Vietnamese chess players promise to shine at the Asian Mind Sports Games

Lai Ly Huynh (chess) and Le Tuan Minh (chess) are two bright faces of the Vietnamese sports delegation at the Asian Mind Sports Games starting today, November 13, in Singapore.

The highlight of Chinese chess is the confrontation between the reigning world champion Lai Ly Huynh and a very strong Chinese team. After losing to Lai Ly Huynh at the 2025 World Championship right at home, the Chinese chess team decided to "collect the debt" at the Asian Mind Sports Games. Besides the two young talents Doan Thang and Manh Phan Due, the Chinese chess team also reinforced the squad with Vuong Vu Bac and Vuong Gia Thuy with the goal of regaining the No. 1 position in the continental and world chess community.

Recently, the match-fixing scandal involving many top Chinese players, which resulted in them being banned from competing, has shaken the world chess community. That is also part of the reason why the Chinese chess team does not have the strongest force, opening up the opportunity for the number 1 Vietnamese player Lai Ly Huynh to make history by winning the world championship for the first time.

Lai Ly Huynh competes with Chinese players in Chinese chess at the 2025 Asian Mind Sports Games

PHOTO: D.T

Coming to the 2025 Asian Mind Sports Games, Lai Ly Huynh is considered a strong candidate for the championship title. He and his teammates have carefully prepared both professionally and mentally to aim for the highest goal. This time, Lai Ly Huynh will not have veteran Nguyen Thanh Bao, but instead will be joined by talented players such as Nguyen Minh Nhat Quang, Ton That Nhat Tan, Ha Van Tien, Dao Van Trong, and Phan Nguyen Cong Minh. In Chinese chess at this Asian Mind Sports Games, there are two events: rapid chess and blitz chess.

In chess, Vietnam's No. 1 player Le Quang Liem is busy attending the Chess World Cup in India, so Vietnam's chess sent its only representative to the Asian Mind Sports Games, player Le Tuan Minh (elo 2,582). Less mentioned than Le Quang Liem or Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, 29-year-old player Le Tuan Minh is considered a silent hero. In 2020, he won the national championship title, then shone at the 31st SEA Games in 2022 with 2 gold medals (1 individual, 1 team). Last year, he made a strong impression with an individual bronze medal at the Chess Olympiad.

At this Asian Mind Sports Games, Le Tuan Minh participated in both rapid and blitz chess. In rapid chess, he was seeded number 3, after Megaranto Susanto (Indonesia) and Tin Jingyao (Singapore). In blitz chess, the Vietnamese player was chosen as seeded number 2, after Megaranto Susanto. The coaching board of the Vietnamese chess team assessed that with his current chess strength and stable performance, Le Tuan Minh is capable of competing for the gold medal with his opponents.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ky-thu-viet-nam-hua-hen-toa-sang-o-dai-hoi-the-thao-tri-tue-chau-a-185251112224315418.htm