A contestant focuses on the board during a previous national tournament at Angkor Wat. Post staff
This year’s Khmer Chess Championship, which will be held during the upcoming April Khmer New Year celebrations, has added several new dimensions to the tournament.
For the first time, there will be preliminary rounds for both the general public and university students. The top ten entrants will advance to the final round, where they will have a chance to compete for the title “King of Khmer Chess”, known as Ouk Chaktrang in Khmer.
Vath Chamroeun, secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), explained the thinking behind the new move.
“Khmer Chess is based on highly effective military strategies from the Angkor era that we must promote as part of our cultural heritage. This year, we engaged in detailed discussions on how to organise the event to inspire greater participation and ensure it has deeper significance,” he said.
Chamroeun discussed the new plans after a February 11 meeting with Heng Sokkong, secretary of state for the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, and head of the events organising team, at the NOCC headquarters.
Sokkong, who received guidance from Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, president of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC), presented a thorough plan to ensure that this year’s Khmer Chess Championship is even more special than last year’s event.
In addition to the public rounds, which will begin in March and run through the Khmer New Year celebrations, there will also be a preliminary round to select outstanding university students. The new initiative was devised by Many.
A meeting to finalise plans for this year’s Khmer chess tournament was held at NOCC headquarters on February 11. NOCC
“This year's preliminary rounds are special compared to previous years, as we’ve added a competition to find the top students from various universities, who will move on to the final round. The two most talented students will join the final group to compete for the title of 'King of Khmer Chess’,” said Chamroeun.
The preliminary rounds will be divided into eight regions (capital and provinces) through a collaboration between the UYFC and the Cambodian Chess Federation. Each region will select one champion player, who will join the two student finalists in the final round at Angkor Wat.
“This year, we will have 10 finalists, eight from the general public and two university students. This is a significant step in promoting and creating greater awareness of the intellectual and strategic value of Khmer Chess. T will play a part in preserving our traditional culture,” added Chamroeun.
In addition to the tournament, there will be a display of “Angkor Giant Chess” and educational presentations about the history of Ouk Chaktrang. These activities will include Q&A forums and training sessions on how to play the traditional game, with the goal of helping both beginners and advanced players improve their skills.
“This is another part of the event that we are working with the UYFC to organise,” noted Chamroeun.
“In addition to the competition, we will share knowledge and engage with the public to increase awareness and pride in our cultural heritage, ensuring that they love, protect and preserve the spirit of traditional Khmer chess,” he added.
