Jiang Chuan no longer competes in official xiangqi tournaments in China, possibly due to allegations of match-fixing. Instead, the 41-year-old frequently plays online, including matches against Vietnam's number one player, Lai Ly Huynh. In their most recent encounter on 12/7, Jiang Chuan won the first three games, only losing the last one.

Vietnam's number one xiangqi player, Lai Ly Huynh. Photo: EastDay

Vietnam's number one xiangqi player, Lai Ly Huynh. Photo: EastDay

In the first game, Huynh at one point held a significant advantage, over 1,000 points according to the computer, during the middlegame thanks to his strong cannons, horses, and pawns in the fifth file. However, the 35-year-old faltered, gradually losing his elephants, pawns, and advisors, ultimately losing towards the end of the middlegame.

In the second game, Huynh played black, and the endgame was balanced. However, Jiang Chuan coordinated his cannons, horses, and pawns to attack and capture a black horse. The six-time Vietnamese champion resigned shortly after.

Huynh played white in the third game but was completely outmatched in the middlegame. Jiang Chuan's material advantage in the endgame secured his third consecutive victory. At one point, Huynh exclaimed, "I don't see any way to develop my pieces. My level is clearly lower. This position is really difficult".

In the final game, Jiang Chuan made a poor opening and found himself at a disadvantage. This time, Huynh seized the opportunity, using two rooks and a cannon to coordinate a checkmate. He then captured his opponent's pieces and secured the win. The final score after four games was 6-2 (wins are worth 2 points, draws 1 point).

This was the third friendly match between Huynh and Jiang Chuan this year. In the two previous matches, the Chinese player won 5-3. In total across 12 games, the score is 16-8 in Jiang Chuan's favor.

Throughout the games, Huynh often achieved balanced positions or even held significant advantages in the middlegame. However, towards the end of the middlegame and in the endgame, Jiang Chuan's strength proved superior.

Lai Ly Huynh, 35, was either the national champion or runner-up for nine consecutive years from 2013 to 2021. He was also a member of the Hangzhou team that won the Jiaji League in 2023, the Chinese national club championship.

Jiang Chuan, 41, was dubbed the "Xiangqi King of China" after winning the national championship in 2010. He is also one of five players to have held the number one ranking in China according to the Elo rating system, alongside Hu Ronghua, Lü Qin, Xu Yinchuan, and Wang Tianyi.

Huynh is likely to represent Vietnam at the World Xiangqi Championship at the end of 9/2025 in Shanghai, China. Jiang Chuan and other top players will not be participating. The two representatives for the host nation are prodigies Meng Fanrui (17) and Yin Sheng (20).

Xuan Binh