Back-to-back Hanoi GM-IM-FM Tournaments kick-start 2025

by Peter Long - 16/01/2025

FM Dang Hoang Son (VIE) scored 6/9 to win Hanoi GM 1 Round-Robin 2025, earn his final IM-norm and become Vietnam's latest International Master. After a 2/2 start, he lost the next two games. However, he managed to bounce back by scoring an unbeaten 4/5 in the second half of the tournament to fulfill his third IM-norm requirements and earn the title too. Two days after the conclusion of GM 1, he played IM 2 and won that event scoring 7/10. This was the eleventh edition of the series, organized by Vietnam Chess Federation with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and IA GM Bui Vinh with his Future Grandmaster Chess Club. FM FT IA Peter Long writes about the tournaments and shares beautiful photographs captured by him too.

Dang Hoang Son wins GM 1, IM 2 and becomes the latest IM of Vietnam

IA GM Bui Vinh with Dang Hoang Son, Vietnam’s latest IM | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

The Hanoi GM-IM-FM Tournament Series in 2025 kicked off with two back to back events at the Hanoi Cultural Exchange Centre in the city’s historical old quarter, the first from 2nd to 8th January 2025 and the second from 10th to 15th January 2025.

Vietnam has long been the leading chess country in ASEAN, having comfortably surpassed the Philippines which was once the dominant Asian chess power, and with Indonesia also some way behind now.

This initiative, the eleventh in a series since 2022, is organized by the Vietnam Chess Federation together with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and IA GM Bui Vinh with his Future Grandmaster Chess School and has both helped raise the level of chess and provided title norm and rating opportunities for young Vietnamese talent.

Mr. Phạm Xuân Tài, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, and Chairman of the Tournament Organizing Committee with his welcome and opening speech at the opening ceremony together with other government officials | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Ambitious young players in Asia have also taken advantage of the title norm opportunities, this being the eleventh organized since 2022, and this is especially so when players from many countries including India are not subjected to stringent visa requirements.

Both events saw huge fights between the norm candidates, at least until those chances ended, and while only two IM-norms were achieved, both from the first series, it was still a time of celebration for Vietnam!

FM Dang Hoang Son, the winner of GM 1, has after eleven long years, since he emerged as a child prodigy, finally completed the requirement for International Master and his immediate reaction was to now try to become a Grandmaster!

Play in Progress. In foreground is the exceptionally talented WFM Nguyen Thien Ngan | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Final standings of GM 1

Rk.	SNo		Name	sex	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	K	rtg+/-
1	7	FM	Dang, Hoang Son		VIE	2338	6	25,00	20	44,4
2	4	GM	Tran, Tuan Minh		VIE	2437	6	24,50	10	8,6
3	10	GM	Nguyen, Anh Dung		VIE	2429	5	22,75	10	-0,2
4	3	GM	Gomez, John Paul		PHI	2405	5	22,00	10	3,1
5	6	IM	Lee, Junhyeok		KOR	2438	4,5	19,25	10	-6,6
6	5	IM	Setyaki, Azarya Jodi		INA	2417	4,5	18,75	10	-3,6
7	1	IM	Dau, Khuong Duy		VIE	2410	4	17,75	10	-7,6
8	2	IM	Liyanage, Ranindu Dilshan		SRI	2397	4	16,50	10	-5,8
9	8	IM	Kojima, Shinya		JPN	2316	3,5	13,50	10	0,1
10	9		Jani, Kushal R		IND	2319	2,5	12,00	20	-20,4

Details

Dang Hoang Son. GM 1 Winner and IM title | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

The GM 1 tournament was a fighting tournament, with the sole exception of Philippine GM John Paul Gomez, everyone suffering at least one defeat and all the GMs no giving and inch, the two Vietnamese GMs insisting to share first place with Vietnam FM Dang Hoang Son with 6/9.

FM Dang may have beaten GM Tran but then lost to GM Nguyen ending his hopes of a GM-norm but it was enough for an IM-norm and of course that gave him the IM title.

Final standings of GM 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB1	Rp	K	rtg+/-
1	1	IM	Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan	SRI	2397	5,5	22,50	2478	10	10,4
	8	IM	Dau Khuong Duy	VIE	2410	5,5	22,50	2477	10	8,5
3	6	GM	Tran Tuan Minh	VIE	2437	5	22,75	2437	10	-0,4
	7	GM	Nguyen Van Huy	VIE	2372	5	22,75	2444	10	8,6
5	2	IM	Mohammad Fahad Rahman	BAN	2430	5	20,75	2438	10	0,6
6	5	IM	Lee Junhyeok	KOR	2438	4,5	19,00	2394	10	-5,5
7	10	IM	Setyaki Azarya Jodi	INA	2417	4,5	18,50	2396	10	-2,5
8	9	GM	Gomez John Paul	PHI	2405	4	19,00	2355	10	-6
9	3	FM	Dinh Nho Kiet	VIE	2358	4	16,25	2360	10	0,6
10	4		Jani Kushal R	IND	2319	2	9,00	2187	20	-28,6

Details

In GM 2, only the Sri Lankan IM Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan had a good enough start to have any hope to make a GM-norm but draws in rounds five and six ended that, and he had to settle for a share of the first place and a rating gain that more than compensated for a poor GM 1 performance.

