The ninth HDBankCup International Chess Tournament kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on March 7, drawing more than 300 players from 28 nations and territories.

HDBank Deputy General Director Le Thanh Trung (L) and winner of HDBankCup International Chess Tournament 2018 Mareco Sandro in a friendly match (Source: laodong.vn)

President of the Vietnam Chess Federation (VCF) Nguyen Dong Tien said that the week-long event offers a good chance for competitors to improve their skills as it brings together the world’s top masters.

According to VCF Vice President Nguyen Phuoc Trung, the host Vietnam sends to the tournament 161 players, including top figures such as Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Tran Tuan Minh, Nguyen Anh Khoi, Pham Le Thao Nguyen and Vo Thi Kim Phung.

The nine-round event, organised by the Vietnam Chess Federation, has two sections: a masters category for male players with Elo rating of above 2100 and women rated above 2000, and a challengers category for unrated players and those rated below 2100.

The event has a total prize purse of 60,000 USD, of which the winner in the masters category will receive 16,000 USD.

First launched in 2011, the tournament has attracted 1,400 players from 36 countries and territories worldwide.-VNA