高鼎國

English

Ko Geoffrey Edward, known as Geoffrey Kao, is a veteran administrator in Hong Kong chess and the Honorary President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, working to develop the game locally. In 2023 he was appointed team manager of the Hong Kong, China chess squad at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, travelling with women's coach Kwok Yuen Shan and men's coach Shen Chenyi, who is also a vice-president of the federation (whose president is Chan Ching Keung). On the international stage he has been a key figure in bringing top-level chess events to Hong Kong: from 16 to 22 June 2026 the city hosted the FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships for the first time, jointly with FIDE and under the 'M' Mark scheme, with Kao, as honorary president, describing the arrival of a world-class event in Hong Kong as a historic milestone for the local chess community. At the opening and closing ceremonies he stressed that Hong Kong is not only a hub of finance and commerce but also a stage for international chess, and that young local players must be given the chance to compete against world-class opponents in order to nurture future champions. The championships drew a number of the world's leading players to the city, further raising Hong Kong's profile in international chess.