Vietnam defeat Thailand at Chess Olympiad

Playing against an opponent with a much lower average Elo, Vietnam were expected to win without difficulty. But in the second game, Hoang Thi Bao Tram lost even though she had a great advantage against 15-year-old Araya Prommuang. This did not affect the overall victory of Vietnam, with Vo Thi Kim Phung, Nguyen Thi Mai Hung and Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong easily defeating Sarocha Chuemsakul, Napat Khantree and Anya Belle Burbach.

Thailand only have an average Elo of 1,535 while all four Thai players participating in this tournament are 18 years old or younger. Most Vietnamese players are over 18.

The fastest winning game in this round was played by Phung, when she defeated Sarocha with a great advantage from the opening move. Sarocha made a mistake right from the 11th move and Phung easily used it to her advantage and won.

The 2022 Chess Olympiad takes place from July 29 to Aug. 9 in Chennai, India, featuring 1,736 players from 186 countries and territories. The women’s group has 799 athletes from 160 countries, with the host allowed to register three teams. This is considered the Olympics of chess and one of the biggest competitions in the sport.

Vietnam didn’t send the men’s team to this tournaments since all its top players are busy. China, Russia and Belarus didn’t send any teams either.