At noon on May 10, the chess player born in 1991 posted a share on his personal page to clarify information related to the possibility of absence from the 2026 Olympiad held in Uzbekistan.
According to Le Quang Liem, during 25 years of attachment to Vietnamese chess, he has always prioritized national duties and has participated in 9 Olympiads and 9 World Chess Cups. Although living and working in the US since 2013, this player still regularly arranges time to participate in important tournaments such as ASIAD 19 or Olympiad 2024.
Le Quang Liem said that from March 2026, he has proactively exchanged with leaders of the Vietnam Chess Federation and affirmed that he is ready to compete if the team gathers the strongest force.
The 35-year-old player expressed his desire to stand side by side with experienced teammates such as Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and Le Tuan Minh at the most important team tournament in the world of chess.
In a highly team-oriented tournament like the Olympiad, the ability to compete for medals depends on the overall strength of the whole team," Le Quang Liem shared.
However, the Vietnam Chess Federation later said that gathering a full squad as desired is not feasible at the present time. Faced with that situation, the federation has considered many different options, including using a young squad to accumulate experience or not participating in this year's tournament.
Le Quang Liem said he respects the decision of the leadership and emphasized that not competing at the 2026 Olympiad is not related to personal difficulties.
Although not directly competing, I still always support and hope for the best things to come to Vietnamese chess," affirmed Vietnam's No. 1 grandmaster.
The 46th Chess Olympiad will take place in Samarkand from September 15 to 28, 2026, with the expected participation of about 200 countries and territories.
