Human chess competition has been a unique interesting activity of many people in Nha Trang on Lunar New Year in more than ten years.
Human chess competition has been a unique interesting activity of many people in Nha Trang on Lunar New Year in more than ten years.
Human chess competition in Nha Trang often takes place at 2-4 Square from the third to fifth day of Lunar New Year. The elimination round of this year’s edition was joined by more than Chinese chess players over Khanh Hoa. Le Huu Phuoc, Do Ngoc Thanh, Luu Minh Hiep, and Ly Duc Minh were the four qualifiers for the semi-finals. The latter three players were the familiar names among Chinese chess players in Khanh Hoa; they often take part in the Lunar New Year human chess competition of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa and also national Chinese chess tournaments. Especially, this year’s competition saw the excellence of young player Le Huu Phuoc, who won against senior Do Ngoc Thanh and Luu Minh Hiep in the semi-final and final competitions respectively to claim the 2019 championship.
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One of the features contributing to the attractiveness of this competition is the impressive performances of drums and choreographed martial art movements. Excellent chess player, Dr Tran Cam Long, gave comments on the chess matches. The martial art practitioners of Bich Quang martial art dojo (Bich Quang is one of the traditional martial arts of Vietnam) dressed special costumes representing the chess pieces and performed martial arts movements with weapons when being moved by the players. Hundreds of locals and tourists gathered at the square and watches the competitions from February 7 to 9 (lunar January 3 to 5). A tourist named Nguyen Minh Huy from Ho Chi Minh City said that his family really enjoyed watching the competitions of the players and martial art performances of the human chess pieces.
The human chess competition has been a familiar activity at the main cultural and tourism events of Khanh Hoa such as Lunar New Year and Sea Festival. It can be said that the good moves of the players and fascinating martial art performances of Bich Quang martial art practitioners are the unique feature which helps to attract both locals and tourists in the beach city.
An Nhien
Translated by H.N
