**Cardiff Teenager Crowned Youngest Ever Ladies Welsh Chess Champion**
A Cardiff schoolgirl has made history by becoming the youngest ever Ladies Welsh Chess Champion at just 14 years old, shining a spotlight on the growing presence of youth talent in the national chess scene. Emma Kong, a pupil at Cardiff High School, has taken the chess world by storm, not only clinching the national women’s title, but also earning the respect of her peers and competitors, many of whom are adults and international players.
Emma’s journey with chess began almost by accident in her primary school years. When her parents were busy with work, she needed an after-school club to attend. The options that day were chess or Lego, and Emma decided to try out the strategic board game. Little did she know that this innocuous choice at Rhydypenau Primary School would ignite a passion that would shape her formative years and drive her to unexpected heights of achievement.
From those humble beginnings, Emma has since joined Cardiff Chess Club, thrown herself into daily practice on her laptop, and sought dedicated guidance from chess tutors. Her commitment to the game is unwavering—she practises every day and supplements her development with a weekly session with a chess coach. Among Emma’s mentors are respected trainers Jonathan Blackburn and, more recently, Brandon Clarke, both of whom have played pivotal roles in refining her tactical and strategic skills.
Her competitive streak, paired with a natural affinity for maths and puzzles, has paid off handsomely. Recently, Emma represented Wales in the under-18 team at the prestigious Glorney Cup 2025, hosted at Celtic Manor in Newport. Facing junior opponents from across Europe, she impressed with three wins and a draw—an outcome which further fuelled her competitive spirit. “I think it was good overall and I am looking forward to the championship in Liverpool,” she reflected after the event.
Emma is candid about her approach to competition, noting she prefers facing adults over peers. In her view, adults carry the burden of expectation and pressure during games with a youth prodigy, whereas younger players can be quick and unpredictable, providing tougher mental challenges. Her typical tournament match can last up to three hours, requiring immense concentration and endurance—traits Emma nurtures with strategic snacking and an unwavering focus on her opponents’ psychological state.
The demanding nature of competitive chess means that mindset is as vital as memorising moves, Emma observes. Recently, she has focused on understanding an opponent’s psychology as much as their strategy, sometimes resorting to “running down the clock” to pile on the pressure—a tactic she admits can be ruthless, but effective. “It was a bit mean, but it worked,” she says with a wry smile.
Emma’s chess journey has already taken her far beyond British shores, with tournaments as distant as Georgia and the Chess Olympiad in Hungary on her growing CV. Her talent and dedication have not gone unnoticed, both at home and abroad. Despite her increasing profile, she remains grounded, quietly balancing her chess commitments with academic ambitions: this autumn she will enter her GCSE year, planning a future in biochemistry while maintaining her passion for chess.
Her parents, Xin and Chang, are openly proud of their daughter’s accomplishments, even though neither has a background in chess. In fact, the family are bemused by the origins of Emma’s talent, with her mother characterising her own skill level as “rubbish”. Emma’s younger sister, Megan, also plays chess, though she is reportedly more drawn to sporting pursuits.
The Kong family’s story is a testament to how opportunity, passion, and support can combine to generate extraordinary achievements, even when there is no family precedent. As Emma continues to compete at the highest levels and encourage younger players in her school’s lunchtime chess club, her journey stands as a powerful example to aspiring young players across Wales and beyond.
Emma Kong is poised to continue her upward trajectory, with the British under-16 championships in Liverpool firmly in her sights. Whatever the outcome, she has already carved her name into Welsh chess history, proving that age is no barrier to strategy, determination, and quiet brilliance.