IM Liyanage Ranindu Dilshan first in GM 2 on tiebreak | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Final standings of IM 1

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	K	rtg+/-
1	4	FM	Dang, Anh Minh	VIE	2157	7	29,50	40	142,8
2	8	IM	Firman Syah, Farid	INA	2405	5,5	24,00	10	-10,3
3	5	GM	Nguyen, Van Huy	VIE	2372	5,5	21,75	10	-6,2
4	6	CM	Owen, Michael	INA	2167	4,5	17,75	20	19,2
5	9	CM	Duong, Vu Anh	VIE	2231	4	18,50	40	-14,4
6	1		Nguyen, Vuong Tung Lam	VIE	2139	4	17,50	40	32
7	7	WIM	Nguyen, Thanh Thuy Tien	VIE	2047	4	16,00	20	37,2
8	3	FM	Aquino, Jethro Dino	PHI	2323	3,5	15,75	20	-41
9	2	CM	Yun, Hungi	KOR	2213	3,5	15,00	40	-24,8
10	10	IM	Vo, Thanh Ninh	VIE	2362	3,5	14,75	10	-25,1

Details

FM Dang Anh Minh, IM 1 Winner and IM-norm | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

It was no different in the IM tournament which also witnessed huge fights in every round and where FM Dang Anh Minh, despite being rated only 2157, took full advantage.

He was a very clear winner with 7/9, exploiting all tactical opportunities, making an IM-norm while finishing a staggering 1.5 points more than second placed IM Farid Firman Shah of Indonesia and veteran countryman GM Nguyen Van Huy.

Final standings of IM 2

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	RtgI	Pts.	TB1	Rp	K	rtg+/-
1	7	FM	Dang Hoang Son	VIE	2338	7	30,50	2454	20	25,6
2	1	IM	Vo Thanh Ninh	VIE	2362	6,5	25,25	2397	10	5
3	5		Pham Cong Minh	VIE	2185	5	19,00	2294	20	25,4
4	3	IM	Firman Syah Farid	INA	2405	4,5	17,50	2226	10	-20,2
5	4	CM	Owen Michael	INA	2167	4	19,00	2210	20	10,2
6	9	FM	Aquino Jethro Dino	PHI	2323	4	18,50	2192	20	-30,8
7	2	FM	Tran Dang Minh Quang	VIE	2218	4	15,00	2204	20	-3,6
8	6	IM	Dao Minh Nhat	VIE	2143	3,5	17,75	2175	20	6
9	10	CM	Nguyen Phuoc Tam	VIE	2088	3,5	13,00	2182	20	19,4
10	8	CM	Yun Hungi	KOR	2213	3	11,50	2123	40	-43,6

Details

Hoang Son had decided to drop down to IM 2 after his winning effort in GM 1, and he was a very convincing winner with 7/9, again making an IM-norm.

New IM Dang Hoang Son | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

One of the wonderful things about this GM-IM was the great sportsmanship shown by all participants.

Indian FM Kushal R Jani found the going very tough | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

The sole Indian candidate, FM Kushal R Jani opted to play in the two GM events, thinking that the lower IM-norm requirements mights help, but two last place finishes was a tough wake up call and we all know he will come back stronger for it.

FM Jethro Dino Aquino | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Another player who suffered a lot was Filipino FM Jethro Dino Aquino whose hereditary medical condition flared up at the start of IM 2 and while undergoing medical treatment agreed to continue to play despite obvious discomfort so that he would not spoil the norm chances of the others.

He made quick draw offers but not everyone accepted, and we applaud his sportsmanship when even getting some winning positions he simply could not play on.

VIPs, tournament officials, and participants in a group photo | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

The wonderful young Vietnamese talent playing in the two FM or if you prefer to call rating tournaments showed a very high level - they are certainly all at least 150 rating points higher than their published ratings - and deserve a separate coverage!

Entrance to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Hoan Kiem Lake at night | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Indian tourists | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Typical local eatery | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

Vietnamese girl | Photo: FM FT IA Peter Long

The Hanoi GM-IM-FM series will continue in in June and will be followed by the first ever Halong International Open Championship.

Links

Future Grandmaster Chess Club: Official site and fb page

About the Author

One Night in Bangkok! Peter Long, FM, IA and FT, no longer Secretary of the FIDE Trainers’ Commission

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