25th Royal rated chess series 2025
20 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 17 Dec 2025 to 21 Dec 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 2 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 1223, and top seed was Vo Tan Chinh (🇻🇳 VIE, 1895).
Luu Huong Cuong Thinh (🇻🇳 VIE, 1761) won with 7.5/9, ahead of Le Ngoc Hieu (6.5) and Michael J Schademan (5.5). Thinh won solo starting round 3.
The biggest upset came in round 2: Nguyen Khac Truong (1617) beat Vo Tan Chinh (1895), a +278-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 9 roundsLuu Huong Cuong Thinh led from R3; +1.0-point edge over the runner-up.
Luu Huong Cuong Thinh never relinquished the lead after R3; final gap +1.0 over the runner-up.
Luu Huong Cuong Thinh beat Le Ngoc Hieu (White).
Luu Huong Cuong Thinh 4+3 wins (R1–R4, R6–R8)Le Ngoc Hieu 4 wins (R5–R8)Michael J Schademan 3 wins (R6–R8)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Luu Huong Cuong Thinh | * | 1 | — | — |
| 2Le Ngoc Hieu | 0 | * | ½ | — |
| 3Michael J Schademan | — | ½ | * | 1 |
| 4Nguyen Ngoc Lan Phuong | — | — | 0 | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luu Huong Cuong Thinh | 1761 | VIE | +20B | +6N | +2B | +9N | =16B | +5N | +11N | +7B | F | 7.5 | 31.0 | 31.0 | 29.75 | 2578 | +42.0 |
| 2 | Le Ngoc Hieu | 1881 | VIE | +13N | +16B | −1N | =3B | +12N | +8B | +6B | +5N | F | 6.5 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 25.25 | 1828 | -2.8 |
| 3 | Schademan, Michael J | 0 | USA | +15N | −5B | +4B | =2N | −11B | +14N | +16N | +8B | −7N | 5.5 | 34.0 | 36.5 | 20.75 | 1652 | 0.0 |
| 4 | Nguyen Ngoc Lan Phuong | 0 | VIE | F | +17B | −3N | −14N | +18B | =15N | +19B | +6N | =5B | 5.0 | 28.5 | 30.0 | 13.25 | 1460 | 0.0 |
| 5 | Nguyen Tien Sang | 0 | VIE | =11B | +3N | =9B | +10N | +8B | −1B | −7N | −2B | =4N | 4.5 | 41.0 | 44.5 | 19.75 | 1535 | 0.0 |
| 6 | Le Thuan Phu | 0 | VIE | +19N | −1B | −8N | +18N | +10B | +16B | −2N | −4B | =11N | 4.5 | 34.5 | 36.0 | 11.25 | 1532 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Tran, Minh Hieu | 1843 | VIE | F | =18N | F | F | +14B | +9N | +5B | −1N | +3B | 4.5 | 34.5 | 34.5 | 17.75 | 1689 | -15.6 |
| 8 | Phan Van Tung Zen | 0 | VIE | −9B | +14N | +6B | +12B | −5N | −2N | +10B | −3N | F | 4.0 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 15.00 | 1673 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Nguyen Khac Truong | 1617 | VIE | +8N | +12B | =5N | −1B | F | −7B | F | +14N | =13B | 4.0 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 14.50 | 1707 | +12.0 |
| 10 | Tran Thi Khanh Linh | 0 | VIE | −16N | +13B | +17N | −5B | −6N | +12B | −8N | =11B | =15N | 4.0 | 29.0 | 31.0 | 12.25 | 1729 | 0.0 |
| 11 | Dang Anh Quoc | 1774 | VIE | =5N | +15B | F | F | +3N | F | −1B | =10N | =6B | 3.5 | 36.0 | 36.0 | 15.00 | 1611 | -15.2 |
| 12 | Vo Tan Chinh | 1895 | VIE | +14B | −9N | +18B | −8N | −2B | −10N | =15B | =13N | =19B | 3.5 | 29.5 | 31.0 | 8.50 | 1391 | -35.4 |
| 13 | Nguyen Huu Cat Tuong | 0 | VIE | −2B | −10N | −15N | =19B | +20B | F | +17N | =12B | =9N | 3.5 | 26.0 | 27.0 | 7.50 | 1520 | 0.0 |
| 14 | FIDE 561005924 | 0 | — | −12N | −8B | +19N | +4B | −7N | −3B | +20N | −9B | F | 3.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 7.50 | 984 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Tran Van Phuoc Loc | 1461 | VIE | −3B | −11N | +13B | F | =17N | =4B | =12N | F | =10B | 3.0 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 10.75 | 1624 | +11.2 |
| 16 | Huynh Bao Kim | 0 | VIE | +10B | −2N | +20B | F | =1N | −6N | −3B | F | F | 2.5 | 32.5 | 32.5 | 8.75 | 1628 | 0.0 |
| 17 | FIDE 561002585 | 0 | — | −18B | −4N | −10B | +20N | =15B | =19N | −13B | F | F | 2.0 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 3.25 | 1460 | 0.0 |
| 18 | FIDE 561002704 | 0 | — | +17N | =7B | −12N | −6B | −4N | F | F | F | F | 1.5 | 25.5 | 25.5 | 4.25 | 1675 | 0.0 |
| 19 | FIDE 561004154 | 0 | — | −6B | −20N | −14B | =13N | F | =17B | −4N | F | =12N | 1.5 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 4.50 | 1895 | 0.0 |
| 20 | FIDE 561002569 | 0 | — | −1N | +19B | −16N | −17B | −13N | F | −14B | F | F | 1.0 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 1.50 | 961 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Luu Huong Cuong ThinhVIE+42.07.5 pts · #1
- 2Nguyen Khac TruongVIE+12.04.0 pts · #8
- 3Tran Van Phuoc LocVIE+11.23.0 pts · #14
- 1Vo Tan ChinhVIE-35.43.5 pts · #11
- 2Tran, Minh HieuVIE-15.64.5 pts · #7
- 3Dang Anh QuocVIE-15.23.5 pts · #5
- R2+278 Elo gap
- R3+120 Elo gap