On March 8 in Do Son (Hai Phong), the National Chess Championship - Coolmate Cup 2026 concluded the men's rapid chess and women's rapid chess matches.
After 9 sets of women's rapid chess, grandmaster Pham Le Thao Nguyen (Can Tho) won the championship. She achieved 8 points through the sets she played. With this result, Thao Nguyen maintained the overall No. 1 position in rapid chess at this year's tournament.
Also in the women's rapid chess competition, Nguyen Thi Mai Hung (HCMC) and Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong (HCMC) shared the second and third positions when they both achieved 7 points. In this event, grandmaster Hoang Thi Bao Tram (HCMC) only achieved 6.5 points after 9 games, so she ranked 5th. Women's rapid chess at this year's tournament has 72 chess players participating in competition.
Although Pham Le Thao Nguyen won a rapid chess gold medal, her husband, grandmaster Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Can Tho), did not win a rapid chess medal in the men's group. After 9 games, the male player had 6.5 points, so he ranked 7th. Although before that, experts were very hopeful that Truong Son would achieve the highest result in the rapid chess medal group.
The men's rapid chess champion at this year's tournament is grandmaster Le Tuan Minh (Hanoi) when he achieved 7.5 points after 9 games. Chess player Ngo Duc Tri (Hanoi) also has 7.5 points but only won a silver medal due to lower sub-index. Bronze medal belongs to chess player Pham Chuong (HCMC, 7 points).
The lightning chess and ASEAN chess content will continue to be competed by chess players after the rapid chess closing. This year's tournament is expected to end on March 16.
