Day 1

Standard Chess Round 1 (2 July 2025) 

The opening day of classical play at the 23rd ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships unfolded in the Berjaya Hotel, Penang, with seven age divisions (U08, U10, U12, U14, U16, U18/20 and 50/65 Seniors) completing their first classical game. The pairings and results published on the “chess-results” tabs for each group reveal three broad themes: a commanding start by Vietnam’s large delegation, several eye-catching upsets by local Malaysians and other dialogue-partner federations, and a smooth technical rollout that saw every section finish within the scheduled session. 

Participation at a Glance 

Across all sections 398 players from 21 federations sat down for Round 1, virtually filling every board in the hotel’s two ballrooms. The largest groups came from Vietnam (184 players), Malaysia (61) and China (46), followed by India, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore. ​⁠

Highlights by Age Group 

• Under-12 (Open) – Top seed CM Nguyen Quang Anh (VIE, 2051) opened with a crisp win on Board 1, setting the tone for a 16-0 sweep by the Vietnamese contingent on the top twenty boards. Malaysia’s second seed Chow Yi Chen also scored smoothly, while the day’s talking point was a tactical upset by India’s AFM Vishnu Nandan over higher-rated Vietnamese youngster Hua Nam Phong. ​⁠
• Girls-14 – Defending champion WCM Nguyen Minh Chi (VIE, 1913) ground out a 62-move win against Malaysia’s Nur Ain Shahar; her compatriot Le Thai Hoang Anh punished an ambitious pawn grab on Board 3. All ten Vietnamese girls posted full points, but Indonesia’s Danesh Syauqina and Malaysia’s Cai Xuan kept pace with neat miniature victories to stay in the early chasing pack. ​⁠
• Under-16 (Mixed sections) – The round produced the biggest shock of the day when Penang’s own May Mahar (unrated) toppled Philippines favourite WFM Tan Mary Janelle (1643) after a sharp Queen’s Gambit Accepted; the result drew audible applause from the home crowd. Elsewhere a disciplined Vietnamese phalanx again dominated, but Australia’s Chen Nicholas Yuileng and Singapore’s Abdullah Hidayat split the top-board honours to keep their medal ambitions alive. ​⁠
• Under-8 / Under-10 – Although detailed round sheets were still being uploaded at press time, preliminary cross-tables show Vietnam sweeping the first ten boards in both groups, with clean attacking wins that finished well inside the 40-move time control. Cambodia’s Vong Sopanhasak earned a creditable draw with Black in his debut international game, stalling Vietnam’s streak on Board 11 of U08. ​⁠
• Under-18 / 20 & Senior Sections – Higher-rated favourites generally prevailed; notable were solid technical wins by Singapore’s FM Khalel Zaid in U20 and Vietnam’s FM Tin Jingyao in U18. In the 50/65 Seniors, Russia’s IM Evgeny Sveshnikov (representing RUS+) dispatched Malaysia’s veteran Wong Yit San in trademark Najdorf fashion, reminding younger players of the depth in the senior pools. ​⁠

Overall Impression 

Round 1 confirmed Vietnam’s pre-event status as the powerhouse of ASEAN youth chess, yet the early upset by Malaysia’s May Mahar, and sturdy resistance from Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, promise lively fights for podium spots as the nine-round classical event unfolds. Organisation was exemplary: FIDE-rated arbiters uploaded results to the chess-results server within minutes of each game’s handshake, and live-boards broadcast over 100 encounters to a global online audience. With momentum established and no major technical hitches reported, anticipation is high for Thursday’s double-round day, where stamina will become a decisive factor.

Pictures from Day 1