Player Profile: Le Quang Liem
- Veeran Rajendiran
- Jun 29
- 2 min read
Full name: Le Quang Liem
Peak FIDE Rating: 2739 (Classical, early 2025)
Highest Ranking: World #23 (Classical)
Active Since: Early 2000s
Federation: Vietnam
Player’s description
A Vietnamese chess grandmaster who became his country’s first world champion, captained the university’s chess team and now serves as head coach of Webster University’s chess team, continuing to inspire the next generation of players.
Le Quang Liem was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on 13 March 1991. He discovered chess at the age of six. His older brother taught him the basics, becoming his first chess coach. After he won his 1st chess tournament held in his school his formal coaching for competitive chess started.
At the age of 10, he won a silver medal at the World Youth Championship (Under-10). In 2003 he won the Asian Youth Championship (U12) in India and earned the FIDE Master title. He gained the title of Grandmaster in 2006 at the age of 15. And in 2013, he became the 1st Vietnamese to be the World Blitz Chess Champion.
He graduated summa cum laude in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Webster University, United States. Presently he serves as head coach of Webster University’s chess team.
Career Scorecard:
Total game: 3345
Wins: 1640
Draws: 1051
Losses: 654
Current Rankings (2025)
World Championships
World Blitz Champion (2013)
National Championship
Vietnamese Champion (2008)
Olympiad & Team Medals
Team Gold Medal (Group B), Chess Olympiad 2008
Notable Tournament Wins
Aeroflot Open Champion 2010, 2011
FIDE World Blitz Chess Champion 2013
Asian Continental Champion 2019
Biel Grandmaster Triathlon Winner 2022, 2023, 2024
SPICE Cup Champion 2011, 2015
HD Bank Open Champion 2013, 2015, 2017
3 Most Memorable Wins (2025)
Le Quang Liem vs Hikaru Nakamura – Classical Game, 2025
Liem challenged Nakamura’s central control with a timely pawn break, creating imbalances. This forced Hikaru to respond precisely to avoid structural weaknesses. Liem’s knight hopped to a strong outpost on d5, pressuring Nakamura’s queenside coordination. The end involved the rook-and-pawn, where both sides used zugzwang motifs and opposition to test each other’s calculation. It was a draw.
Le Quang Liem vs Hans Niemann – Titled Tuesday 2025
Liem used flexible systems to provoke early imbalances. He played Tarrasch Defense to seize central control. Anchored a knight on d5 to restrict Niemann’s counterplay. He set subtle traps in simplified positions which ultimately invited Niemann’s king into a mating net with a disguised rook check.
Le Quang Liem vs Gata Kamsky – Aeroflot Open 2011
As the game began Liem’s immediately targeted Black’s queenside, provoking weaknesses and forcing passive responses. He gave up a bishop to shatter Black’s pawn structure and activate his queen. Liem’s rooks and queen coordinated beautifully. Even with reduced material, Liem maintained pressure with active rooks and a passed a-pawn. Kamsky’s king was caught in the center, and Liem’s coordination overwhelmed Black’s defenses.
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