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GM Quang Liem LE

Vietnam

Born on March 13, 1991, in Ho Chi Minh City

Elo std: 2729
Rapid: 2645
Blitz: 2662

GMT: 2024 (winner), 2023 (winner), 2022 (winner)
MTO: –
Biography
Lê Quang Liêm was born on March 13, 1991, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, into a supportive family that nurtured his early interest in chess. He began playing at age seven under the guidance of his older brother, Lê Quang Long, who introduced him to the game. His talent emerged quickly, and by age 12, he was competing internationally. A prodigy from a country not traditionally known for chess dominance, Liêm’s rise brought significant attention to Vietnamese chess. He pursued higher education at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, graduating summa cum laude in 2017 with dual degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Management. Since 2021, he has served as the Director of SPICE (Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence) and head coach of the Webster University Chess Team, becoming the youngest and highest-ranked collegiate GM head coach in the U.S. Now based in St. Louis, Liêm balances his roles as a player, coach, and mentor, contributing to Webster’s dominance in collegiate chess.
Chess Successes
Lê Quang Liêm’s career is a testament to his exceptional talent, tactical brilliance, and consistency, making him Vietnam’s top player and a globally respected grandmaster:
  • Early Achievements: Liêm’s international breakthrough came in 2003 when he won gold at the Asian Youth Chess Championship U12 in Calicut, India, earning the FIDE Master title. In 2004, he won the U14 section in Singapore and took silver (on tiebreak) at the Asian U16 Championship in Tehran. In 2005, at age 14, he claimed the World Youth Chess Championship U14 title in Belfort, France, cementing his status as a prodigy.
  • Grandmaster Title: Liêm earned the GM title in 2006 at age 15, following a stellar performance at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy, where he scored 5 wins and 3 draws against strong opposition on board one for Vietnam. This made him the youngest Vietnamese GM in history and one of the youngest worldwide at the time.
  • World Blitz Champion: In June 2013, Liêm won the World Blitz Chess Championship in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, defeating top players like Alexander Grischuk and Ruslan Ponomariov with a score of 20.5/30. This victory showcased his exceptional speed chess skills and remains a career highlight.
  • Aeroflot Open Dominance: Liêm won the prestigious Aeroflot Open in Moscow in 2010 (7/9) and defended his title in 2011 (6.5/9, tied with Nikita Vitiugov and Evgeny Tomashevsky), a rare back-to-back achievement. These wins earned him invitations to the elite Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting, where he debuted in 2010, finishing second behind Ponomariov with 5/10.
  • Asian Continental Championship: In June 2019, Liêm became the first Vietnamese player to win the Asian Continental Championship in Xingtai, China, with 7/9, securing his dominance in the region.
  • Notable Tournament Victories:
    • 2009 Kolkata Open: Won with 8/10, ahead of 13 higher-rated players.
    • 2019 World Open: Took first in Philadelphia after a playoff with Jeffery Xiong (7/9).
    • 2019 St. Louis Summer Classic A: Won with a strong performance in a field of GMs.
    • 2022-2024 Biel Grandmaster Triathlon: Achieved an unprecedented three consecutive victories in this prestigious event combining classical, rapid, and blitz formats. In 2022, he clinched the title with standout performances; in 2023, he defeated players like Nodirbek Abdusattorov; and in 2024, he solidified his dominance with another win, showcasing his versatility and consistency.
    • HD Bank Open: Triumphed three times (2013, 2015, 2017), with his 2017 win at 7/9.
  • Chess Olympiad: Representing Vietnam since 2006, Liêm’s best result came in 2012 in Istanbul, scoring 8/10 on board one, leading Vietnam to a historic 7th-place finish. In 2024 in Budapest, he beat world champion Ding Liren, helping Vietnam secure second place in the Open section with a performance rating of 2801 on board one (8/10).
  • Champions Chess Tour: In 2022, Liêm finished in the top 4 of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. Highlights include a runner-up finish at the Oslo Esports Cup (13 points, behind Jan-Krzysztof Duda’s 14), where he beat Magnus Carlsen, and reaching the Chessable Masters final in 2021, losing to Wesley So after defeating Alireza Firouzja and Levon Aronian.
  • Collegiate Success: At Webster University (2014-2017), Liêm played board one, leading the team to four consecutive President’s Cup titles under Susan Polgar’s coaching.
  • Current Standing: As of March 2025, Liêm’s classical Elo hovers around 2730-2740, with a peak of 2743 in January 2024. He ranks approximately 16th-20th globally and remains Vietnam’s No. 1, far ahead of compatriots like Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (around 2650).
Liêm’s style is characterized by sharp tactical vision and versatility across time controls, excelling in blitz and rapid formats while holding his own in classical chess against the world’s best. His victories over Carlsen (2022 Oslo), Ding Liren (2024 Olympiad), and other elites, combined with his historic three-peat at Biel (2022-2024), underscore his competitive edge. At 34, he remains a formidable player, who will be keen to win a fourth straight victory in this Triahlon chess format, which suits him so well.