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| FIDE Master Nguyen Ha Khanh Linh |
Started playing chess at the age of 6
FIDE Master Nguyen Ha Khanh Linh, from Duong No Ward, is currently a 12th-grade student specializing in Information Technology at the High School for the Gifted, Hue University of Sciences. Remarkably, Linh was introduced to chess at the age of 6, even before she could read or write.
Her father, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Binh, an electronics technician with a strong passion for chess, often set up a board on the porch after work to play with his son. Little Khanh Linh would stand by, watching them play. Gradually, she memorized the moves. Surprisingly, after only a short time, she was able to defeat both her father and brother easily.
Recognizing her talent, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Binh patiently took his youngest daughter to Hue Children's House to learn to play chess every day after school when she was just in first grade. After two years of learning, her exceptional gift became clear. She consistently won first prizes in chess tournaments in Phu Vang District and Thua Thien Hue Province (now Hue City) when representing Phu Thuong Primary School.
In 2016, noticing her potential needed a better environment to develop, her teachers at the Hue Children's House advised her family to find a more advanced coach to further her development. That coach was Nguyen Phu, Head of Hue City Chess Division. Being trained under Coach Phu marked a major turning point in her career.
Just one year later, she was selected to compete in the National Youth Chess Championship 2017, where she won a gold medal. This achievement secured her a place on Hue chess team. A year later, in 2018, she represented Hue chess at the Asian Youth Chess Championship in Thailand. In her first international tournament, the young Hue chess player delivered an impressive performance in the U10 girls’ category: 1 individual gold medal (standard), 1 team gold medal (blitz), 1 individual silver medal (blitz), and 1 team bronze medal (standard). With these results, she qualified for the World Youth Chess Championship 2018 in Spain, where she finished an impressive 5th in the U10 girls’ standard category.
In the following years, at the Asian Youth Chess Championships in 2019, 2022, and 2023, she solidified her reputation on the continental and regional stages by winning gold medals at Asian and Southeast Asian youth championships. Domestically, Khanh Linh was also the champion in national youth chess tournaments from 2017 to 2025. At the end of 2025, at the Asian Youth Chess Championship in Thailand, she won 3 team gold medals (standard, rapid, blitz), 1 individual silver medal (blitz), and 1 individual bronze medal (standard) in the U18 category.
“Chess is a joy”
With a gentle face, a bright smile, and a confident demeanor, Woman FIDE Master Khanh Linh shared two memories that she cherishes most throughout her 12-year chess journey.
“My happiest memory is winning the individual gold medal in the Asian U10 standard category in Thailand. It was my first time competing abroad. What made it even more special was that I secured the gold medal one round early. The tournament had 9 rounds; I won 6 and drew 1. In the 8th round, facing an Iranian player, I only needed a win to become champion - and I did. That was my first Asian championship title. My saddest memory is at the National Chess Championship 2023. In the final round, I only needed a draw for Hue to win a medal, but I lost…,” she recalled.
In 2026, Khanh Linh set two major goals: gaining admission to a sports university and winning another Asian gold medal to become an International Master. She believes that chess and academic studies complement each other.
No matter how busy she is with schoolwork, she spends one to one and a half hours each day playing chess online. At the same time, her experience in chess helps her maintain a scientific and organized study schedule.
“Chess has brought me so much joy and opened up my future, so I will always be dedicated to it. My immediate goal is to become an International Master, and later an International Grandmaster. In the future, I will study hard to become a chess coach,” affirmed Nguyen Ha Khanh Linh.