Young player Peng Gia Huy was unexpectedly named in the squad for the 2025 Chess World Cup, after the World Chess Federation (FIDE) announced the official list.
This is a prestigious tournament taking place from October 31 to November 27 in Goa (India), gathering 206 top players in the world to compete in the knockout format.
Initially, Vietnamese chess only had 1 chance from the achievements at the 2024 Olympiad and Le Quang Liem was chosen.
However, due to some top players such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura or Alireza Firouzja withdrawing, FIDE has adjusted the positions according to the Elo rankings. Thanks to that, Quang Liem (ranked 22nd in the world) was moved to a group of players with Elo high, leaving him with a Olympiad spot and the opportunity to be given to Bang Gia Huy.
Bang Gia Huy was born in 2009, is currently an international grandmaster, and is a national champion in the standard chess event in 2024. He is also one of the youngest players to ever join the Vietnamese chess team at the Olympiad, competing with seniors such as Quang Liem, Truong Son or Tuan Minh.
With a Elo coefficient of 2,440, Gia Huy is currently ranked 7th in the country and has a Grand Prize standard, aiming for the remaining two standards and Elo 2,500 to be crowned this noble title.
The World Cup of Chess is a top-notch playground with a total prize of up to 2 million USD. This is an opportunity for the players to compete for 3 places in the Candidates round - the tournament that decides the challenger for the world championship.
Coming to this tournament, although still very young, Gia Huy still has a valuable opportunity to compete, accumulate experience and prove his talent.
