Besides interacting with others, chess player Lai Ly Huynh also inspired students from Nguyen Tat Thanh University at the Tuoi Tre newspaper office - Photo: NGUYEN KHOI
On the morning of March 5th, Lai Ly Huynh held an online Q&A session with readers at the Tuoi Tre newspaper headquarters. During the session, the chess player who recently caused a sensation in the Chinese chess world shared interesting insights not only about his professional skills but also about his behind-the-scenes experiences.
The father - the first teacher
Lai Ly Huynh's journey truly seems to have been "chosen by fate," as one reader commented after watching the live stream.
Lai Ly Huynh was born in 1990 in Vinh Long, and later moved with his family to Ca Mau to live and work. His father was an avid chess player, and this contributed to his pursuit of a professional chess career.
"My father had a particular passion for Chinese chess. Whenever he had free time, he would invite his close friends to play casually. There were days when he could play all day without getting bored. When I was little, during the summer holidays when I didn't have school, I would often follow him around. With the curiosity of a child, I started learning by watching him. Back then, there weren't as many forms of entertainment as there are now, so Chinese chess was one of the few things I could find to enjoy myself."
Seeing that Huynh also had a talent for chess, his father began to teach him the clever and unusual moves he had accumulated over many years. Therefore, Huynh always considered his father his first teacher in his chess career. Later, when he had become a professional and achieved success, he still occasionally spent time playing chess with his father.
With unwavering passion
But simply practicing isn't enough; mastery requires a long and arduous process. To achieve that, one needs immense passion, enthusiasm, and unwavering perseverance. Therefore, Lai Ly Huynh made a risky decision: to drop out of school in the 6th grade at the young age of 13.
Among athletes of his generation, not many dared to be so bold. Even when choosing a professional career, they still chose to study academics simultaneously. But Lai Ly Huynh had his own reasons. He explained: "In those years, I had to compete constantly. I would come home for a short while and then go back to compete, leaving no time to balance playing chess and studying at the same time. That's why I dropped out of school early. It wasn't an easy decision, but my passion for chess was too great. Therefore, I had to work even harder to stay on the path I had chosen."
Few people dare to sacrifice their education for a better future in order to pursue their passion. But thanks to his unwavering dedication and tireless efforts, Lai Ly Huynh has succeeded on the path he has chosen.
In 2025, he caused a sensation by winning the world championship against Chinese player Yin Sheng. He dethroned the Chinese, in the very sport they created. Therefore, the admiration for him is even greater, extending beyond the borders of Vietnam.
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nguyen (right) - Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre newspaper, presents flowers to chess player Lai Ly Huynh at the Tuoi Tre newspaper headquarters - Photo: NGUYEN KHOI
Motivation from family
Dropping out of school early and then becoming a world champion is an admirable feat. But Lai Ly Huynh's life and career still hold many remarkable stories. For example, the fact that he is married and has three children has surprised many people.
The reason stems from his youthful, handsome, and dashing appearance, which leads many to mistakenly believe he is still young. However, Lai Ly Huynh actually got married quite early. Therefore, his eldest son is now 13 years old, and he has a 12-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old grandson.
Lai Ly Huynh's large family is both a source of motivation and support. He shared: "I got married early and had children. As a husband and father, I am aware of my responsibilities. That gives me more motivation to always try my best and train hard to help my family."
Conversely, his family has also provided him with a great deal of support on his journey to conquer the top. Many readers wondered how Lai Ly Huynh balanced frequently competing away from home with family life. In response to these questions, he didn't hesitate to praise his wife during the live broadcast: "Besides playing chess, I'm also a husband and a father, so honestly, I sometimes face many difficulties. However, I'm very lucky that my wife is a wonderful woman who has supported me a lot. During difficult times, she's always there to help me overcome challenges. My wife has taken care of everything, allowing me to focus on competing and achieve success over the past time. It's safe to say that my family is my biggest support."
The chess player, born in 1990, hopes his son will follow in his footsteps in the game of Chinese chess. However, he completely respects his son's decision and hopes he will be responsible for his future choices. As someone who dared to drop out of school to dedicate himself entirely to Chinese chess, he certainly understands how difficult and challenging that path is. Therefore, many believe he has enough experience, courage, and life lessons to teach his son how to navigate life later on.
"I'm currently working on writing chess software."
In fact, Lai Ly Huynh is not an unfamiliar name to the Chinese chess community. He had been invited to compete in tournaments before 2022. Later, the Chinese chess community was rocked by a major match-fixing scandal involving numerous grandmasters. This led to a significant decrease in the number of tournaments as sponsors did not want their image tarnished. It was only in recent years that China began to rebuild the movement, helping the country's chess scene become vibrant again.
Furthermore, Lai Ly Huynh was a world champion, which further increased his favor with neighboring countries. The Wuyang Cup Super Tournament is a prime example, where the Vietnamese player was invited to compete against a lineup of top Chinese players.
"I was truly surprised to receive an invitation from the Chinese Chess Federation to participate in the Wuyang Cup Super Tournament. It's a great honor because this tournament has been around for many years and is very long-standing. It brings together many chess masters. I am the first Vietnamese person to receive an invitation without having to go through the qualifying rounds. However, before the tournament, my skill level was doubted and questions were raised about why I was invited. But in the end, I proved myself and my abilities."
Compared to the World Championship, the Wuyang Cup is considered superior because the World Championship only allows two players from each country to participate. Meanwhile, this tournament features significantly more top players. Therefore, while the World Championship has more legitimacy, the Wuyang Cup represents a higher level of competition."
Prior to the Five Yang Cup, Lai Ly Huynh had been invited to participate in many other tournaments. This shows that the reputation of Vietnamese chess in general, and Lai Ly Huynh in particular, has been elevated, receiving greater respect from China.
It is a great honor, a stepping stone for Vietnamese chess to develop even more strongly. In reality, even Lai Ly Huynh, as someone involved in the field, clearly sees that Vietnamese chess currently mainly originates from folk traditions, so there is no professional training system or instructional books. To be able to train himself, he often has to read chess materials from China.
Recognizing his own difficulties, he is now nurturing the intention to make more positive contributions. "I'm planning to write chess software to make it easier for young people to access this game. This is something I'm very passionate about and I'm trying my best to make it happen," he shared.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khi-so-phan-chon-lai-ly-huynh-20260306101544122.htm
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