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| Vietnamese chess masters pose for a photo after their wins at the Asian Youth Chess Championships 2022 which closed in Bali, Indonesia, on October 21. Photo: sggp.org.vn |
Vietnam finished on top at the Asian Youth Chess Championships 2022, which closed in Bali, Indonesia, on October 21, VNA and Vietnam News reported.
The young masters grabbed 39 gold medals in both individual and team events in three categories of standard, rapid and blitz chess for age groups ranging from U8 to U18 for both boys and girls.
In the last day, athletes competed in blitz chess. Pham Truong Phu won the boys’ U14 with six points after seven matches, Vo Pham Thien Phuc won the boys’ U16 with six points, and Tran Le Vy gained 6.5 points to top the girls’ U10. Nguyen Binh Vy won the girls’ U14 title with six points.
Apart from golds, the Vietnamese also secured 21 silvers and nine bronzes.
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| Nguyen Thien Ngan wins a gold in the girls’ U18. Photo thethao247.vn |
In the individual event, Dao Nhat Minh, Nguyen Thien Ngan, Nguyen Hong Nhung, and Nguyen Quoc Hy show their superiority.
Nhat Minh became an International Master (IM) thanks to the U18 standard chess championship when he was undefeated after 9 games, won 7 points, and accumulated an additional 18.4 elo.
Thien Ngan won the women’s U18 gold medal with 6.5 points. Teammate Vu Bui Thi Thanh Van had the same points but took a silver due to her lower average rating.
International Master is the second highest official chess title, after International Grandmaster (GM).
Hong Nhung, studying advanced math at Amsterdam High School in Hanoi, won the gold medal at the age of U16 with 7.5 points after 9 games and reached the Woman International Master (WIM). Before this tournament, Hong Nhung made a splash with a silver medal at the U16 World Championship in mid-September, accumulating 174 more elo to increase her Elo rating to 2,024.
Nguyen Quoc Hy won the boys’ U16, Dao Nhat Minh triumphed in the boys’ U18, and Pham Tran Gia Phuc was the champion in the boys’ U14.
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| Vietnamese masters on stage receive golds in the standard chess category at the Asian Youth Chess Championships 2022 in Bali, Indonesia. Photo of VCF |
Chess powerhouse India placed second with 20 golds, 11 silvers, and 11 bronzes. Hosts Indonesia came third, earning four golds, 12 silvers, and 21 bronzes.
Vietnam sent 98 competitors to Bali in 12 groups ranging from U8 to U18 for both boys and girls against nearly 450 masters from 20 countries and territories.
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| World U16 silver medalist Nguyen Hong Nhung wins gold in the Asian Youth Chess Championships 2022 in Bali, Indonesia. Photo: nld.com.vn |
In August, Grandmaster Le Quang Liem beat 2021 FIDE World Cup champion Jan-Krzysztof Duda for the second time in four months at the FTX Crypto Cup.
Four months ago at the Oslo Esports Cup, Liem defeated Jan-Krzysztof Duda 4-2. However, he came second in the tournament as he was one point behind Duda. At that tournament, Liem shocked the world as he defeated both “chess king” Magnus Carlsen and World Cup champion Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
Hanoi hosts International Master Chess Tournament
The international-standard tournament is expected to give local chess players the opportunity of gaining the standards of women’s international grandmaster (WGM), the male international master (IM).
