Xiahan (Luna) Lu, 10, from Auckland – and a recent winner in Howick – has won two medals at the Asian Youth Championships in Al-Ain.
Luna recently returned from the United Arab Emirates where she was the New Zealand representative in the Under 10 Girls section at the Asian Youth Championships from 12 – 22 December 12-22.
Luna won the gold medal in the Rapid Chess Championships and the silver medal in the Classical Chess Championships (where she won her last five games to gain a place on the podium).
There were 53 international competitors in her age group and her results are one of the finest performances in the history of New Zealand junior chess.
This stellar performance comes on the back of her winning the U12 title at the Oceania Youth Chess Championships in April.
Howick Pakuranga Chess Club organiser Paul Spiller said, “We can be very proud of Luna Lu’s achievement in winning the gold medal at the Asian Youth Rapid Chess Championships recently concluded in Al Ain in the girls under 10 section.
“Earlier this year Luna won a gold medal at the Oceania Youth Championships in Canberra. She also won a hard-fought match against Luna Xu in this year’s Poppies Chess Challenge in Howick as part of the International Chess Day celebrations.”
