The Vietnamese chess team receive prize money from The Grand Hồ Tràm after returning home this morning. — Photo courtesy of the Việt Nam Chess Federation

 HÀ NỘI — The national chess team returned home on Wednesday after completing their campaign at the FIDE Chess Olympiad 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Their achievements at the world's biggest team chess event have raised fresh hopes for the next generation of Vietnamese chess.

The team, led by Phạm Văn Tiền, chairman of the Việt Nam Chess Federation (VCF), spent nearly two weeks competing in Samarkand before returning to Việt Nam.

Federation leaders met the players at the airport to congratulate them on their performances.

On behalf of The Grand Hồ Tràm, the federation also presented a US$10,000 award to the team in recognition of their achievements at the Olympiad.

The Grand Hồ Tràm has worked with the VCF on community chess development projects as well as high-performance sport.

The tournament produced several notable results for Vietnamese chess, particularly from its young players.

In the Open section, Việt Nam finished 19th among 206 teams and won the Category B gold medal. Young International Masters Bành Gia Huy and Nguyễn Quốc Hy both secured Grandmaster norms at the tournament.

The norms marked important steps for the two players on their path towards the Grandmaster title.

In the women's section, Việt Nam finished ninth among 189 teams, securing a top-10 finish at the Olympiad for the second time in the country's history. Woman Grandmaster Nguyễn Thị Mai Hưng also won an individual silver medal.

The results in Samarkand went beyond the rankings. Việt Nam's women's team maintained their place among the leading teams at the event, while the performances of Huy and Hy highlighted the progress of the country's young players.

Tiền said the federation's next task would be to build greater depth in the next generation of players.

“Alongside continuing to invest in high-performance players, the VCF will focus on developing school chess and expanding opportunities for more children to access this intellectual sport," he said.

"A broad-based movement will provide a foundation for us to identify and nurture more young talents for Vietnamese chess."

The achievements in Samarkand have given Vietnamese chess new momentum, while providing the younger generation with valuable experience at the highest level of international team competition. — VNS