Bach Ngo

18-year-old Bach Ngo of Gainesville, Florida, qualified for the 2026 U.S. Junior Championship by winning the 2025 Arnold Denker tournament of High School Champions on tiebreak over Liam Putnam last summer.  Bach, who was coached in his formative years by Danish Grandmaster Lars Bo Hansen, earned his National Master title at the age of 11. He earned his International Master title in 2023, playing several events in Budapest, Hungary. More recently he has mostly played in his home state, concentrating on his academic studies.

A recent graduate of The Frazer School, Bach was named one of 300 scholars in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search for his AI research, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school students. Bach is also a 2026 National Merit Scholar.

This will be Bach’s debut in the U.S. Junior Championship.