Chess 

 Thanh Hà

Vietnamese Grandmaster Lê Tuấn Minh clinched victory after 31 moves against Canadian Panjwani Raja in the final match of the 2024 Olympiad.

Although his win did not secure a top-three finish for Việt Nam, it earned Minh an individual bronze medal on Board 3 with an unbeaten record across 11 matches—an impressive debut result in one of the world's largest chess competitions.

Minh emerged as the top performer for the Vietnamese team, which included notable players such as Super GM Lê Quang Liêm, former world blitz champion, and former U10 champion GM Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn.

"This was my first time at such a significant tournament. Competing in the Olympiad is a dream for every chess player, and we worked hard to represent Việt Nam,” Minh said. “I entered the event with a positive spirit and played my hardest in each match. Winning an Olympiad bronze makes me proud.”

Minh is the fifth Vietnamese player to earn an individual medal at this competition, following in the footsteps of GM Sơn (2014 and 2018), Woman GM Phạm Lê Thảo Nguyên and WGM Nguyễn Thị Mai Hưng (2016), and WGM Hoàng Thanh Trang (2002).

His achievement also grants him a spot at the 2025 World Cup, the chess community's premier tournament, to be held next July.

With several months to prepare for the World Cup, Minh is expected to achieve strong results, both personally and for Việt Nam.

“Minh’s bronze medal has brought pride to Việt Nam on the global stage, proving that Vietnamese players, and Minh in particular, are formidable opponents,” said Nguyễn Minh Thắng, general secretary of the Việt Nam Chess Federation.

A Grandmaster’s dream

Born in 1996 in Hà Nội, Minh began playing chess at eight.

“Minh was a bright child who made breakthrough moves in his matches,” said GM Bùi Vinh, a coach who greatly influenced Minh’s career. “He is particularly suited for rapid and blitz chess.”

Minh’s coaches at the Hà Nội Chess Federation agreed he was a modest, eager learner. They believe that had he focused on professional chess earlier, he could have been among Việt Nam’s top players before age 20.

Yet, he excelled both in academics and chess, graduating from Hà Nội Law University with honours in 2018 while achieving national tournament victories, the national championship in 2020, and a SEA Games gold in 2021.

He also met the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) requirements for FIDE Master, International Master, and Grandmaster titles.

In 2022, Minh achieved his Grandmaster title after a strong performance at the World Open in Philadelphia, the USA, realising his lifelong dream.

“Professional chess players need to practise a minimum of 4–6 hours daily,” said coach Dương Thanh Bình. “Minh balanced school and chess, excelling at both. His diligence made him a successful student and player.”

Bình said that while attaining a GM title at age 26 was slightly late by competitive standards, it was due to Minh’s focus on studies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which cancelled many tournaments.

 Minh said: “When I first played chess as a kid, I never imagined becoming a Grandmaster. But coaches Vinh and Lưu Trọng Minh inspired me and fuelled my passion for chess. They played a crucial role in my career.”

International chess experts, who saw him as a promising blitz player even when he was an International Master, believe Minh is deservedly among the world’s top 100 players.

“With support from the right agencies and sponsors, Minh, whose Elo rating is now 2,598 after the Olympiad, could reach the 2,700 milestone, entering the Super GM group where only Liêm represents Việt Nam,” said coach Vinh.

Minh’s next opportunity to boost his Elo will be at the international KPNest Chess Tournament in early December in HCM City.

Known for his strength in rapid and blitz formats, Minh, who famously defeated Liêm, a former world blitz champion, at the 31st SEA Games, is a strong contender at this event, which includes top players like Liêm, Sơn, and other formidable rivals competing for a prize pool of VNĐ2 billion (US$78,700). VNS