HCM CITY — The 9th HD Bank International Chess Tournament is honoured to welcome Arkady Dvorkovich, the new president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), to its awards ceremony on March 13.

According to the Việt Nam Chess Federation, Dvorkovich, 46, is on a visit to Asia to promote the sport.

He was Russia’s deputy prime minister from 2008 to 2012, and was elected FIDE president last October in place of long-time chief Kirsan IIyumzhinov.

IIyumzhinov attended the opening ceremony of last year’s HD Bank International Chess Tournament and hailed the development of chess in the country through international tournaments such as HDBank.

Dvorkovich was also chairman of the organising committee when the 2018 FootBall World Cup was held in Russia.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on October last year, Dvorkovich said he wanted to improve the functioning of FIDE and make chess an Olympic sport.

He promised to spend US$3.6 million a year for developing chess.

Chess is one of few sports in which Việt Nam has achieved global standards and boasts many top talents such as top 20 Grandmaster Lê Quang Liêm and GM Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn.         

Việt Nam is ranked in the top 10, its men’s team finished seventh in the 2018 Chess Olympiad where Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn won a gold medal. — VNS