Vietnamese grandmaster Le Quang Liem ascended to the 15th position in the August rankings released by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Tuesday.

Liem made a significant leap of six positions, advancing from 21st to 15th in the world rankings, boasting an impressive Elo rating of 2,740. 

This achievement marks the highest ranking he has ever attained in his career. 

Moreover, in the history of Vietnamese chess, no player has ever reached such a distinguished position.

Liem secured an additional 11.8 Elo points during his outstanding defense of the Grandmaster Triathlon championship at the Biel Chess Festival 2023 held in Switzerland from July 15 to 30, despite tough competition from talented players like Yu Yangyi, David Navara, Arjun Erigaisi, Vincent Keymer, and others.

In the classical time control event of the tournament, he performed brilliantly, securing four victories, two draws, and experiencing only one loss. 

Notably, Liem’s triumph in his match against the prominent Chinese grandmaster and former top 10 world-ranked player, Yu Yangyi, earned the Vietnamese chess ace an impressive 5.1 Elo points.

Liem received the joyful news of his global promotion just before heading into intense chess battles against some of the world’s best players at the 2023 FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, which began on Sunday and ends on August 24.

In this championship, Liem holds the 15th seed position and received a first-round bye. 

For the second round, he is set to compete against Serbian player Ivan Ivanisevic.

In the FIDE women’s rankings, Pham Le Thao Nguyen is currently ranked 78th globally with an Elo rating of 2,370, making her the number-1 female chess player in Vietnam. 

The second position is occupied by Vo Thi Kim Phung, with an Elo rating of 2,351, which placed her at 95th in the world.

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