Chess 

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese masters will checkmate for medals in the FIDE World Cadet & Youth Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2026 in Serbia.

The Việt Nam Chess Federation has announced a list of 30 competitors who are leading players in their age groups to compete in all categories ranging from U8 to U18 in the 11-round Swiss tournaments.

The matches will begin on April 14 and wrap up a week later at the Hotel Zepter in Vrnjacka Banja.

Later, they will take part in the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships 2026 from June 14 to 27 in Montesilvano, Italy.

Prior to the world events, masters will horn their skills in the National Chess Championships 2026 on March 6-16 in Hải Phòng City.

Among the medal candidates are International Master Đinh Nho Kiệt, Nguyễn Ngọc Hiền, Nguyễn Bình Vy, Đặng Lê Xuân Hiền, Nguyễn Quang Anh, Vũ Gia Bảo, Lê Anh Tú, Trần Lê Vy, Tống Thái Hoàng Ân and Nguyễn Lương Vũ who have grabbed number of regional championship's titles.

In other chess news, this board game will not be organised in the 20th Asian Games in Japan in September but the senior masters will have other event instead.

They will join world strongest players in the Olympiad 2026, which is held every two years, on September 15-28 in Uzbekistan.

In the previous event in Hungary, Vietnamese representatives were grandmasters Lê Quang Liêm, Trần Tuấn Minh, Lê Tuấn Minh, Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn and Bành Gia Huy in the men's side and women's grandmasters Phạm Lê Thảo Nguyên, Lương Phương Hạnh, Bạch Ngọc Thùy Dương, Võ Thị Kim Phụng and Lê Thanh Tú.

Việt Nam secured a bronze by Lê Tuấn Minh in the individual event. Meanwhile, they placed No 25 and No 23, respectively, in the team classes. 

India are reigning champions of both two categories. — VNS