Nguyen Minh Thang, Standing Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Chess Federation, has submitted his resignation, citing health reasons.
A representative of the federation confirmed the information to Vietnamese media on June 3. Federation president Pham Van Tien has asked Thang to hand over his responsibilities on the morning of June 4.
The federation is also expected to convene an Executive Committee meeting soon to elect a new General Secretary. The date of that meeting has not yet been announced.
Thang, 61, has spent decades working in Vietnamese chess administration and leading national teams at international competitions. His resignation comes just weeks after a series of controversies involving the federation drew criticism from players and the chess community.
Although his official titles within the Vietnam Chess Federation were Standing Vice President and General Secretary, Thang has long been regarded as the most influential figure in Vietnamese chess administration. In addition to his federation roles, he serves as the chess specialist responsible for the sport within Vietnam’s Sports Authority. As a result, he has been involved in both the state management and federation sides of the game, giving him significant influence over national-team affairs, tournament organization, coach education, athlete selection, and the overall development of chess in Vietnam. Many observers view him as the key decision-maker behind most major chess activities in the country.
Despite citing health reasons for his resignation from the Vietnam Chess Federation, Thang is expected to continue working as the chess specialist within Vietnam’s Sports Authority. The situation has raised questions within the chess community, as he is stepping down from federation leadership while remaining in a key government position overseeing the sport. No official explanation has been given regarding whether his health condition affects one role but not the other.
In recent weeks, Vietnam’s chess community has seen a wave of criticism from leading players regarding the operation of the national team. The biggest controversy centered on the selection process for the 2026 Chess Olympiad.
International Master Pham Le Thao Nguyen publicly criticized the registration process, saying team registration was conducted through a group chat over 36 hours during a weekend. According to her, she and Woman Grandmaster Luong Phuong Hanh were excluded from the final roster because they responded a few hours late, despite having secured funding to attend the event.
The incident sparked widespread debate within the chess community. Many argued that the selection process should be more transparent and based on clearly published criteria.
A few days later, Grandmaster Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Pham Le Thao Nguyen’s husband) posted a lengthy public statement announcing that he would stop playing classical chess for the Vietnam national team after more than 20 years of service. Truong Son won 2 gold medal at board 2 in the 2014 and 2018 Chess Olympiad.
According to Truong Son, many national-team players have spent the past decade covering much of their own international competition expenses while also handling their own training and logistical arrangements. He argued that the current selection system lacks transparency and consistency.
In a subsequent interview with Vietnamese media, Truong Son said Vietnamese chess has gradually fallen behind its leading Asian rivals. In 2016, Vietnam’s men’s team ranked third in Asia by average Elo rating and the women’s team ranked fourth. Today, both teams are roughly in the region’s top six and face increasing competition from countries investing heavily in chess development.
Beyond the controversy surrounding national-team selection, the federation has also faced questions related to chess coaching and instructor certification programs.
On May 23, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) sent a letter requesting cooperation from the Vietnam Chess Federation in investigating issues related to two training courses for chess instructors and coaches held in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the document, some participants alleged that, in addition to the publicly announced tuition fee of 3.5 million Vietnamese dong (about $135), they were asked to pay extra fees in order to obtain FIDE certificates. Thang was named in the investigation process. As of now, neither FIDE nor the relevant parties have released any official conclusions.
His resignation comes at a time when broader questions about governance, athlete support, talent development, and the long-term direction of Vietnamese chess are being discussed more openly than ever before.
With veteran stars such as Truong Son stepping away from national-team duties and a new generation preparing to take over, changes in leadership and management are expected to play a significant role in shaping the future of Vietnamese chess.
Key Issues Nguyen Minh Thang Has Faced Recently
- Criticism over the selection process for Vietnam’s 2026 Chess Olympiad teams.
- Allegations that the registration process relied on a short-notice group-chat announcement, resulting in top players being excluded.
- Public criticism from leading players, including Grandmasters Le Quang Liem, Pham Le Thao Nguyen and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son.
- Accusations that national-team players have had to shoulder much of their own international competition costs.
- Questions about the transparency and consistency of national-team selection criteria.
- An investigation requested by FIDE into two chess coach and instructor certification courses held in 2026.
- Allegations that course participants were asked to pay additional fees beyond the officially announced tuition in order to receive FIDE certificates.
- Growing scrutiny of governance, funding, and long-term development policies within Vietnamese chess.
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