Surprise chess tournament for students with AI as 'coach'

For the first time, artificial intelligence (AI) was applied to the Vietnam Children's Chess Tournament. AI guided, coached, analyzed tactics... for athletes to practice and compete on a digital platform.

On the morning of October 31, the Central Council of Young Pioneers launched the Vietnam Children's Chess Tournament for the 2025-2026 school year. Athletes register, practice, and compete on a digital platform, with AI as their "coach".

Students are excited about chess matches on computers - Photo: PHAN LINH

AI as chess "coach"

This is the first time AI and digital transformation have been applied to school sports education . "Young" athletes register, practice, compete and rank online on the digital platform giaicovua.thieunhivietnam.vn.

This application is developed and operated by DUCA Holdings Science and Technology Enterprise. In addition, the ChessGPT system - AI specialized for chess - will accompany students throughout the training process, helping to guide tactics, analyze chess games, evaluate abilities and personalize the learning path for each student.

The tournament is organized with 10 competition groups, divided into 9 grades (from grade 1 to grade 9) and 1 group for players with national or international achievements.

The tournament will be held throughout the school year, from October 2025 to June 2026, with three rounds of competition at school level, provincial/city level and national finals. The tournament aims to attract about 1 million students from more than 25,000 primary and secondary schools nationwide.

In addition, the final round also includes the content "Movement Chess" - combining tactical thinking and physical exercise, spreading the spirit of "learning while playing - playing while learning" in the modern educational environment.

For the first time, a chess tournament has an AI "coach" - Photo: PHAN LINH

Mr. Le Anh Quan, Vice Chairman of the Central Council of Young Pioneers, Director of the Center for Support and Development of Vietnamese Children, said that digital transformation is no longer a slogan but a new method to improve education.

"Artificial intelligence does not replace teachers or team leaders, but is a support tool, helping students learn better, more fairly, according to their abilities and pace. With the Vietnam Children's Chess Tournament for the 2025-2026 school year, we choose a big challenge to make a big step forward, towards building a civilized, sustainable and inspiring school chess ecosystem" - Mr. Quan said.

Find 500 outstanding players nationwide

From the school round, the organizing committee will select outstanding candidates to participate in the provincial round. 500 outstanding candidates in the provincial round will compete in the national final round scheduled to be held at the National Children's Festival in 2026.

Mr. Bui Vinh - Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Chess Federation, Head Coach of the National Chess Team - said that the school chess movement is developing well, schools have included chess in their curriculum and currently many students like and are passionate about this intellectual sport .

"Besides, chess clubs in provinces and cities across the country are developing very strongly, and society also has a great need to organize chess tournaments in particular and school sports in general," said Mr. Vinh.

Chess player Nguyen Thien Ngan - 2019 World U14 Chess Champion, international grandmaster - said that in the past, chess was only considered a talent and parents had to send their children to study at outside centers. Bringing chess competitions to schools will create conditions for students to have more access to this intellectual sport.

The organizing committee is looking for the 500 best players to participate in the national finals in 2026 - Photo: PHAN LINH

"Regularly held chess tournaments are an opportunity for schools to pay more attention and include physical education in their teaching. Besides, holding many chess tournaments will help find talents in this intellectual sport."

Thien Ngan also emphasized that in her time, not many students played chess, because it required concentration and thinking and was not as widespread as it is today. Currently, with the guidance of schools and parents, students of primary and secondary school age have played and have a passion for chess.

The Organizing Committee will award 40 official prizes, including 10 first prizes (gold medals) worth 15 million VND each, 10 second prizes worth 10 million VND each, and 10 third prizes worth 5 million VND each.

In addition, the organizers also awarded 10 talent prizes, each worth 2.5 million VND with a commemorative medal of the program.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bat-ngo-giai-co-vua-cho-hoc-sinh-co-ai-lam-huan-luyen-vien-20251031113938062.htm