Vietnamese Grandmaster Le Quang Liem has been voted the best blitz chess competitor of 2013 by the Asian Chess Federation (AFC).
Liem was the first Vietnamese player to claim a world championship title last June, bagging the Asian tournament gold medal in the same year.
His award is one among many of the Annual Asian Chess Excellence Awards that the AFC will present for the first time on June 25 in a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates.
Among other winners are Player of the Year Viswanathan Anand of India, as the highest rated in Asia in recognition of his long reign as World Champion between 2007-13.
Hou Yifan of China, who has been named Woman Player of the Year for regaining her title as the female world champion, will join China's Yu Yangyi who was named Best Junior Player of the Year for winning the World Junior Championships and Asian Indoor Games chess event.
Asia's first Grandmaster, GM Eugene Torre of the Philippines, will be given a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication and commitment to chess and his stellar record.
Meanwhile, Vietnam finished the 15th ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships with five gold medals at the Cotai Sands Conference Centre in Macau on June 9.
The young masters managed to claim top places, including Le Minh Tu in the boys' U16 championship, Ngo Duc Tri in the boys' under10 championship, Nguyen Quoc Hy in the under 8 age group and Tran Phan Bao Khanh in the girls' under14 age group and Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong in the girls' under 12 age group.
The delegation also collected five silver and nine bronze medals across the different categories.
The championships will continue with rapid chess competitions at the same venue until June 12.-VNA
Liem was the first Vietnamese player to claim a world championship title last June, bagging the Asian tournament gold medal in the same year.
His award is one among many of the Annual Asian Chess Excellence Awards that the AFC will present for the first time on June 25 in a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates.
Among other winners are Player of the Year Viswanathan Anand of India, as the highest rated in Asia in recognition of his long reign as World Champion between 2007-13.
Hou Yifan of China, who has been named Woman Player of the Year for regaining her title as the female world champion, will join China's Yu Yangyi who was named Best Junior Player of the Year for winning the World Junior Championships and Asian Indoor Games chess event.
Asia's first Grandmaster, GM Eugene Torre of the Philippines, will be given a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication and commitment to chess and his stellar record.
Meanwhile, Vietnam finished the 15th ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships with five gold medals at the Cotai Sands Conference Centre in Macau on June 9.
The young masters managed to claim top places, including Le Minh Tu in the boys' U16 championship, Ngo Duc Tri in the boys' under10 championship, Nguyen Quoc Hy in the under 8 age group and Tran Phan Bao Khanh in the girls' under14 age group and Bach Ngoc Thuy Duong in the girls' under 12 age group.
The delegation also collected five silver and nine bronze medals across the different categories.
The championships will continue with rapid chess competitions at the same venue until June 12.-VNA
