Chinese chess grandmaster Wang Hao (elo 2,707) has become the champion of the sixth HDBank Cup International Open Chess Championship 2016 held in Ho Chi Minh City from March 8-13.

A game between Chinese chess grandmaster Wang Hao and Pham Le Thao Nguyen from Vietnam.

Second and third place were taken by Chinese and Czech Grandmasters Zhao Jun (elo 2,707) and Laznicka Viktor (elo 2,666).

Vietnamese competitor Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (elo 2,649) ranked fifth, while Pham Le Thao Nguyen surpassed all her female rivals with five points.

At the Challengers, a category for chess players with an elo rating below 2,100, Le Thanh Tai from Vietnam sealed the final victory.

This year, 133 Vietnamese chess players competed with 47 contenders from China, Singapore, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Azerbaijan, India, Hungary, Indonesia and Myanmar.

Expert said despite holding the first position for two conservative years, the sixth event was a challenge for Vietnamese chess players due to Le Quang Liem (elo 2,709)’s absence and the participation of more strong players.

The tournament's prizes total 40,000 USD, with the first prize winner receiving 13,000 USD and the female player with highest points receiving 3,000 USD.

VNA