Does Vietnamese chess still have a burning desire to participate in the World Cup?

After many years of participating in the biggest chess tournament on the planet, for the second time in history, Vietnamese chess has secured 4 spots in the 2023 Chess World Cup.

Besides the first official qualifying spot, which automatically went to super grandmaster Le Quang Liem (Elo 2728, world number 21), the duo Vo Thi Kim Phung and Nguyen Thi Mai Hung will participate in the World Cup with two slots reserved for the women's champions and runners-up of the 2023 Asian Chess Championship Zone 3.3. Similarly, Le Tuan Minh will also travel to Azerbaijan at the end of July as the runner-up of the men's Zone 3.3 Asian tournament.

Nguyen Thi Mai Hung participates in the Chess World Cup for the first time (Photo: THANH MINH)

While women's football's qualification for the World Cup and women's volleyball's participation in two world championships brought jubilation to fans of those sports , the atmosphere in the chess world is somewhat subdued, even though this is only the second time four Vietnamese players have reached the world stage. Many believe the number of Vietnamese chess players participating in the World Cup could have increased further if the men's national team hadn't missed the 2022 Olympiad and the upcoming Asian Championships due to a lack of players!

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Chess Federation, chess is a unique sport where the level of an entire chess community is based on the average Elo rating of its players. That's why top Vietnamese players aren't obligated to participate in the national championship. Instead, they are given the opportunity to compete in international tournaments with enviable prize money and the chance to improve their skills, specifically their individual Elo rating.

With their family's financial resources and the support of many benefactors, some chess players are diligently accumulating Elo points and achieving the required ranking to be promoted through international invitational tournaments.

To say that Vietnamese chess has lost its ambition for the World Cup is therefore incomplete. In the context of a volatile global economy , prize money at the Chess World Cup has decreased by 40% compared to a few years ago, but it remains a dream for many players. For example, Grandmaster Le Quang Liem, receiving a bye in the first round, essentially pocketed $6,000 (compared to $10,000 in 2019) by advancing directly to the second round. Vo Thi Kim Phung has previously participated in the World Cup, and therefore, the two newcomers Nguyen Thi Mai Hung and Le Tuan Minh are more nervous than ever before departing for Baku (Azerbaijan) to compete against world-class players from July 29th to August 25th.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/the-thao/co-vua-viet-con-khat-khao-voi-world-cup-20230707230958094.htm