Vietnam Chess Championship 2024: 15-Year-Old Chessable Author Huy Is Vietnam’s Chess Champion

FM Banh Gia Huy has booked his spot at the 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad for team Vietnam after winning the country’s national championship back in March. Huy has since crossed the 2400 FIDE rating threshold, leaving him one norm shy of the coveted IM title.

Occurring in the nation’s capital of Hanoi in March, the Vietnam Championship attracted 56 of the country’s top players including three GMs and four IMs, however, Huy rose above them all to finish =1st on 7.5/9, eclipsing GMs Nguyen Duc Hoa and Tran Tuan Minh on tiebreaks. 

A first-round draw against 1951-rated Duong Vu Anh was a sub-optimal start for the 15-year-old though after this, Huy was virtually unstoppable. A scintillating 26-move win over Tung Quan Nguyen in the ninth and final round where he uncorked a devastating sacrifice 25.Rxg7+!! showcased his attacking aptitude. 

Hailing from a country with evidence to support it being one of the most underrated in the world, Huy’s rise to the 10th spot in his country has required sacrifice, resilience, and over 250 FIDE-rated games over the last four years. Yet, while training and playing tournaments, Huy has also found the time to author two Chessable courses, the first of which was published in 2021 when Huy was just 12 years old, titled “Huy’s Original Repertoire: Spielmann-Indian“

The course, which was hailed as “an underrated gem of a course” by an anonymous staff member includes over 100,000 words of analysis on the Spielmann-Indian Defense, with particular attention paid to an improved version of the Benko Gambit with 3…b5!

In his most recent course (which was released back in February), Huy joined forces with power user “Makkapakka” and presented “Outfox The French: The Horwitz Attack For White” which recommends the following setup for White against the popular opening: 1.e4 e6 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2.

While Huy’s achievements bode well for the young maestro, they also paint a positive picture of Vietnam’s chess future, and two other players born in 2009 or later; FM Pham Tran Gia Phuc and FM Dinh Nho Kiet join Huy in the top 10 list. For reference, none of these talents could remember anyone but GM Magnus Carlsen atop the FIDE rating list.

As per Vietnam’s Olympiad selection regulations, Huy has earned himself a spot on the national team that will compete in Budapest at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in September alongside GMs Le Quang Liem, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, and Minh. With double GM norms on offer at Olympiads, Huy will no doubt put his best foot forward for his country.