We can hear you thinking: “What would it be like to play against the top players of the world” and “Surely you have to be older and more experienced to be playing with the legends”.
Well, today we get to know one of the teams that has been playing at the top during this Olympiad. The Vietnamese Open team came in ranked 27th out of 185 teams and as expected was playing on board one by the time round 4 came around. On board four is 16-year-old IM Anh Khoi Nguyen, who has been playing every single round without a break. His coach confirms ‘He is young and fit and can handle playing continuously’.
Anh Khoi is a talented player, having been crowned the U10 and then U12 world champion. However, this tournament is not going the way he had hoped with four draws, a win and a loss by the time we meet. ‘I hate draws, I always try my hardest to get to a win’ Anh Khoi says. He also explains that he seems to be either playing a difficult opening and coming to a draw later or playing an easier opening and coming to a draw early.
Anh Khoi was taught how to play chess when he was 6 years old at a small local club and quickly started improving when he started private coaching. He gained quite a bit of popularity when he obtained the U16 Rapid and Blitz world titles.
The Women’s team was ranked 17th at the start out of 150 teams. After 10 rounds, they are placed 14th. That is an incredible feat, considering they have played the top Georgian team and Iran.
For the Women’s team we meet 15-year-old WFM Ngoc Thuy Duong Bach. She is very shy, but we can immediately tell, a very kind person. And with a rating of 2161, she is certainly a force to be reckoned with! In fact, after playing 7 rounds, she has a score of 6! This is her first time at an Olympiad representing her country. She was taught by her brother when she was 8 years old and obtained her WFM title in 2014. Her first international tournament was the 2013 Asean Youth Championships in Thailand.
Both players tell us that they don’t know too much about the current state of the Vietnamese Junior League as they are now in the national team. However, they know it is growing and the popularity of chess is increasing. New chess schools are opening, including a new school by their coach. Having Vietnam play at such high level nowadays, may very well be starting to influence parents to pick up chess for their children!
So what do you like best about being a chess player and what has it taught you about life?
Anh Khoi – I have been able to travel the world and getting to meet people. Chess has also taught me to remain calm when you are in trouble and to work on damage control – there is always an alternative solution.
Ngoc Thuy – To be more patient.
Click on the board below to read David’s annotations on this very exciting, first game Anh Khoi played at the Olympiad.
What are some of your personal and chess goals?
Anh Khoi – I would like to study medicine and make a greater contribution to the world. Of course, gaining my GM title would be one of my chess goals, but that will require a lot of hard work as I still have three norms to gain as well as increase my rating! Unfortunately, I have not been able to spend a whole lot of time on chess as I needed to focus on school. There is no opportunity of home schooling in Vietnam, so I either need to drop school completely or continue to go to school despite trying to maintain my chess career.
Ngoc Thuy – I love chess and would love to make it my profession. I would love to become a WGM and am working hard to obtain a norm here at the Olympiad.
When we asked both players what advice they had for Australian Juniors, we were given an answer that we immediately understand to reflect their kind and humble personalities; ‘I don’t think I am good enough to give advice’ says Anh Khoi.
We are convinced this is not the last we see of these junior legends!
