Vietnamese chess is facing turbulent times.

In just half a month, Vietnamese chess has faced a series of controversial issues – from forming a team to participate in the Olympiad, to receiving questioning emails from FIDE.

Tuan Minh, Truong Son, and Le Quang Liem in the Vietnamese chess team's jerseys - Photo: FIDE

The highlight was the "open letter" that caused a stir on social media from chess player Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son.

In the early hours of May 24th, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son posted an article of over 1,300 words on his personal social media account, expressing his frustration about the way those in charge of managing Vietnamese chess operate.

From Truong Son's heartfelt letter…

Who is Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son? He is the second-highest Elo rating player in Vietnamese chess, the record holder for the youngest Grandmaster in history (at less than 15 years old, 22 years ago), a close teammate of Le Quang Liem, and also an athlete who always maintains an exemplary and discreet lifestyle.

Truong Son's "open letter" on Facebook thus became the final straw for many controversial issues in the chess world recently. These issues were raised more than half a month ago, when the Vietnam Chess Federation announced the list of athletes participating in the Olympiad without Le Quang Liem, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Le Tuan Minh (men's team), and also without Pham Le Thao Nguyen and Luong Phuong Hanh (women's team).

Controversy erupted when Luong Phuong Hanh and Pham Le Thao Nguyen (Truong Son's wife) publicly revealed the reason for the absence of these two top female chess players – that they were late in registering in a Zalo group created by the Vietnam Chess Federation.

From the announcement to the finalization of the list in this Zalo group, it only took a little less than two days. Most experts and fans believe that this method of creating a registration group was too hasty, careless, and disrespectful to the players as well as the nature of a major tournament in the world of chess.

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (right) and Le Quang Liem have been side-by-side for many years in the national chess team - Archival photo.

After half a month, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son shared more about everything with a detailed "open letter" on Facebook.

"Another reality that has persisted for many years is the issue of funding and support for athletes. For the past 10 years or so, team members have received almost no financial support from the sport's governing body for international competitions (except for regional events like the SEA Games and ASIAD)."

"Since the beginning of 2024, due to the lack of a flexible training plan suitable for the specifics of chess, athletes have had absolutely no basic income while competing under the national team's colors, apart from prize money based on performance. Even more sadly, not only have they been deprived of their allowances, but most athletes have had to fend for themselves in terms of both professional and logistical preparation," Truong Son said.

Also in the article, the 36-year-old chess player advised those responsible for managing Vietnamese chess to "have a clear and transparent strategy for attracting sponsorship and allocating funds," as well as "maintain honesty and say no to corruption from youth tournaments to the national level."

Truong Son also shared that he will officially stop competing in standard chess tournaments while representing the national team. This decision has truly brought sadness to the majority of Vietnamese chess fans.

To FIDE's letter of inquiry

Truong Son's open letter was published two days after an important letter was sent by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) to the Vietnam Chess Federation. Specifically, FIDE requested the Vietnam Chess Federation to cooperate in clarifying irregularities regarding tuition fees at two chess coach training courses in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City.

FIDE has stated that it has received numerous reports and documents reflecting irregularities in the organization of two chess coach training courses (FIDE School Instructor/Chess in Education) in Hai Phong (March 2026) and Ho Chi Minh City (April 2026).

According to information received by FIDE, trainees in these two courses paid 3.5 million VND in tuition fees and an additional 1.5-2 million VND as "certificate fees". This money was deposited into the personal account of Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang (Vice President of the Vietnam Chess Federation), while FIDE's account did not receive any fees.

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son has stopped competing in the standard chess event while representing the Vietnamese national chess team - Photo: FIDE

Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper , several students (who requested anonymity) said they had paid and completed the course but have not yet received their certificates. When they asked questions in the class's Zalo chat group, Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang... disbanded the group. FIDE, on the other hand, stated that they need to clarify information regarding the basis for collecting fees, accounting, and the bank account receiving the money... and affirmed that this is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

This incident is still in the verification stage. Mr. Pham Van Tien (President of the Vietnam Chess Federation) said he has requested Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang to provide a detailed explanation of the incident and will cooperate with FIDE to clarify everything. Notably, Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang is also the name mentioned in the case of "forming a group to register for the Chess Olympiad via Zalo".

A series of controversial incidents have caused turmoil for the Vietnam Chess Federation in particular and the Vietnamese chess community in general – from feelings of confusion and doubt to even sadness – as a renowned player like Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son expressed his frustration and almost announced his departure from the national team.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper on May 24th, a leader of the Vietnam Department of Physical Education and Sports stated that they were aware of the issues raised by the athletes and the media. The department's leaders will hold a private conversation with Truong Son to listen to his concerns.

Simultaneously, meetings were held with Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang to review information, hear reports, and clarify all issues. If any violations are found, the department will handle them according to regulations. In addition to his position as Vice President of the Vietnam Chess Federation, Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang has also been in charge of the chess department of the Vietnam Department of Physical Education and Sports for many years.

HUY DANG - TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/song-gio-bua-vay-co-vua-viet-nam-20260525080349011.htm