Vietnamese Chess Grandmaster Le Quang Liem. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Chess Grandmasters Le Quang Liem and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son are gold medal hopefuls of Vietnam at the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Vietnam’s chess team has set targets in accordance with its preparations for the regional event, said Nguyen Minh Thang, who is in charge of chess at the Vietnam Sports Administration.

Although Liem is abroad, he has been participating in online training with his teammates and will compete in blitz and rapid at the coming Games. He just finished second at the Oslo Esports Cup which wrapped up in Norway on April 28.

The Vietnamese Grandmaster failed to win gold at the previous SEA Games in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Son is training with the national team in Ho Chi Minh City, setting his eyes on the gold medal.

The Vietnamese chess team has finalised the list of nine players to compete at SEA Games 31, comprising four men and five women.

Chess competitions are to be hosted by the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh and preparations have been completed.

SEA Games 31, themed “For a Stronger South East Asia”, will be held in the capital city of Hanoi and 11 neighbouring provinces and cities from May 12 to 23.

Featuring 40 sports with 526 events, it is expected to attract around 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.