Help Joshua Make His Next Move: World Youth Chess Championship

Joshua a 15 year old from the Bay of Plenty has had an incredible 6 months in chess — and now it’s time for his biggest move yet.

Recent highlights:

• Represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Chess Championship (Kuala Lumpur)

• Competed at the Oceania Youth Championship (Brisbane 2025 & Christchurch 2026)

• 2nd place at the Arthur Pomeroy Memorial Invitational

• Tied for title Bay of Plenty Rapid Champion

Joshua also has the honor of being one of just four junior players in NZ selected to be part of an international youth chess development squad. Being part of the FIDE Al Ain ACMG Chess Academy means Joshua has online training sessions with some of the worlds best coaches and players every Saturday and Sunday evening.

What’s next:

• May 2026 — Representing NZ at the Commonwealth Championship (Sri Lanka)

• June 2026 — Representing NZ at the World Youth Chess Championship (Italy)

We’ve done everything we can to support Joshua’s journey so far, alongside the incredible help from our community. Thanks to that, his Commonwealth Championship trip is also covered — however getting him to the World Youth Championship is a much bigger challenge.

With travel costs rising sharply, this is a significant hurdle — but an opportunity we don’t want him to miss.

This is Joshua’s moment.

Any contribution, big or small, will help him take this next step and represent New Zealand on the world stage. We’re truly grateful for your support.