VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese chess grandmaster Le Quang Liem has been chosen as No 1 seed at the Asian Individual Chess Championship (Men and Women) 2016 in Uzbekistan on May 25.

Checkmate: Le Quang Liem. — Photo vcmedia.vn

Besides 2013 world blitz chess champion Liem, Viet Nam will also send two other male players Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and Nguyen Huynh Minh Huy to the event. While Pham Le Thao Nguyen, Hoang Thi Bao Tram, Nguyen Thi Mai Hung and Vo Thi Kim Phung will take part in the women’s division.

Defending national champion Nguyen Anh Khoi, 14, won’t compete in this year’s event as he will be attending the Southeast Asian Youth Chess Championships in Thailand at the same time.

According to Nguyen Minh Thang, head of the chess department of the National Sports Administration, the event’s five best male sportsmen and one best female sportswoman will secure spots to participate in the upcoming Chess World Cup 2016.

To earn a place in the World Cup, Liem, who has Elo rating of 2709, will face strong rivals from China and India such as Chinese Wei Yi (Elo 2694) and Ni Hua (Elo 2682) or Indian Baskaran Adhiban (Elo 2665).

The event will finish on June 6.

VNS