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| Young chess player Bao Ngoc. Photo: Ha Hang |
The beginning of a talent
Bao Ngoc first learned to play chess at the age of four, initially for entertainment. However, after a short time, she quickly demonstrated her talent in this intellectual sport. “Once she had mastered the basic moves, my husband and I began giving her handicaps: rooks, bishops, knights,” shared Ms. Ha Thi Hang, Bao Ngoc’s mother. “But after just a few days, she was playing on equal terms with us, then gradually surpassed us and even gave us handicaps in return.”
Recognizing their daughter’s early aptitude for chess, the couple brought Bao Ngoc to several local chess training centers run by city-level coaches. After a period of systematic guidance, refinement, and competition against peers with strong tactics and complex positions, Bao Ngoc achieved notable results. In 2023, when she had just entered grade 1, she won a bronze medal at the National Youth Chess Championship and a gold medal at the Central Vietnam Open Youth Chess Championship. In 2024 and 2025, she repeated her success with one national bronze medal and two silver medals at the Central Vietnam youth tournaments.
But Bao Ngoc’s “fortune” goes far beyond that. From 2023 to the present, at city-level open youth championships, Phu Dong Sports Festivals at various levels, and club competitions, the Le Loi Primary School student has earned more than 50 medals and trophies, an astonishing figure, especially considering that Bao Ngoc is only eight years old.
“For me, chess is not just an intellectual sport that improves logical thinking, concentration, and competitive spirit. It is also a space to cultivate patience, resilience, and how to handle winning and losing. These lessons have helped shape my character and confidence in learning, playing, and interacting with friends, teachers, and family,” Bao Ngoc shared.
Beyond chess, Bao Ngoc is also the champion of the program “Con noi, con toa sang” in Hue City; a national C Prize winner in the Young Storyteller Contest; a main MC for many children’s event series and major music programs in Hue; and currently one of the nominees for Most Favorite Young Female MC 2026 at the Golden Lotus Bud Awards organized by Tien Phong Teen & Children Newspaper.
“A well-rounded young talent”
In addition to chess and hosting, Bao Ngoc has shown early talent in many other fields. Notable achievements include First Prize at Vincom Live Green - Dance of the Future (fashion performance, costume design, and presentation MC); child model at Candy In The Wild fashion show; model for Ao Dai and Childhood; model at the opening and closing ceremonies of Hue Summer Festival 2025; and vedette at the Cham fashion show. In every role, Bao Ngoc displays confidence and poise - qualities rarely seen in a primary school student.
On her journey, the Le Loi Primary School student has also become a young ambassador of compassion, actively participating in and directly organizing meaningful charity projects through a fund named after her. These include programs supporting flood-affected communities in Quang Tri with books and essential supplies; ‘Mid-Autumn Reunion’ activities for pediatric patients at Hue Central Hospital; scholarships and uniforms for students in mountainous Huong Hoa District (Quang Tri); and organizing Mid-Autumn celebrations for students at seven mountain schools in Quang Tri.
Not only outstanding in sports, arts, and charity, Bao Ngoc has also demonstrated strong academic ability from her early primary years. Alongside balanced performance in all subjects, from grade 1 to grade 3 she has achieved impressive results in competitions such as: Gold medal at the Thailand Math Olympiad - National Round 2025; Gold medal at the Hong Kong BBB Math Olympiad - National Round 2025; Gold medal at the Southeast Asian Math Olympiad (SEAMO) – National Round 2025; along with more than 30 awards from competitions including Vietnamese Language Scholar, VioEdu, painting, and creative writing at various levels.
When asked about the secret behind Bao Ngoc’s success, her mother, Ha Thi Hang, emphasized that Bao Ngoc’s learning process is always gentle and integrated through a “learning through play” approach, driven primarily by the child’s own interests. In reality, Bao Ngoc does not spend much time sitting at a desk each day; most of her knowledge comes from conversations, spontaneous questions, chess games, and artistic activities that she is passionate about.
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At this point, it may still be too early to define her future path. Yet, alongside dreams of becoming a teacher or a television MC, chess, according to Bao Ngoc herself, is the “companion” she intends to continue pursuing.