Tournament organisers announced on May 28 that Le will compete at the event, which is scheduled to take place from November 2 to 8 and offers a total prize fund of US$600,000.

Often described as an esports equivalent of a national-team world championship, this year's tournament will feature 128 of the world's leading chess players competing for their countries.

Le earned a place in the finals without having to go through the qualifying stage.

The Vietnamese Grandmaster qualified through the organisers' selection criteria as one of the top 64 players in the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) standings. Under the rules, each country is limited to one representative through this pathway, with Titled Tuesday Spring Split results used as a secondary criterion when required.

As each country or territory may field up to two players, Vietnam could still have another representative at this year's event.

Esports-based chess competitions are emerging as a new trend in the chess world. While players still compete head-to-head, matches are played on computer systems and staged in a format similar to major esports events.

Vietnamese Grandmasters Le Quang Liem and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son have both voiced support for the format. Le Quang Liem has also qualified for the Esports World Cup 2026.

Born in 1996, Le Tuan Minh is currently Vietnam's third-ranked player, with FIDE ratings of 2,585 in standard chess, 2,505 in rapid and 2,576 in blitz.

He has represented Vietnam alongside Le Quang Liem and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son at major international team competitions, including the Chess Olympiad and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

Quang Liem set to meet Carlsen at ASEAN Esports Chess Cup event in Thailand

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