In compensation, as the host country, up to 150-200 leading Vietnamese chess players will have an opportunity to participate in this event, compared to around 20 if the tournament was organised somewhere else.

Nearly 2,000 top international players are expected to enter the competition.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau ready to welcome int ’ l guests

This province has successfully hosted many international chess competitions, such as the Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific Young Chess Championships 2000, Asia Chinese Chess Championship 2001, Southeast Asia Young Chess 2004 and Asia Chinese Team Chess Championship 2006.

When Kirsan Ilyumzino, President of Kalmykia and Chairman of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), expressed his idea of having Vietnam host the World Young Chess Championship 2008 during his visit to Vietnam in 2006, Ba Ria-Vung Tau was chosen to host the event.

One of the conditions to host this tournament is Vietnam has to have $1.5 million while the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ba Ria-Vung Tau have only $400,000. Since 2007, the organising board, through a company named CIAT, has combined with the ASEAN and Vietnam Chess Federations to raise funds for this event.

According to Vo Thanh Ky, Vice Chairman of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau People’s Committee and head of the organising board, the province has prepared nearly 2,000 hotel rooms for over 4,000 chess players and tourists.

The province doesn’t have any site where it can host over 1,000 players at the same time so the organisers have allocated two places for the contest: the provincial sports house, which can cater to 1,000 people, and the great hall of Palace Vung Tau Hotel, which can host 600 players.

Vietnam aims to rank third

The World Young Chess Championship is for young players from the whole world and the foundation to rate young players so this event always attracts many young talents.

According to the organising board, more than 1,500 players from over 100 countries and territories have registered to attend the tournament, including those from powerful nations for chess as Russia, France, Hungary and the US.

Players will compete under the Swiss system, 11 matches for men and women and in six age groups – 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 years old.

The event will take place from October 20 to 30. Many Vietnamese chess players have gained fame at this tournament, for example Dao Thien Hai (U16 Champion 1993), Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (U10 Champion 2000) and Le Quang Liem (U14 Champion 2005).

Dang Tat Thang, Vice Chairman cum Secretary General of the Vietnam Chess Federation, 150-200 Vietnamese chess players will participate in the competition. These players will be chosen through the National Young Chess Championship in July.