Nearly 1,000 players compete in Hai Duong Open Chess Tournament

On the morning of October 8, the 2nd Hai Duong Open Chess Tournament 2023 for the Blue Horse Cup opened at the Provincial Sports Gymnasium.

The tournament was jointly organized by the Vietnam Chess Federation and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; the sponsor was the Blue Horse Chess Club of Hai Duong. The tournament attracted nearly 1,000 players, an increase of more than 200 athletes compared to last year. The players belonged to 53 chess delegations in Hai Duong province and other provinces, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, Cao Bang, etc.

The players compete in age groups of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 and the open age group (no age limit). Notably, there are 12 disabled athletes, including 11 athletes from the Hanoi Disabled Chess Team. The 7 youngest players born in 2019 are from Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Hai Duong.

Players compete in 8 rapid games. The playing time is 20 minutes for each side. Players are not allowed to bring electronic devices and professional documents into the competition room.

The competition tables were packed tightly on the floor of the Provincial Sports Gymnasium. A large number of spectators, people from inside and outside the province came to watch and cheer for the players. After the opening ceremony, the players competed from round 1. According to the schedule, in the morning they competed from round 1 to round 4; in the afternoon they competed from round 5 to round 8. In the afternoon of the same day, the tournament closed and the awards were presented.

The tournament aims to enhance exchange, learning, encouragement and promotion of chess practice among young people, teenagers and children in Hai Duong province in particular and the whole country in general.