9/16/2018 – The Southeast Asia chess scene has given an important step forward this year, as Laos organised its first international tournament. The landlocked country launched the 'Chess in Schools' program six years ago and has been working towards growing the game's stature. In the first Laos International Open, Armenian GM Karen Grigoryan was declared the winner, while the success of the event prompted the organisers to run a second edition later this year. Update September 21| Photo: Laos Chess Federation

1/13/2018 – Edwin Lam Choong Wai reports from the inaugural Laos International Open which was held from January 3rd to 7th in Vientiane, near the country's southern border with Thailand. | Pictured: Chess is booming amongst the juniors in Laos, thanks to the "Chess in Schools" program | Photo: Laos Chess Federation

10/27/2017 – Laos is not a country that garners many international headlines, much less regarding its chess scene. But Singaporean contributor Edwin Lam reports that they seem to have made good progress, particularly in the area of Chess in Schools, which has the strong support of the government. Most importantly, they are hitting key milestones in chess education at the grassroots level, amongst administrators (for instance via FIDE Arbiters' seminars), and in tournament play (running local events). And come this January, 2018, they will be hosting Laos' first-ever international open!