Vietnam will send the strongest squad, including Super Grandmaster Le Quang Liem to compete at the 33rd SEA Games this December in Thailand.
The Vietnam Chess Federation revealed that they were busy making plans for what is for them the most important sporting event of the year.
“We are working on plans of training and competitions for 2025. SEA Games is a key event this year and we will send the best masters to Thailand. Liem will be one of our competitors while the others include grandmasters Le Tuan Minh and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, all are high-quality players,” said Nguyen Minh Thang, general secretary of the Vietnam Chess Federation.
Liem, who is in the world's top 15, will be one of competitors and is expected to win gold for Vietnam.
Living and working in the US, Liem sometimes returns home for local competitions and joined the national team for international tournaments. In 2024, he played two top tier events, the Olympiad in Hungary and the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York.
“We appreciate Liem's ability after witnessing his regular participation and high results in elite competition year-round. He is fully capable of achieving the best results in the Thai event," said Thang.
Chess is back onto the SEA Games' list after its absence in the 32nd edition in Cambodia in 2023.
Liem and his teammates will defend the men's title, meanwhile the women are targetting gold after they missed it in the 31st Games played in Vietnam.
In the Hanoi games in 2022, Vietnam took top position in chess with seven golds, two silvers and three bronzes.
"Currently we have not established the national team. Masters will compete in several national tournaments and their results from these events will decide who will earn national team places for international competitions including the upcoming SEA Games," said Thang.
In addition to chess, Thailand also added makruk to the schedule, a Thai strategy board game which is similar to chess and ouk chaktrang, played in Cambodia last time around.
Thang said Vietnamese players would also prepare for makruk events of men's rapid and blitz teams, men's standard doubles and a mixed standard team.
“Basically, makruk is no different from ouk chaktrang. My players who achieved high results in ouk chaktrang in Cambodia, will be picked to take part in makruk," Thang said.
