The Jinjiang Cup is taking place in Chengdu city, Sichuan province, China, from 20/11 to 23/11. It is jointly organized by the Chengdu Chess Institute, the Jinjiang Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Tian Tian Xiangqi platform, and the Chengdu Chess Federation.

Lai Ly Huynh at the individual world xiangqi championship in Shanghai, China, 9/2025. Photo: WXF

The tournament features two categories: individual and doubles. The individual category includes 16 players competing in five rounds of rapid xiangqi under the Swiss system, starting at 8h today, 20/11, Hanoi time. The winner of the individual category receives 5,000 Chinese yuan (approximately 18 million VND), before tax.

Players' standings from the individual competition will determine their seeding for the doubles category, which is the main event. The doubles category will be played over seven rounds using the Swiss system, rapid xiangqi. The two pairs with the best results after round 6 will advance to the final. Prize money for the champion pair is 200,000 yuan (over 740 million VND). The runner-up pair receives 80,000 yuan (300 million VND), and the third-place pair receives 40,000 yuan (150 million VND).

Players were selected based on their high rankings at the world xiangqi championship in 9/2025, where Lai Ly Huynh won for the first time. Therefore, the Jinjiang Cup features representatives from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

China is allowed to field many players. Notable home country players include former world champion Meng Chen, 17-year-old prodigy Meng Fanyui, Yin Sheng, Wang Yubo, Xu Wenzhang, Gu Bowen, and female player Tang Dan.

Vietnam has two representatives: Lai Ly Huynh and Nguyen Thanh Bao. In the first round of the individual category, Thanh Bao will face Fanyui. Ly Huynh will play against Sichuan player Liang Yanting.

Xuan Binh