The tournament, one of the largest international xiangqi events in China, took place from March 20 to 22 at the Huashan cliffside tourist area in Guangxi, drawing more than 100 players from various countries.

The competition featured a unique dual format combining standard xiangqi and dark chess, a variant in which pieces are hidden, requiring players to rely heavily on memory and strategic intuition.

Vietnam sent 13 players to the tournament, with Nguyen Thanh Bao considered a strong contender for the top positions against the formidable competitors.

After the first two days of competition in the standard Xiangqi category, Bao delivered a modest performance, finishing 20th with 11 points, three points behind the top players and level on points with fellow Vietnamese player Ha Van Tien.

However, Bao staged an impressive comeback in the dark chess discipline, scoring 14 points and finishing just behind Li Jian’e of Hubei, who topped the category with 16 points.

In the final overall standings, Nguyen Thanh Bao ranked eighth with 25 points, only three points behind champion Li Jian’e.

Bao’s teammate Ha Van Tien finished ninth with an identical scoreline across both formats, making the pair the top-performing Vietnamese players at the event.

Although the results were not particularly outstanding, they were far from disappointing. Notably, Vietnamese players demonstrated strong capabilities in dark chess, which has been gaining increasing recognition in the Xiangqi world.

Vietnamese player finishes runner-up at International Xiangqi Masters Tournament

VOV.VN - Vietnamese player Nguyen Thanh Bao claimed the silver medal at the International Xiangqi Masters Tournament – 7th Phuong Trang Cup, which concluded at Da Nang Times Square on December 28.