7-year-old chess player becomes Vietnam’s youngest Woman Candidate Master

Khue, a student at Ngo Gia Tu Elementary School in Da Nang City, went unbeaten in the girls’ under-7 standard chess event, scoring 8.5 points out of nine.

She also took a silver medal in the blitz section.

Her gold-medal performance met the qualification standard for the WCM title, marking a milestone for Vietnam’s nearly-60-year-old chess community, the federation said.

The 2025 Asian Schools Chess Championships, held in Ulaanbaatar from late October to early November, drew 675 players from 16 countries, including powerhouses India and China.

Vietnam sent 11 players and won eight medals in total.

Among them, Vo Mai Phuong, 11, from Ho Chi Minh City, claimed a bronze medal in the girls’ under-11 standard event and also met the WCM standard.