Vietnamese female xiangqi player defeats two male rivals at China tournament
VOV.VN - Vietnamese xiangqi player Nguyen Hoang Yen has made an impressive start at the 9th Belt and Road Jinjiang Cup Chengdu Global Xiangqi Doubles Tournament 2026 in Sichuan, China, defeating two male opponents in the opening stage.
Nguyen Hoang Yen, from Ho Chi Minh City, is competing alongside fellow Vietnamese players Lai Ly Huynh and Nguyen Thanh Bao at the tournament, which runs from October 15 to 18.
The event has brought together 32 players from 18 countries and territories, including six world champions, one Asian champion and 10 national champions. Organisers have highlighted several leading players, including Vietnam’s Lai Ly Huynh and China’s Yin Sheng and Meng Fanrui.
The tournament consists of two stages. The opening stage features individual matches to determine the rankings, before players are paired for the doubles competition. Regarded as one of the premier doubles events in competitive xiangqi, the tournament offers a total prize fund of approximately US$68,000.
Under the format, male and female players compete against one another in the opening stage.
Competing in the black group, Yen faced two experienced players of Chinese descent. Her first-round opponent was Fang Yi, representing Italy, followed by Indonesia’s Darjatno Hardjo in the second round.
At the 2025 World Xiangqi Championship in Shanghai, Fang finished 23rd in the men's individual event, while Hardjo ranked 26th. Fang, who grew up in Wenzhou, China, also holds the title of International Master.
Yen defeated Fang Yi in the opening round, before beating Darjatno Hardjo in the second round despite having the disadvantage of playing second.
Her strong start puts her in contention for top position in the opening stage ahead of the doubles competition.
Born in Ho Chi Minh City in 1992, Yen has been regarded as Vietnam's leading female xiangqi player for much of the past decade.
She has won five national women's standard xiangqi titles, eight rapid titles and five blitz titles, making her one of the country's most decorated players.
Vietnamese player takes runner-up spot at Xiangqi tournament in China
VOV.VN - Vietnamese Xiangqi player Nguyen Thanh Bao secured the runner-up position in the dark chess category and finished eighth overall at the NingMing HuaShan Cup Xiangqi Open in China.
