At the 33rd SEA Games, Vietnam’s chess team celebrated a perfect day as both Grandmaster Truong Son and Woman Grandmaster Thao Nguyen delivered gold medals for the national squad. More than just a sporting victory, their joint success tells a story of unwavering companionship and shared ambition spanning over a decade.

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Truong Son (center) celebrates gold with teammates Tuan Minh and Gia Huy. Photo: DP

In the men’s rapid chess pairs event, Truong Son teamed up with Nguyen Tuan Minh (with Banh Gia Huy as reserve) to defeat Malaysia in the final and claim gold.

Meanwhile, Thao Nguyen partnered with Vo Thi Kim Phung (with reserve Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong) to edge past Indonesia 1.5–0.5 in the women’s rapid chess pairs final. Thao Nguyen secured a swift win playing white, while Kim Phung held her ground in a grueling 160-move draw.

This marks the fourth time the couple has competed together at the SEA Games. They first made history at SEA Games 31 on home soil, becoming the first married couple in Vietnamese sports to win gold at the same event. Though their journey has seen moments of silence, it is their resilience and deep mutual understanding that have brought them back stronger, time and again.

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Truong Son and Thao Nguyen win SEA Games gold together for the second time.

Married since 2015 and both pursuing elite careers in chess, the couple has become a symbol of harmony in Vietnamese sports - united in life, on the chessboard, and in their mission to bring pride to their nation.

Thien Binh