Looking back at the journey to become the world chess champion of Lai Ly Huynh

Readers are invited to join Tuoi Tre Online to look back at the journey to the championship of Vietnamese chess player Lai Ly Huynh at the 2025 World Chess Championship.

Lai Ly Huynh excellently won the 2025 World Chess Championship - Photo: Thang Long Ky Dao

On the afternoon of September 27, the world chess world witnessed a memorable milestone when Vietnamese chess player Lai Ly Huynh excellently defeated his host opponent Doan Thang (China) in the final match to win the 2025 World Chess Championship.

This victory not only brought him the title but also made him the first Vietnamese, and the first non-Chinese player in history, to win the prestigious men's individual standard chess event.

To reach the pinnacle of glory, Ly Huynh had to overcome a difficult journey, requiring a combination of class, steely courage and luck.

Waiting anxiously for the ticket to the final

After finishing the decisive 8th round on the evening of September 25 with a draw against player Li Dezhi, Lai Ly Huynh officially closed the qualifying round with an undefeated record (5 wins, 3 draws) and 13 points.

It seemed that this impressive streak of performance was enough for him to comfortably advance to the finals. But the remaining developments of the chessboard pushed Ly Huynh into extremely tense moments waiting for the result.

The drama broke out when the two Chinese opponents, Doan Thang and Manh Phan Due, also scored 13 points, turning the final ticket into a decision by the extra coefficient.

Doan Thang, with 85 points leading the way, naturally won the first place. The remaining place became a "life and death" battle between Ly Huynh and Phon Due. And the representative from Vietnam won narrowly by 1 point (81 vs 80).

Lai Ly Huynh (left) won the championship with an undefeated record - Photo: LĐCTVN

When the final list of competitors was announced, it was revealed that this narrow victory was due to two key factors:

Firstly, Ly Huynh showed his "destructive" performance by winning all 4 games with the black pieces (compared to 2 games of Phồn Duệ). This impressive achievement is the key to helping him push up the secondary index.

The second was the draw between compatriot Nguyen Thanh Bao and Li Mingjian in round 7. This draw did not help Bao enter the final but was extremely important. According to analysis, if Thanh Bao had won, the secondary index of the two Chinese players could have increased significantly and surpassed Ly Huynh. This draw of Thanh Bao indirectly protected the secondary index advantage for his teammate Lai Ly Huynh.

Winning the championship thanks to courage and class

Entering the historic final, Ly Huynh faced a double disadvantage: facing the home player Doan Thang and forced to play black. The match was a tense contest both technically and psychologically.

After the opening, Doan Thang took the initiative to attack by exchanging cannons, creating great pressure. However, with his extensive experience and extraordinary alertness, Ly Huynh wisely returned his pieces to regain the initiative.

He organized sharp counterattacks, gradually locking down the opponent's main forces. In the endgame, consecutive fatal blows to the generals forced Doan Thang to surrender.

Historical significance

This victory is an affirmation of Ly Huynh's outstanding talent, especially after finishing second in 2023.

The title of "The first non-Chinese player to win the men's individual standard chess event at the World Xiangqi Championship" has engraved Vietnam's name on the map of the pinnacle of world Xiangqi.

After the final match ended on the afternoon of September 27, former President of the Vietnam Chess Federation Nguyen Huu Luan and Phuong Trang Group awarded a bonus of 1 billion VND to Lai Ly Huynh and 200 million VND to the coach.

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhin-lai-hanh-trinh-vo-dich-co-tuong-the-gioi-cua-ky-thu-lai-ly-huynh-20250927162923148.htm