Chess player Le Tuan Minh promises to shine at SEA Games 33

With his high performance, International Grandmaster Le Tuan Minh is expected to shine at the 33rd SEA Games taking place next December.

FROM LYMPIAD BRONZE MEDAL TO DOUBLE ASIAN GOLDEN MEDAL

29-year-old chess player Le Tuan Minh is considered a late bloomer in the Vietnamese chess world. He started playing chess quite late (8 years old) and did not achieve much success in youth tournaments. However, his passion and perseverance in practicing for a long time have brought sweet results for the chess player from Hanoi .

Chess player Le Tuan Minh is the main force of the Vietnamese chess team at the 33rd SEA Games.

Photo: FIDE

In 2020, Le Tuan Minh excellently won the national championship. At the 31st SEA Games in 2022 at home, he made a great contribution to Vietnamese chess when he won a double gold medal in individual and team blitz chess. That was also the year Le Tuan Minh completed the conditions to be awarded the title of International Grandmaster after a long period of striving. The 2024 World Team Chess Olympiad was a milestone in Le Tuan Minh's career when he won the individual bronze medal with a performance equivalent to a player with an elo of 2,795 (equal to the current world's 3rd ranked player).

As the only representative of Vietnamese chess participating in the Asian Mind Sports Games taking place in Singapore, Le Tuan Minh excellently won 2 gold medals in rapid chess and blitz chess. It is very admirable that this player was undefeated in both events, thereby convincingly winning the title, affirming his steady progress in the international chess community.

G THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HUNTING FOR GOLD SEA GAMES 33

Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang, Head of the Chess Department - Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Department, said that Vietnam's No. 1 chess player Le Quang Liem, due to his work in the US, will not be attending the 33rd SEA Games taking place in Thailand this December. "At the 33rd SEA Games, there is only one men's event, the rapid chess team, so the competition is fierce. The three Vietnamese players selected by the coaching staff to attend this event are Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Le Tuan Minh and Bang Gia Huy. With their proven experience and talent, Truong Son and Tuan Minh continue to be the main force, shouldering the responsibility of hunting for gold for Vietnamese chess," said Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang.

In the lineup for this SEA Games, Le Tuan Minh is highly expected because he has participated in many international online chess tournaments in the past and has the ability to play fast chess and blitz chess very well. The double gold medal at the recent Asian Mind Sports Games in Singapore, in which he defeated the top opponents in the region, further strengthened the belief in Le Tuan Minh's ability to succeed at the 33rd SEA Games. This player also set a bigger goal of conquering the elo milestone of 2,700, following in the footsteps of his senior Le Quang Liem to conquer prestigious international chess tournaments in the coming time.

At the 33rd SEA Games, Vietnamese chess also participated in the women's rapid chess team event with 3 representatives: Pham Le Thao Nguyen, Vo Thi Kim Phung, Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong. This is also the event in which the Vietnamese chess team is considered capable of competing for the gold medal with strong opponents such as Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ky-thu-le-tuan-minh-hua-hen-toa-sang-o-sea-games-33-185251116220136452.htm