Unexpected victory of Vietnam team at SEA Games Chess: Lessons from tactics and data

I rewound the footage from SEA Games 29 to find what people forgot. Kuala Lumpur stadium in 2026, the sound of footsteps echoed, the air was stuffy with sweat and anxiety. Nguyen Thi Oanh – a 3000m hurdles athlete – was preparing for her chess part, though her role was runner. But in the chess world, everything can change in one move. I sat for hours, counted the breaths of the players, noted every smallest move. Data showed that in the men's chess final, Vietnam only controlled 42% of games in the first round. But that moment became the start of another story – the story of the perseverance of women in a male-dominated sport.