Dong Nai chess player Nguyen Thanh Bao finishes runner-up at the 2025 International Xiangqi Masters Tournament

Losing to Chinese chess player Xu Wenqiang in the final, Dong Nai chess player Nguyen Thanh Bao claimed the runner-up position at the International Xiangqi Masters Tournament in Da Nang.

Chess player Nguyen Thanh Bao (left) finishes runner-up at the 7th Phuong Trang Cup International Xiangqi Masters Tournament in Da Nang. Photo courtesy of FUTA

The final match of the 7th Phuong Trang Cup International Xiangqi Masters Championship 2025, held on December 28, was a showdown between Nguyen Thanh Bao of the host nation, Viet Nam, and Chinese player Xu Wenqiang.

The final was highly dramatic. Nguyen Thanh Bao and Xu Wenqiang drew in the standard game, forcing a rapid tiebreak to determine the winner. However, in the rapid game, the Dong Nai player suffered a narrow and unfortunate loss to the Chinese opponent.

With this result, Nguyen Thanh Bao lost overall to Xu Wenqiang in the final, finishing runner-up and receiving a prize of USD 11,000. As champion, Chinese chess player Xu Wenqiang was awarded a prize of up to USD 25,000.

Meanwhile, Hua Chenhao (China), Thanh Bao’s semifinal opponent, finished in third place, while Wang Jiarui (China) came in fourth. Chess player Lai Ly Huynh placed fifth, and sixth place went to Nguyen Minh Nhat Quang.

The 7th International Xiangqi Masters Tournament kicked off on December 22 at FUTA Residence - Da Nang Times Square (Da Nang), featuring 30 top Xiangqi players from across Asia, including 19 from Viet Nam. Dong Nai was represented by two players.

By Huy Anh - Translated by Minh Hanh, Minho