Thanh Nga

QUẢNG NINH — Grandmaster (GM) Hoàng Thị Bảo Trâm is leading the women’s standard chess category at SEA Games 31.

After four matches, she has taken four points to take the lead out of 10 players, followed by Fronda Jan Jodilyn of the Philippines and fellow Vietnamese GM Võ Thị Kim Phụng.

On May 11, Trâm beat both Gong Qianyun of Singapore and Azhar Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahraa of Malaysia in her third and fourth games, respectively.

Phụng beat Citra Dewi Ardhiani Anastasia of Indonesia and lost to Fronda Jan Jodilyn of the Philippines.

Phụng will meet Philipino Frayna Janelle Mae and Trâm will face Indonesian Citra in the next round.

In the men’s group, GM Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn won three points after four matches to rank second out of 12 players.

In the first place is Ervan Mohamad of Indonesia with 3.5 points.

In his match-up, Sơn defeated Novendra Priasmoro of Indonesia and tied with Yeoh Li Tian of Malaysia.

Another Vietnamese representative, GM Trần Tuấn Minh, lost to Malaysian Yeoh in the third match and drew with Laohawirapap Prin of Thailand in the next round.

Sơn will meet Ervan Mohamad of Indonesia, while Minh will face Ervan Mohamad of Indonesia.

The Vietnamese chess team topped the team ranking in the regional biggest sports event in 2003, 2005 and 2011, before a fall from grace at the 2013 and 2019 Games. The team has set a high goal for this Games, striving to win five medals in 10 categories to regain their leading position in the region.