Five-time chess world champion Ms Ju Wenjun visits Hong Kong as Lingnan University co-hosts exhibition match with Hong Kong China Chess Federation

Chinese chess Grandmaster (GM) and reigning world champion for the fifth time, Ms Ju Wenjun recently made a whirlwind visit to Hong Kong after being crowned winner of the FIDE Women's World Championship Match 2025 in Chongqing. Lingnan University and the Hong Kong China Chess Federation organised a welcome event and exhibition match, where Ms Ju, accompanied by her coach GM Ni Hua, met Lingnan students and local chess enthusiasts, and the Federation announced the major August Asian Amateur Chess Championship and invited Ms Ju as guest of honour.

Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing at Lingnan University, welcomed Ms Ju Wenjun to Hong Kong, saying, “Lingnan University is proud to co-host this high-calibre international chess exchange as it aligns with our mission to promote liberal arts education and global engagement. One of our University's core values is whole-person cultivation, and we encourage students to pursue independent thinking, creativity, and innovation. I look forward to seeing participants’ direct interactions with the five-time world chess champion today to foster inspiration and cultural dialogue, ultimately supporting personal development and broadening global perspectives.”

Prof Chan explained that Lingnan University actively promotes sports development and has set up numerous scholarships to help exceptional athletes balance academic and athletic pursuits. The School of Interdisciplinary Studies offers Entrance Scholarships for Student Athletes and Outstanding Performance Scholarship for Elite Athlete to sportspersons excelling locally and internationally.

During the sharing session, Ms Ju Wenjun expressed heartfelt appreciation for the Hong Kong China Chess Federation and local chess players’ warm welcome, and shared her experiences as a young chess player, encouraging them to relax and really enjoy the game. “Having participated in the Asian Rapid Chess Team Championship last August, I found Hong Kong to be a beautiful city with high standards of events and venues. I am excited about the upcoming Asian Amateur Chess Championship at Tung Po and look forward to new surprises,” she commented.

A Lingnan University PhD student playing in the exhibition match, Mr Everado Blanco Livera, said, “The event allowed people from different backgrounds and ages to meet and play chess with Ms Ju Wenjun. By listening to her, I learnt that persistence and perseverance are the keys to achieving our goals, and if we stay focused and continue to improve, sooner or later we will be successful. The valuable experience of this match also made me realise that chess is not only an enjoyable sport, but also helps strengthen our analytical and evaluation skills and trains us to think under time pressure and the contextual constraints of a match.”

Mr Robin Lai, Vice-President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, thanked Ms Ju for playing in the exhibition match, and said, “This event not only promises excitement, but also provides a valuable opportunity for Ms Ju to engage with chess enthusiasts and young players. We hope it will inspire more young people to immerse themselves in the world of chess and pursue their own chess aspirations.”

The Asian Amateur Chess Championship will run from 1 to 9 August at the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals’ Tung Po Centre. Following last year’s successful Asian Rapid Chess Team Championship, it is expected to attract several hundred players, and offers a prize pool of HKD 289,500. There will be both open and women’s categories, including divisions for U1700, U2000, U2300, and rapid and blitz tournaments.

The exhibition match, held on 23 April, was a great success.