The New Zealand Chess Championship is an annual open tournament played to determine the country's chess champion. It is organised by the New Zealand Chess Federation.
The first installment of the championship was held in Christchurch in 1879, and was won by Henry Hookham. Following a 9 year break, the tournament resumed in the New Year of 1888/89, and has been held annually since. It has been played with the Swiss system since 1996/97.
Note: Up until 1934 foreign players were eligible for the title. The eligibility rules were changed in 1935 to preclude this; John Angus Erskine (twice champion in 1929 and 1935) was born in Invercargill and was therefore eligible although he was domiciled in Melbourne, Australia.
New Zealand Champions and Premier Reserve / New Zealand Major Open Champions
LocationYearNZ ChampionCityPremier Reserve / NZ Major Open ChampionCity1Christchurch1879Henry HookhamChristchurch 2Christchurch1888/89 Arthur Ollivier Christchurch 3Dunedin1890Henry Hookham Christchurch 4Wellington1890/91Richard James BarnesWellington 5Auckland1891/92Franz Vaughan SiedebergDunedin 6Christchurch1892/93Franz Vaughan SiedebergDunedin 7Dunedin1893/94Joseph EdwardsWellington 8Wellington1894/95 William MacKayWellington 9Wanganui1895/96 William MeldrumRangitikei 10Christchurch1896/97 Richard James Barnes Wellington 11Auckland1897/98 Richard James Barnes Wellington 12Dunedin1898 Robert Alexander ClelandDunedin 13Wellington1900William Edward MasonWellington 14Christchurch1901David ForsythDunedin 15Auckland1901/02 Richard James BarnesWellington 16Dunedin1902/03John Cresswell GriersonAuckland 17Wellington1903/04 William Edward Mason Wellington 18Oamaru1904/05Arthur William Oswald DaviesWellington 19Auckland1905/06 Richard James Barnes Wellington 20Christchurch1906/07William Samuel VinerPerth 21Wellington1908 Arthur William Oswald DaviesWellington 22Dunedin1908/09Fedor Kuskof KellingWellington 23Auckland1909/10 John MasonWellington 24Timaru1910/11 William Edward Mason Wellington 25Napier1911/12 William Edward Mason Wellington 26Nelson1912/13 John Cresswell Grierson Auckland 27Auckland1913/14 William Edward Mason Wellington 28Christchurch1914/15 Fedor Kuskof Kelling Wellington 29Wellington1919/20 William Edward Mason Wellington 30Dunedin1920/21 John Dunlop Oamaru 31Auckland1921/22 John Dunlop Oamaru32Christchurch1922/23 John Dunlop Oamaru33Wellington1923/24Spencer CrakanthorpSydney 34Nelson1924/25Cecil PurdySydney 35Dunedin1925/26Spencer Crakanthorp Sydney 36Auckland1926/27 Arthur William Oswald Davies Auckland 37Christchurch1927/28 Arthur William Oswald Davies Auckland 38Wellington1928/29 John Angus Erskine Melbourne 39Wanganui1929/30 Gunnar Gundersen Melbourne 40Rotorua1930/31Alfred William GylesWellington 41Napier1931/32 Gunnar Gundersen Melbourne 42Auckland1932/33Sydney 43Dunedin1933/34 John Dunlop Dunedin44Christchurch1934/35 John Angus Erskine Invercargill 45Wellington1935/36Alfred William Gyles Wellington 46Auckland1936/37 Hedley Roy AbbottChristchurch 47Dunedin1937/38Samuel HindinChristchurch 48Wanganui1938/39 John Dunlop Dunedin49Wellington1939/40 John Dunlop Dunedin50Timaru1940/41Philipp AllerhandWellington 51Wellington1943/44Robert WadeWellington 52Auckland1944/45 Robert Wade Wellington N T Fletcher 53Christchurch1945/46Tom LepviikmanWellington B S Wood 54Palmerston North1946/47Tom Lepviikman Wellington G E Trundle 55Dunedin1947/48 Robert Wade Wellington N S Henderson 56Wanganui1948/49Alan Edgar NieldAuckland W E Moore 57Auckland1949/50 Philipp Allerhand Wellington none 58Christchurch1950/51David