Vietnam Shogi Club hosted Belarusian player Sergej Korchitskij in Ho Chi Minh City on November 1, Tuoi Tre reported. Simultaneous games, a one-to-one friendly and discussion gave local players opportunities to learn from the experienced European champion.
A 124-move game followed by analysis
The event took place at the city's branch of the Vietnam-Japan Institute for Human Resources Development, within Foreign Trade University's campus. Korchitskij first played several boards simultaneously before facing Duong Bao Thach.
He won their friendly after 124 moves, then analysed the game with his opponent. That review extended the encounter beyond the result into discussion of decisions and training experience.
An amateur fifth dan, Korchitskij has won 14 Belarusian titles and the European championship in 2013 and 2021. He also won the 2021 World Open Amateur championship in Minsk.
A developing local community
Vietnam Shogi Club was founded on March 21, 2021 and now has 75 members nationwide, according to the report. It received recognition as the Japan Shogi Association's Vietnam branch in 2023 and became a grassroots chapter of Hanoi's Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association in April 2024.
Korchitskij praised the Vietnamese community's potential, while Bao Thach acknowledged that international results still need improvement. Those are participants' assessments rather than an established international ranking.
Club chairman Tran The Trung described the exchange as motivation to improve knowledge and skills. Continued training, promotion of the game and application of lessons from analysis are the community's next practical tasks.