Culture - Sports

Vietnam chess teams make strong showing at FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026

In the Open section, the Vietnamese team finished 19th out of 206 teams after 11 rounds with 14 points from six wins, three draws and two losses, climbing 28 places in the final standings to win the Group B gold medal.

Đỗ Thị Mai Hiên
Vietnam ranks 12th overall based on the combined results of the two teams (Photo: Vietnam Chess Federation)
Vietnam ranks 12th overall based on the combined results of the two teams (Photo: Vietnam Chess Federation)

​Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese chess teams made a strong impression at the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026, which concluded on September 27, with the women’s team finishing in the overall Top 10 for the first time and the Open team winning a Group B gold medal, according to the Vietnam Chess Federation.

​The competition in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, brought together 202 teams in the Open’s section and 189 in the Women’s section, making it one of the most important team events organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Vietnam competed with a combination of experienced players and young talents who have been making steady progress in their careers.

In the Open section, the Vietnamese team finished 19th out of 206 teams after 11 rounds with 14 points from six wins, three draws and two losses. Starting as the No. 47 seed, the team climbed 28 places in the final standings to win the Group B gold medal. Notably, Vietnam defeated strong opponents Norway 3–1 in the 10th round and drew 2–2 with Kazakhstan in the final round.

Young players Banh Gia Huy and Nguyen Quoc Hy both achieved Grandmaster (GM) norms at the tournament.

In the Women’s section, Vietnam made a notable mark by finishing ninth among 189 teams, securing a place in the overall Top 10 for the first time. Starting as the No. 21 seed, the team climbed 12 places in the final standings and recorded four consecutive victories over Brazil, Croatia, Bulgaria and Indonesia, rising to fifth place after the 10th round. In the final round, Vietnam faced China, which went on to win the Women’s title.

The Top 10 finish marked a notable achievement for Vietnamese women’s chess at an Olympiad featuring nearly 190 teams.

In the individual competition, Grandmaster Nguyen Thi Mai Hung won a silver medal on Board 5, adding another highlight to the performance of the Vietnamese women’s team at this year’s Olympiad.

Dr Nguyen Tra Giang, Vice President of the Vietnam Chess Federation, said that another noteworthy achievement was Vietnam’s 12th-place finish in the Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy, a prestigious chess award presented to the country with the best combined overall performance in both the Open and Women’s sections at each Chess Olympiad.

The results reflect the progress made by Vietnam’s national chess teams on the world’s major team chess stage, Giang added./.

​

Đỗ Thị Mai Hiên
VNA
#VNHP #Vietnam Chess Federation #FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026 #chess
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