I. LynchHastings V Lushcott 59Napier1951/52Ortvin SarapuChristchurch T G Paterson 60Timaru1952/53Ortvin Sarapu Auckland N E H Fulton 61Wellington1953/54Ortvin Sarapu Auckland R F Cuthbert 62Auckland1954/55Ortvin SarapuAuckland F A Foulds 63Dunedin1955/56Frederick Alexander FouldAuckland T Van Dijk 64Wellington1956/57Arcadios Feneridis James Rodney Phillips WellingtonAuckland W Rainner 65Christchurch1957/58 James Rodney Phillips Auckland B H P Marsick 66Hamilton1958/59 Frederick Alexander Foulds Barry C. Menzies AucklandAuckland B Douglas 67Dunedin1959/60Ortvin SarapuAuckland W B Petrie 68Auckland1960/61Ortvin SarapuAuckland R A Court 69Wellington1961/62Graham G. HaaseDunedin D J Cooper 70Christchurch1962/63Ortvin Sarapu Richard John SuttonAucklandAuckland N M Cooper B J Halpin 71Auckland1963/64Roger A. CourtWellington B E Howard 72Wellington1964/65James Rodney Phillips Auckland R T Metge 73Hamilton1965/66Ortvin SarapuAuckland D J Cooper 74Christchurch1966/67Ortvin SarapuAuckland L E Whitehouse 75Dunedin1967/68Bruce R. AndersonChristchurch G M Hall 76Wellington1968/69 Bruce R. Anderson Ortvin Sarapu ChristchurchAuckland B A Carpinter 77Auckland1969/70Ortvin SarapuAuckland P M Daly 78Nelson1970/71Richard John SuttonAuckland C Laird M G Whaley 79Hamilton1971/72Richard John Sutton Auckland R Craig 80Wellington1972/73Ortvin Sarapu Auckland P Hensman 81Christchurch1973/74 Paul Anthony Garbett Ortvin Sarapu AucklandAuckland N Metge 82Dunedin1974/75Paul Anthony Garbett AucklandPhilip O. ParisGrant K. RussellOtagoWanganui 83Upper Hutt1975/76Lev AptekarMurray ChandlerOrtvin Sarapu WellingtonWellingtonAucklandRobert W. Smith Auckland84North Shore1976/77Ortvin SarapuAucklandPhilip A. Clemance Peter B. GoffinNew PlymouthAuckland85Wellington1977/78 Craig LairdTauranga David H. BeachWellington 86North Shore1978/79Ortvin SarapuAuckland Paul K. Beach Peter Mataga J. Nigel MetgeAuckland Auckland Auckland87Upper Hutt1979/80 Ewen McGowen Green Ortvin Sarapu Vernon A. SmallAucklandAucklandChristchurch Patrick L. Cordue Peter GreenWellington Auckland88Lincoln1980/81 Roger I. Nokes Ortvin Sarapu Vernon A. Small ChristchurchAucklandChristchurch R.A. (Tony) DowdenDunedin89North Shore1981/82Vernon A. SmallChristchurchBernard Carpinter David A. GolloglyNapierAuckland90Dunedin1982/83Paul Anthony GarbettDavid A. GolloglyAucklandAucklandBenjamin J. Alexander Anthony F. KerChristchurch Wellington 91Auckland1983/84 Paul Anthony GarbettAucklandMichael R. FreemanChristchurch 92Upper Hutt1984/85Vernon SmallChristchurchPatrick L. Cordue Mark NobleWellington Wellington 93Christchurch1985/86Adrian J. Lloyd Ortvin SarapuChristchurchAucklandPeter McKenzie Benjamin Martin ChristchurchDunedin94Wanganui1986/87Russell J. DiveWellingtonAnthony F. Ker Wellington95North Shore1987/88Jonathan SarfatiWellingtonLeonard J. McLarenWellington 96Dunedin1988/89 Paul Anthony Garbett Anthony F. KerAucklandWellingtonMartin Dreyer (Reserve)Bruce Marsick (Major)AucklandHamilton 97Wellington1989/90 Benjamin Martin Ortvin Sarapu DunedinAucklandKendall Boyd (Reserve)John Robinson (Major)Mark van der Hoorn (Major)DunedinAucklandWellington98Auckland1990/91Anthony F. KerWellingtonJohn Robinson (Reserve)Matthew Barlow (Major)AucklandAuckland99Dunedin1991/92 Martin P. Dreyer AucklandCharles Ker (Reserve)Simon Grainger (Major)WellingtonWellington100Wellington1992/93Anthony Ker WellingtonPhilip Abrahamson (Reserve)Charles Ker (Reserve)Prince Vetharaniam (Major)Mark van der Hoorn (Major)Christchurch WellingtonWanganuiWellington101Invercargill1993/94Anthony Ker