8 Influential Chess Leaders in Australia and NZ

Last updated: August 2026

Chess in Australia and New Zealand is shaped by more than the strongest players on a leaderboard. It depends on the people who organise events, teach new players, run clubs, support schools and build the systems that help the game grow.

This directory introduces eight people whose current work connects closely with chess across Australia and New Zealand. The list includes coaches, organisers, arbiters, club leaders and high-level players because a healthy chess ecosystem needs all of them. Names are presented in alphabetical order for easy navigation.

Why chess leadership matters

A chess community grows when its leaders connect the whole system. Players need pathways, clubs need practical support, volunteers need clear structures, and schools need people who can make the first experience of chess welcoming and well organised.

Across Australia and New Zealand, national and state bodies sit alongside clubs, schools, coaching businesses and event teams. That mix makes chess leadership a useful lens for anyone trying to understand how a skill-based community remains both competitive and welcoming.

1. Brett Tindall

Director and FIDE Master, Sydney Academy of Chess

Brett Tindall is the director of Sydney Academy of Chess and a FIDE Master. He has built a long-running coaching organisation around schools, clubs and individual learners, making him an important bridge between elite knowledge and everyday participation. Read the current role or organisation page.

The academy says Tindall has coached for more than 26 years and that its wider team works with thousands of school children around Sydney each week. That scale makes his influence visible not only in tournaments, but in the habits and confidence of young players. Read the supporting chess detail.

2. Darryl Johansen

Co-director, Chess Ideas

Darryl Johansen is a co-director of Chess Ideas, a Melbourne chess coaching business. His work sits at the meeting point of high-level playing experience, coaching and the practical challenge of helping more people improve. Read the current role or organisation page.

Johansen brings unusual depth to that role. He is an Australian chess grandmaster and a six-time Australian Chess Champion, giving students and the wider chess community a direct link to one of the country's strongest long-term players. Read the supporting chess detail.

3. Dr Vineetha Wijesuriya

Founder and Head Coach, Chess6

Dr Vineetha Wijesuriya is the founder and head coach of Chess6 in Victoria. Her work shows how chess leadership can grow through teaching, structured training and a clear commitment to making the game accessible to children and families. Read the current role or organisation page.

Her Chess6 biography combines coaching with a substantial playing record. It records eleven national female titles, 29 international events and six Chess Olympiads, as well as her FIDE instructor qualification and Australian coaching work. Read the supporting chess detail.

4. Jack Rodgers

Founder and Australian Chess Team Captain, Jack Rodgers Chess Coaching

Jack Rodgers is the founder of Jack Rodgers Chess Coaching and Australia's current non-playing team captain. He combines coaching, journalism and team leadership, giving him a broad view of how the game is taught, explained and represented. Read the current role or organisation page.

His coaching site records three Olympiad captaincies since 2021 and a 2025 Purdy Medal for Australian chess journalism. That combination matters because a healthy chess culture needs strong players, clear storytellers and people who can organise others around a shared goal. Read the supporting chess detail.

5. Mato Jelic

Founder, Chess School of South Australia

Mato Jelic is the founder of the Chess School of South Australia. His work is a reminder that chess leadership is often built through patient local infrastructure: lessons, equipment, videos and regular opportunities for people to play. Read the current role or organisation page.

The South Australian Chess Association describes the school as supporting individuals, schools and organisations in Adelaide. Jelic's public biography also records his long-running teaching and video work, showing how a regional chess leader can build community well beyond a single club. Read the supporting chess detail.

6. Saminda De Vas

Arbiter and competitive player, Chess Association of Western Australia

Saminda De Vas represents a different kind of chess leadership: the active player and organiser who helps keep events credible and welcoming. His work with the Chess Association of Western Australia connects competition, officiating and community participation. Read the current role or organisation page.

CAWA records him as runner-up in the 2025 WA Open Chess Championship with 5.5 points from seven games, and its school chess league material separately lists him as an arbiter, showing influence that reaches beyond a player's own results. Read the supporting chess detail.

7. Winnie Ong

Club Secretary, Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club and New Zealand Chess Federation Interschool Organiser

Winnie Ong is club secretary of the Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club in Auckland and a New Zealand Chess Federation interschool organiser. Her leadership is practical and connective: making it easier for schools, clubs, families and young players to find a place in the New Zealand chess pathway. Read the current role or organisation page.

The Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club names Ong as a former New Zealand Women's Chess Champion, alongside her continuing club and national interschool responsibilities. That mix of playing history and everyday organising matters because participation grows when someone takes care of the details that let children and schools turn up. Read the supporting chess detail.

8. Winston Zhao Chen

President, Webmaster and Chief Organiser, Rooty Hill Chess Club and Sydney International Open

Winston Zhao Chen is president and webmaster of Rooty Hill Chess Club, and a leading organiser of major events in Western Sydney. His work shows how club leadership, digital communication and tournament delivery reinforce one another. Read the current role or organisation page.

The 2026 Sydney International Open lists him as chief organiser and an arbiter. Alongside his club responsibilities, that role puts him close to the practical systems that make a large chess event fair, visible and enjoyable for players. Read the supporting chess detail.

What these leaders show us about chess

The strongest lesson is that chess is an ecosystem, not a single tournament. National bodies set direction, club leaders create belonging, coaches build confidence, and arbiters protect the fairness that lets competition mean something.

The second lesson is that useful leadership is shared. Playing strength, teaching skill, administration, digital communication and event management all matter, but they become more valuable when they are brought back to the same purpose: a game that people can join, enjoy, improve in and help shape.

Australian and New Zealand chess also show why experience across different parts of the game matters. A coach sees development differently from an arbiter. A club secretary sees the workload differently from a national official. The best decisions make room for those views without losing clarity about who is responsible for what.

How to use this list

If you work in chess, use the list as a starting point for understanding the roles around your own. Read the linked source, notice which part of the system each person serves, and consider where your club, school or association needs a stronger connection.

If you are outside chess, the same idea applies to any community organisation. Look beyond the most visible leaders. Sustainable progress usually depends on the people who connect governance, operations, development, volunteers and the experience of the people the organisation exists to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who leads chess in Australia and New Zealand?

Chess in Australia and New Zealand is supported by leaders across national federations, state associations, clubs, coaching businesses, schools, event teams and arbiters. This directory focuses on current people whose work connects directly with participation, teaching, organising or governance.

What is the difference between a chess player and a chess leader?

A chess player contributes through games and results, while a chess leader also helps other people participate, learn or compete. In practice, one person may be a player, coach, organiser, arbiter or administrator at different times.

How can a club connect with chess leaders?

Start with the relevant federation, state body or club contact route, then explain the practical issue clearly. A short written note that names the problem, the people affected and the decision needed is easier to respond to than a broad request for help.

What makes a good chess leader?

A good chess leader combines clear responsibility with real attention to the people who make the game work. Sound judgement, communication, fairness, consistency and the ability to connect different parts of the system all matter.

Conclusion

Chess across Australia and New Zealand has leaders working at several levels, and that is a strength. The game needs people who can guide a federation, people who run clubs, people who coach and people who remain close to players, families and volunteers.

Use this list as a practical starting point, not as a final answer. Read the linked role descriptions, follow the organisations that matter to your part of the chess community, and look for one small way to strengthen the connection between leadership and participation.

Related Reading

For wider leadership practice, read the Working Genius FAQ, the guide to strategy and leadership consulting, and facilitated team offsites.

If your leadership team needs a clear written plan for better alignment, decision-making or communication, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.