New history of Vietnamese chess

Winning right on the land of the world's number 1 chess player, China, Lai Ly Huynh not only affirmed his class and talent but also helped turn a new page in the history of Vietnamese chess, while affirming his position on the world stage.

At the 2023 World Championship in the US, Lai Ly Huynh had the biggest match of his career when he reached the final of the standard chess tournament against "Thien Ma Vuong" Manh Than (China). It was also a historic match for Vietnamese chess and chess lovers around the world wanted Huynh to win to break the absolute dominance of Chinese players in the previous 17 tournaments.

At that time, tens of thousands of Vietnamese chess lovers stayed up all night to follow Huynh's every move with different emotions. First was the joy and excitement when Huynh created a huge advantage in the middle end and stood before the opportunity to win the championship. But then came the endless regret when the number 1 Vietnamese chess player miscalculated at the decisive moments and let his opponent hold a draw, before losing in the rapid game. Vietnamese fans lost sleep that night when Huynh "held the gold and let it fall", the historic world championship was firmly in our hands, but in the end it was unfortunately lost.

Two years later, Lai Ly Huynh also won the right to enter the final with an undefeated record (5 wins, 3 draws) and met a Chinese opponent - Doan Thang, 20 years old, who is considered a "child prodigy" of Chinese chess in this country.

Unlike the final match 2 years ago, this time Huynh was the one who did not start well, allowing his opponent to gain a large advantage. At this time, the prospect of defeat like 2 years ago came back, anxiety and tension were very high. But in the end, Huynh made the right moves, while his opponent made mistakes, making the match balanced.

“The match was extremely tense both mentally and professionally. After the opening, the opponent sacrificed his cannon to get the bishop and received the attack. Huynh, with his experience, returned the pieces to regain the initiative and continuously attacked, forcing the opponent to lose the initiative. The rook and knight were immobilized, Huynh continued to deal fatal blows to the general, forcing the opponent to surrender. This is a historic victory for Huynh and Vietnamese chess,” said Nguyen Minh Thang, Head of the Chess Department of the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Department, about the final match.

Vietnamese chess reached the world championship for the first time thanks to the talent of Lai Ly Huynh, who wrote an inspiring journey of will and desire to win. From the sadness of 2023, the player from Vinh Long turned failure into motivation to stand up stronger, thereby writing a new history for Vietnamese chess on the world stage.

Huynh’s championship is a testament to the value of perseverance, to the spirit of “failure is the mother of success”. Huynh’s victory not only has sporting value, but is also a spiritual symbol. This shows that Vietnamese people, with their perseverance and desire to excel, can win even in sports that require high intelligence and courage.

After 18 World Championships held in nearly 35 years, Lai Ly Huynh is the player who broke the dominance of the world's number 1 Chinese chess team, China, to make history for Vietnamese chess. It is worth mentioning that this victory took place right on the "holy land" of the opponent, which is an affirmation and change in the way Chinese players look at Vietnamese players.

From the 2011 Asian Championship of Nguyen Hoang Lam, to the 2022 World Men's Doubles Championship of Lai Ly Huynh - Nguyen Thanh Bao and now the World Championship - the highest title of world chess, Vietnamese chess is making a strong transformation with great pride.

From these achievements, it is hoped that Vietnamese chess will play more fairly with China, so that there will be more surprises. For a long time, whenever chess is mentioned, the world has respected China, forgetting that Vietnam was once the Asian and world champion.

Lai Ly Huynh's achievement will certainly breathe new life into the chess movement in Vietnam. The world title creates a strong spread, arouses the passion of the young generation and attracts attention from the community. Domestic tournaments are likely to be more exciting, the number of players will increase, especially the opportunity to discover new talents.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/trang-su-moi-cua-co-tuong-viet-nam-171045.html