Lai Ly Huynh and Cao Nham Loi will begin their match at 6 PM on Saturday, 3/1, Hanoi time, with play expected to span three days. The two players will contest 10 consecutive games. A win earns two points, a draw one point, and a loss zero points. The first player to reach 11 points will be declared the winner. Each game will be slow chess, with 25 minutes allotted per side, plus an additional 10 seconds after each move. Should the score be tied at 10-10, a blitz chess tie-breaker will determine the victor.

Cao Nham Loi (left) and Lai Ly Huynh (right). *Photo: 163*

The match is organized by a tea business in Wuyi Mountain town, Fujian province, China. The winner will receive 25,000 CNY (approximately 94 million VND), while the runner-up will take home 8,000 CNY (30 million VND).

Named the Xuan Khau Dai Hiep Cup, the tournament features two of the most prominent xiangqi players from Vietnam and China. Lai Ly Huynh recently won the world xiangqi championship in 9/2025, ending China's 35-year dominance at the event. He is well-acquainted with Chinese players, having frequently been invited to participate in major tournaments there.

Cao Nham Loi holds the position of China's number one player according to the new Elo rating system, notably winning the Ngu Duong Cup in 2025. However, he was absent from the Chinese Clubs Jiaji League team competition and was eliminated early from the Chinese individual xiangqi championship, where Vuong Vu Bac was crowned the new champion.

Lai Ly Huynh is known for his comprehensive playing style, excelling in both the opening and middlegame phases. In contrast, Cao Nham Loi employs an aggressive, risk-taking approach with speculative sacrifices. These two players have faced each other in 12 games, with the Vietnamese representative holding a slight advantage of four wins, six draws, and two losses.

Both players have shown inconsistent form recently. Lai Ly Huynh finished only fifth overall at the Da Nang Open, trailing Chinese players such as Hua Van Chuong, Vuong Gia Thuy, Hoa Than Hao, and local representative Nguyen Thanh Bao. Meanwhile, Cao Nham Loi was eliminated in the group stage of the Thien Thien Tuong Ky tournament late last year.

Xuan Binh