Vietnam’s Lai Ly Huynh makes history with world Xiangqi championship victory on Chinese soil

His landmark victory came after a dramatic final-round showdown against China’s Yuan Sheng in Shanghai.

The championship match was fraught with tension from the outset, both psychologically and technically.

Huynh, playing Black, entered the board at a disadvantage, not only in terms of pieces but also as the away player facing a partisan home crowd and an experienced Chinese opponent.

Early in the game, Yuan sacrificed a cannon to gain a positional advantage, trading it for an elephant and seizing the initiative.

However, Huynh’s composure and deep tournament experience began to show. He skillfully reversed the pressure and launched a series of precise counterattacks.

As the endgame approached, Huynh immobilized his opponent’s chariot and horse, rendering Yuan's pieces ineffective.

In a sequence of relentless and incisive moves, he broke through to the enemy general. With no viable defense left, Yuan was forced to resign, handing the Vietnamese player a historic triumph.

This victory not only secured Huynh’s first world title, but also shattered a 35-year Chinese monopoly on the men’s standard individual event, the most prestigious category of the tournament, which has been held biennially since its inception in 1990.

Chinese players have claimed 18 championship titles.

Huynh had previously come close in 2023, reaching the final only to lose in heartbreaking fashion to a Chinese player.

In recognition of his achievement this year, Nguyen Huu Luan, former president of the Vietnam Chess Federation and owner of Phuong Trang Group awarded Huynh a bonus of VND1 billion (US$37,880).

His coach also received a VND200 million ($7,575) reward.

The 2025 edition of the World Xiangqi Championship took place amid unusual circumstances. 

Several top Chinese players were absent following suspensions related to match-fixing scandals that rocked the domestic xiangqi scene earlier this year.