Tonga’s chess team has continued its first appearance at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with a strong 3–1 victory over fellow Pacific team Vanuatu in Round 7 followed by defeats to Saint Lucia and Eswatini.

The five-player team, made up of Falekoula Mailangi, Donald Tonutonu, Tevita So‘otanga, Tau‘ataina Satini and Tevita Fau, left Tonga on September 14 for the biennial international competition.

Four of the players are current Tonga High School students, while Fau is a former student. Garry Bekker is listed as team captain.

Strong performance against Vanuatu

Tonga produced one of its most encouraging team performances in Round 7, defeating Vanuatu 3–1.

Donald Tonutonu, Tevita Fau and Sosefo Mailangi won their games, while So‘otanga was defeated.

Tonutonu recovered from a tactical mistake against Vanuatu’s Jayson Tasso to turn the game around and secure a fighting win.

Fau also impressed with the unorthodox Bird’s Opening, building a decisive advantage before pushing his passed pawn through to victory.

Although Mailangi made a mistake in the opening he took advantage of a dropped piece to secure his win.

The team described the result as a deserved reward for the players’ work and an encouraging step in Tonga’s debut campaign.

Saint Lucia proves difficult

Round 8 brought a tougher challenge, with Saint Lucia defeating Tonga 4–0.

The team’s analysis identified early material losses as a major factor across several boards.

Satini produced the longest fight for Tonga, recovering from an early setback and creating counterplay before eventually losing.

The result provided the team with a reminder of the importance of opening discipline and avoiding early material losses.

Eswatini takes Round 9

Tonga then faced Eswatini, formerly called Swaziland, in Round 9, losing 3–1.

Mailangi secured Tonga’s only victory, while Tonutonu, Satini and So‘otanga lost their games.

Tonutonu came close to creating another strong result after winning a pawn and building an attacking position, while So‘otanga also had opportunities before the game slipped away in the endgame.

Despite two consecutive team defeats, Tonga’s campaign has provided valuable international experience for a group of players making their country’s debut at one of world chess’s largest competitions.

The 46th Chess Olympiad runs until September 27, giving Tonga two more rounds to complete its historic campaign.