Nguyen Thanh Bao from Hanoi took the men’s title and Dam Thi Thuy Dung from Ho Chi Minh City won the women’s event at the National Masters Xiangqi (Chinese chess) Championships, which wrapped up on November 11 in the northern province of Thai Nguyen.

Thanh Bao finished on 7.5 points with Truong A Minh from Ho Chi Minh City, but he took the gold medal with a better sub-index after nine matches. Dang Cuu Tung Lam from the southern province of Binh Phuoc came third with 6.5 points.

In the women's category, Dam Thi Thuy Dung overcame powerful rivals including Asian silver medallist Nguyen Hoang Yen and 10-time winner Ngo Lan Huong to take the crown with 5.5 points. Nguyen Phi Liem from Hanoi finished second while Hoang Yen and Lan Huong only managed to claim third and fourth position, respectively.

This year’s event drew the participation of 38 male and 8 female players from Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, Da Nang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Ho Chi Minh City and the Army team. In the men’s category, participants battled it out following a nine-round Swiss system, while the female competitors played a round robin to select the winner.

The annual tournament offered a good opportunity for players to sharpen their skills while providing coaches a chance to select the best players for the national team in preparation for the upcoming regional and world competitions.

At last year’s event, Uong Duong Bac from the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau bagged the gold medal in the men’s title, while Nguyen Hoang Yen from Ho Chi Minh City dominated the women’s section.-VNA