HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese grandmaster Lê Quang Liêm had the honour to represent Vietnamese students by carrying the country’s flag at Webster University’s graduation ceremony in the US on Saturday.

Liêm graduated from the university with two bachelor degrees, a BSc in Finance and and a Ba in Management.

He also received an honour from the Departments of Business and Management and from the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence Programme (SPICE) for his substantial contributions to SPICE in 2013-2017.

Liêm received a full four-year scholarship, valued at approximately US$35,000 per year, and enrolled at the university in 2013. Previously, he was a student of Sài Gòn University.

After graduating, he will participate in the World Open from June 29 to July 7 in Philadelphia, the US, World Cup in September in early September in Batumi, Georgia and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan at the end of September.

Liêm was born in 1991 in HCM City and began playing chess at the age of seven. He was the U14 World Youth Chess Champion in July 2005 and earned his grandmaster title in July 2006.

The top Vietnamese player has won a number of prestigious prizes, including the blitz championship title at the 2013 World Blitz and the Rapid Chess Championships in the same year, he also won the overall championship title at the HDBank International Open Chess Tournaments in 2013, 2015 and 2017. — VNS