Lai Ly Huynh wins International Stars xiangqi tournament

Lai Ly Huynh, three-time national champion, was crowned the overall winner of the 2015 International Stars xiangqi (Chinese chess) tournament after overcoming his Binh Duong teammate Dao Cao Khoa in the final on December 20.

At the closing ceremony on December 20 (Credit: Organising Committee)
At the closing ceremony on December 20 (Credit: Organising Committee)

>>> Leading Xiangqi masters meet at International Stars tournament

Group A leader Huynh beat Khoa, who led Group B, in the first leg of the final before securing a draw in the second leg to take the championship trophy along with VND30 million (US$1,320) in prize money.

As the runner-up, Dao Cao Khoa received a cash prize of VND15 million (US$660).

Nguyen Anh Quan ended up in third-place position, followed by Vu Huu Cuong and Chinese Liu Zongzhe, who was the only foreign player to make the top eight.

The next three rankings went to Vietnamese masters, namely Nguyen Hoang Lam, Ton That Nhat Tan and Huynh Linh.

The tournament was held for the first time in Vietnam by the Vietnam Chess Federation and the www.thanglongkydao.com xiangqi forum, bringing together 15 leading Vietnamese xiangqi masters and five international invitees from China, Malaysia and Singapore.

The five-day event featured two phases, beginning with a group-stage round robin competition, followed by direct meetings for classifications.