The final round of the Independence Chess Knockout Tournament was held yesterday, marking the end of a week-long competition with winners walking away with cash prizes.

The final match opened with a ceremonial move by VASANOC President Antoine Boudier, before 17 participants took to the boards in a tense final showdown.

The tournament was described as one of the toughest classical chess competitions held so far, with the final game lasting 1 hour and 30 seconds.

Tasso Jayson emerged as the champion in the male category, topping the final rankings. He began playing chess at age 12 but took a break before returning to the game in 2018, practicing online until he resumed playing over a physical board.

“Playing chess on a phone is very different from playing on a real board. The pressure, atmosphere, and concentration level are totally different,” Tasso explained after his win.

In the men’s division, Ellison Jeremy secured second place and Su Sean came in third.

In the women’s division, Delriou Lou-Anne took first place, followed by Delrieu Kaiana and Elisa sharing second place, while Gottfried Olivier received the third prize.

🏆 Final Standings
Men’s Division:
🥇 Jayson Tasso — 8.5/9
🥈 Jeremy Ellison — 7.0/9
🥉 Sean Su — 6.0/9
Women’s Division:
🥇 Lou-Anne Delrieu — 6.5/9
🥈 Kaiana Delrieu & Eliza Dennis — 4.5/9 (tied)
🥉 Olivia Gottfried — 4.0/8

Winners received cash prizes:
🥇 First Prize — 30,000 VT
🥈 Second Prize — 15,000 VT
🥉 Third Prize — 7,500 VT
(Awarded in both male and female categories)

Chess, known for requiring high concentration and focus, was played in a quiet and disciplined setting throughout the competition.

The tournament ran for over a week with 9 rounds played by each participant, and was hosted at L’Houstalet French Restaurant in Port Vila.