the first edition, the tournament was organized with individual Standard Chess on the Swiss System or Round Robin.
Since the 2nd edition, the tournament has adopted the Swiss system or Round Robin with team tie-break, and a new rule has been applied for Individual Medals: “Where there is a tie, not more than 3 players will receive the same colour medal. For each category, not more than 5 medals will be awarded”.
Since the 5th edition, Rapid Chess and Blitz Chess have been added with individual and team medals.
From the 4th edition in 2003, the event was reported for FIDE Rating (in the rating list of April 2004). Direct titles also have been awarded since the 4th edition in 2003.
16th ASEAN+ Age group in Singapore 2015. The largest number of participants.
Tournament:
In 2000, the tournament had 10 categories: Boys and Girls U10, U12, U14, U16, U18.
From 2001, the tournament had an additional 2 categories: Boys and Girls U8.
From 2007, the tournament had an additional category of Seniors 50, and the boys’ groups were changed to Open.
Between 2009 to 2012, the tournament combined two age groups, 18 and 20, into one category: Open 20, Girls 20. In 2013, the ACC reintroduced categories Open and Girls U18.
From 2014, the tournament had an additional category of Seniors 65.
In 2014, the 15th tournament was organized for the first time outside the ASEAN countries, Macau.
At the 17th tournament in Thailand 2016, ASEAN chess was put one time into competition with 3 content Blitz, Rapid, and standard.
In 2019, the tournament had additional categories: Open and Girls U6, Men and Women U30, U40, and U50.
In 2020, the 21st tournament was scheduled to be held in Viet Nam, but it could not be held due to the impact of the COVID pandemic, and the championship stayed off the calendar for three years.
In 2022, the members of the ACC met in Jakarta, Indonesia, and decided to bring the event back: the 21st ASEAN+ Age Group was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in June 2023 with 349 players from 15 federations, the first edition after the pandemic.
In 2024, the 22nd edition went to Vientiane - the first time Laos hosted the championship - with 186 players from 10 federations. It was the smallest edition in two decades, yet it completed the set: every ASEAN chess federation with an active national body had now welcomed the event.
In 2025, the 23rd tournament in Penang, Malaysia, marked a strong resurgence of the regional chess scene, gathering 379 players from 21 federations, with the reinstatement of FIDE Direct Titles.
In 2026, the 24th edition returned to Singapore and set a new record for the championship: 738 players from 26 federations. Alongside the age groups, the edition introduced two open sections, Challengers and Premier, which drew 51 and 37 players respectively.
Social night:
Especially in all tournaments, there is always a special event called the Social Night, which provides an opportunity for all players and participants to interact. Each participating delegation contributes an art performance, creating a joyful atmosphere and uniting the chess community of the participating countries.
A performance by the Malaysian team at the Social Night of the 17th edition
The inaugural meeting of the ACC in Vung Tau city, May 29th 2000
Under the leadership of the ACC and with the cooperation of its member countries, the annual ASEAN Age Group Championship has become an important and noteworthy event for the ASEAN chess community and neighboring countries. Over the past 20 years, this tournament has produced several generations of players who have developed and matured into the top players of the world, such as Wesley So, Le Quang Liem, Tin Jingyao, Pham Le Thao Nguyen, Vo Thi Kim Phung, Sukandar Irine Kharisma, and many others.
In this new era, with a young and dynamic ACC executive team and the message "Make ASEAN Chess Great Again", we hope that the ASEAN chess community will continue to flourish and become a major chess center in the region. We also aim to contribute more talented players to the global chess community.
ACC meeting in Jakarta, November 19th, 2022
Asean+ Age Group 2025 in Penang, Malaysia
24th ASEAN+ Age group ITOs
In the next menu section, you will see a lot of detailed data about the tournament, such as the number of participating players, a list of medal winners, the medal tally, and cross tables.
Due to the vast amount of data spanning 20 years, including thousands of medals and hundreds of cross tables, errors may occur. If you find any incorrect data, please mail to Vietnamchess Admin: info@vietnamchess.vn, to request correction or supplementation.
