Rivals vie for second place in chess contest
Vietnamese chess masters failed to follow up their strong challenge to the Taiwanese for the second place at the Fifth World Xiangqi Championships yesterday, falling two points behind.
China led at 18 points, followed by Taiwan at 17 and Vietnam at 15 when the fifth round ended yesterday. Vietnam tied with Taiwan in the fourth round.
With four more rounds to go, experts expect to see close matches between Taiwan and Vietnam for the second place.
Chinese Chess Association member and tournament director Wong Shu-kai said the Vietnamese team was playing tough games and the overall quality of the matches was exceptional.
'Grandmasters are just grandmasters. Some of the games here are the best I have ever seen.' The championships, with sections for groups and individuals, follow the Swiss rule, meaning the team with the highest score after the final ninth round on Sunday wins. Hong Kong was in sixth place with 13 points yesterday.
Mainland grandmasters Su Yinchuan and Lu Qin are among the favourites to win the individual championship and China is expected to take the top team prize, worth $20,000. Grandmasters from 28 countries and regions are taking part.
