HANOI, March 8 (Xinhua) -- China's grand master Ni Hua won the top prize in men's category while his compatriot World Grand Master Gu Xiaobing was second in women's category at the 2nd HDBank International Open Chess Tournament in Vietnam.
The tournament, which kicked off in Vietnam's southern Ho Chi Minh City on March 2, attracted nearly 100 players from 15 countries and regions.
Ni Hua, the third seed of the event, won the title with eight points after nine games and brought home an award of 10,000 U.S. dollars. He beat the top seed and local favourite grand master Le Quang Liem, who received a second prize of 5,000 U.S. dollars with 7.5 points.
Vietnam's world grand master Pham Le Thao Nguyen bagged the first prize in women's category of 1,500 U.S. dollars, followed by her compatriot world grand master Nguyen Thi Thanh An and China's world grand master Gu Xiaobing.
HDBank Cup International Open Chess Tournament is the biggest annual event of this kind held by the Vietnam Chess Federation and listed in the World Chess Federation (FIDE)'s competing schedules. In its first edition in 2011, Nguyen Thi Mai Hung from Vietnam won the women's title, while Yu Yangyi from China won the top prize of men's category.