Brandon Soetanto competes in World Cadets under 10s chess championships
CHESS is a game of skill, craft and outwitting your opponent that many adults struggle to master, but for 10-year-old Brandon Soetanto it’s child’s play.
The Box Hill youngster, who attends Our Holy Redeemer Primary School in Surrey Hills, has recently returned home after competing in the World Cadets Under 10s Chess Championships held in Georgia.
The grade 4 student, who has been playing chess since he was six, pitted his talents against the best young players in the world, finishing with 5.5 points out of 11 and coming in 82nd in a field of 151.
“I saw a board game set one year which had a lot of games in it and I asked if I could get that for my birthday,” Brandon said.
“So when I had my birthday, there was a chess board in it and I asked my dad what it was and he taught me all about the game.”
Brandon is Australia’s top ranked under 10 player. He said he already hoped to make a long career out of chess with aims to be the best in the world.
Our Holy Redeemer principal Frank Dame said the school ran a chess club every Wednesday lunchtime which ran both junior and senior classes.
He said the school was thrilled to have the youngster helping teach the game to fellow students.