International Grandmaster Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son will make his debut asVietnam's new top chess player in the 27th Southeast Asian Games (SEAGames 27) in Myanmar.
Son, the former world U10champion, will take the lead after the nation's top seeded GM Le QuangLiem withdrew from the SEA Games to take part in the coming World MindGames in China.
Vietnam will take part in seven of18 chess categories in Myanmar, with Son shouldering hopes for up to twogold medals in the men's international blitz and rapid chess events.The Kien Giang GM ranked fourth at the blitz and 16th in rapid chess atthis year's world championships.
Alongside Son, GMs Dao Thien Hai and Nguyen Duc Hoa will also take part in these events.
The team's biggest rival is So Wesley from the Philippines. The eighthyoungest chess grandmaster in history is also ranked 30th in the worldand expected to be the top seed at the SEA Games.
Onthe women's side, Vietnamese masters will look to consolidate momentumat the regional level. However, the absence of leading GM Nguyen Thi MaiHung this year due to a training course in Hungary, will be a blow tothe side.
Trio Pham Le Thao Nguyen, Nguyen Thi Thanh An and Hoang Thi Bao Tram carry strong hopes of bringing home gold this year.
Coach Lam Minh Chau, said Indonesia had recently made strides in improving their chances at this year's Games.
"Previously, Vietnam (women) were the strongest in ASEAN. However theIndonesian side has seen a strong ascendancy with Irine Kharisma, who iscurrently the top seed in the region. They present a strong challengefor us," Chau said.
He added that although the sidefaced difficulties in the current Games, he was optimistic the 13-memberteam would do its best to pocket up to four golds in blitz and rapidevents. The team will also seek to assert their strengths in three othercategories that are not well-known in Vietnam.
"It is difficult but we can top three golds. It is a way to assert our power in the region," Chau said.
The chess tournament is scheduled to take place from December 12-21 inNay Pyi Taw. The eighteen events of chess comprise Myanmar'straditional style, ASEAN, and international chess as well as transferchess and chess 960.
Transfer chess is a popularchess variant played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two.Normal chess rules apply, although captured pieces on one board arepassed to players on the other board, who have the option of puttingthese pieces on their board. The game is played a high speed.
Chess 960 is a variant of chess that debuted in 1996 in Argentina. Itemploys the same board and pieces as standard chess; however, thestarting position of the pieces on the players' home ranks israndomised. The random set-up renders the prospect of obtaining anadvantage through the memorisation of opening lines impracticable,compelling players to rely on their talent and creativity.
Vietnamese athletes made a splash at the 2005 Games in the Philippinesafter claiming all eight titles. Commentators have even alleged thatthe epic victory scared the country's competitors into removing thesport from the proceeding two Games' list.
Thesports return two years ago in Indonesia presented Vietnam with anotheropportunity to assert its dominance in six out of nine chess categories.-VNA
Son, the former world U10champion, will take the lead after the nation's top seeded GM Le QuangLiem withdrew from the SEA Games to take part in the coming World MindGames in China.
Vietnam will take part in seven of18 chess categories in Myanmar, with Son shouldering hopes for up to twogold medals in the men's international blitz and rapid chess events.The Kien Giang GM ranked fourth at the blitz and 16th in rapid chess atthis year's world championships.
Alongside Son, GMs Dao Thien Hai and Nguyen Duc Hoa will also take part in these events.
The team's biggest rival is So Wesley from the Philippines. The eighthyoungest chess grandmaster in history is also ranked 30th in the worldand expected to be the top seed at the SEA Games.
Onthe women's side, Vietnamese masters will look to consolidate momentumat the regional level. However, the absence of leading GM Nguyen Thi MaiHung this year due to a training course in Hungary, will be a blow tothe side.
Trio Pham Le Thao Nguyen, Nguyen Thi Thanh An and Hoang Thi Bao Tram carry strong hopes of bringing home gold this year.
Coach Lam Minh Chau, said Indonesia had recently made strides in improving their chances at this year's Games.
"Previously, Vietnam (women) were the strongest in ASEAN. However theIndonesian side has seen a strong ascendancy with Irine Kharisma, who iscurrently the top seed in the region. They present a strong challengefor us," Chau said.
He added that although the sidefaced difficulties in the current Games, he was optimistic the 13-memberteam would do its best to pocket up to four golds in blitz and rapidevents. The team will also seek to assert their strengths in three othercategories that are not well-known in Vietnam.
"It is difficult but we can top three golds. It is a way to assert our power in the region," Chau said.
The chess tournament is scheduled to take place from December 12-21 inNay Pyi Taw. The eighteen events of chess comprise Myanmar'straditional style, ASEAN, and international chess as well as transferchess and chess 960.
Transfer chess is a popularchess variant played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two.Normal chess rules apply, although captured pieces on one board arepassed to players on the other board, who have the option of puttingthese pieces on their board. The game is played a high speed.
Chess 960 is a variant of chess that debuted in 1996 in Argentina. Itemploys the same board and pieces as standard chess; however, thestarting position of the pieces on the players' home ranks israndomised. The random set-up renders the prospect of obtaining anadvantage through the memorisation of opening lines impracticable,compelling players to rely on their talent and creativity.
Vietnamese athletes made a splash at the 2005 Games in the Philippinesafter claiming all eight titles. Commentators have even alleged thatthe epic victory scared the country's competitors into removing thesport from the proceeding two Games' list.
Thesports return two years ago in Indonesia presented Vietnam with anotheropportunity to assert its dominance in six out of nine chess categories.-VNA
