The professional department of the 2026 National Chess Championship - Coolmate Cup, competing in Do Son (Hai Phong), said that through the first 3 events, the top grandmasters still maintained their highest form.
The rapid chess, blitz chess, and super blitz chess content of the tournament has ended with the men's and women's groups.
At the tournament, each player competed in 9 sets according to the Swiss system in each of the above events.
In the rapid chess, blitz chess and super blitz chess men's categories, grandmaster Le Tuan Minh (Hanoi) exclusively occupies the leading position. The male player won a gold medal in the above 3 events.
Tuan Minh is currently one of the international grandmasters of Vietnamese chess. This player used to compete in SEA Games 33 and won a gold medal in the men's team blitz chess event. Tuan Minh is almost certain to have the opportunity to participate in the Olympiad 2026 team.
In this year's women's event, grandmaster Pham Le Thao Nguyen (Can Tho) won a gold medal in rapid chess and blitz chess. In the blitz chess event, young player Bui Thi Ngoc Nhi (Ninh Binh) won the championship.
From March 10, chess players begin competing in the final event of the tournament, which is standard chess. Standard chess male and female groups compete in 9 games according to the Swiss system.
Experts assess that competing for medal achievements in standard chess will be difficult to predict due to the possibility of surprise, however, grandmasters are still the ones with a level advantage. The tournament will close on March 16th. Last year, the standard chess male champion was Dang Hoang Son (HCMC), the women's champion was Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong (HCMC).
The achievements of the 2026 National Chess Championship are not counted in the results of the X-2026 National Sports Games. Chess will compete in the Games program in December in Ho Chi Minh City.
Chess players with good results at this year's national tournament will have the opportunity to join the Vietnamese Chess Team to compete in the 2026 World Team Olympiad in September in Uzbekistan. If they play well at the 2026 Olympiad, Vietnamese chess will have a spot to participate in the 2027 World Cup.