Peter D. McKenzie WellingtonChristchurchMark Sinclair (Reserve)Matthew Edmonds (Major)WellingtonChristchurch102Wanganui1994/95Anthony F. KerWellingtonPaul Tuffery (Reserve)Benjamin Giles (Major)Kent Wong (Major) New PlymouthMaruiaWellington 103Wellington1995/96Russell J. Dive Martin Dreyer Robert W. SmithWellingtonAucklandAucklandJ. Nigel Metge (Reserve)Russell Metge (Major)AucklandAuckland104North Shore1996/97Aleksei KulashkoAucklandTim G. HareAuckland105Hamilton1997/98Aleksei KulashkoAucklandChris J. BurnsWanganui106Dunedin1998/99Russell J. Dive WellingtonMatthew McNabbAuckland107Auckland1999/00Aleksei KulashkoAucklandPaul K. BeachAuckland108Waitakere City2000/01 Scott Wastney NelsonBenjamin GilesMaruia109Christchurch2001/02Anthony F. KerWellingtonBarry Martin-BussAuckland 110Wanganui2002/03Anthony F. KerWellingtonJohn McDonaldWellington 111Wellington2003/04Anthony F. KerWellington Brendan ReedyWellington112Wanganui2004/05Anthony F. Ker WellingtonWilliam (Bill) ForsterWellington113Queenstown2006Murray ChandlerQueenstown & LondonMaciej WojnarWellington114Wanganui2007Puchen WangAucklandNeil GunnAuckland115Auckland2008Murray Chandler AucklandDaniel ShenAuckland116Queenstown2009Anthony F. Ker WellingtonGavin MarnerWellington117Auckland2010Anthony F. KerWellingtonAlan AnsellNew Plymouth118Auckland2011Anthony F. Ker WellingtonRoy SeabrookAuckland119Queenstown2012Michael V.R. SteadmanAucklandNathan GoodhueAuckland120Wellington2013Scott Wastney WellingtonMax Chew LeeAustralia121Auckland2014Puchen WangAucklandPaul Macdonald Sean Martin-BussAucklandAuckland122Auckland2015Russell J. DiveNicolas CroadBen HaguePaul A GarbettAnthony F. KerGino ThorntonRobert W. Smith Leonard J McLarenAlexandra JuleGordon MorrellWellingtonWellingtonAucklandAucklandWellingtonAucklandMount MaunganuiAucklandAustraliaAucklandAntonio Krstev Helen MilliganAucklandAuckland123Auckland2016Aleksei KulashkoMichael V.R. SteadmanAucklandAucklandFuatai Fuatai Vinod KumarAucklandAuckland124Wellington2017Scott WastneyWellingtonWilliam (Bill) Forster Yogesh KulkarniWellingtonWellington125Palmerston North2018Russell J. DiveAlphaeus AngWellingtonAucklandStanley YeeAuckland126Auckland2019Anthony F. KerRussell J. DiveWellingtonRobert E. GibbonsAuckland127Tauranga2020Kirill PolishchukBen HaguePaul Anthony GarbettRussell J DiveMount MaunganuiAucklandAucklandWellingtonHao TangAuckland128Palmerston North2021Nicolas CroadWellingtonClinton A. Wells Auckland129Christchurch2022Daniel Hanwen GongAucklandEuan McDougallAuckland130Wellington2023Daniel Hanwen GongAucklandKayden LokeWellington131Palmerston North2024Nicolas CroadWellingtonDion WilsonHawkes Bay132Auckland2025Felix XieAucklandAlexander Hanrui PanCeferino IsaacAuckland133Invercargill2026Felix XieAucklandElena MoshakovaAuckland
Championship Multiple Winners NumberName20Ortvin Sarapu14Anthony F Ker 7Paul F Garbett, Russell J Dive 6John Dunlop, William Edward Mason 5Richard James Barnes 4Arthur William Oswald Davies, Vernon Small, Aleksei Kulashko 3Robert Wade, Rodney Phillips, Richard J Sutton, Murray Chandler, Scott Wastney, Nicolas Croad 2Henry Hookham, Franz Siedebeg, John Grierson, Fedor Kelling, Spencer Crakanthorp, John Erskine, Gunnar Gundersen, Alfred Gyles, Philipp Allerhand, Tom Lepviikman, Frederik Foulds, Bruce Anderson, Martin Dreyer, Puchen Wang, Robert W Smith; Michael V.R. Steadman, Ben Hague, Daniel Hanwen Gong , Felix Xie
New Zealand Rapid Champions
The New Zealand Rapid Chess Championship was first conducted in 1993.
The event is organised by the New Zealand Chess Federation.