Webster University’s Chess Coach, Liem Le, Visits Tashkent

Liem Le, director of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) and head coach of Webster’s chess team, visited Tashkent in May as a member of President Schuster’s delegation to Uzbekistan. In addition to attending the Webster University Tashkent (WUT) commencement, Coach Le made connections with chess activities in Uzbekistan. 
 
On the WUT campus, Coach Le met with students who are members of the WUT Chess Club.  He shared information about the SPICE program, the chess minor, and other chess activities that take place on the main campus in St. Louis, Mo. The students shared information on their preparations for the next national collegiate chess competition in Uzbekistan and were glad to accept Coach Le’s offer to help them prepare. Coach Le played a simultaneous exhibition of chess with 10 of the students.   

Le plays a round of simultaneous exhibition.

Coach Le also met with the Vice President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, Umurzakov Bakhodir Khamidovich. Umurzakov gave Coach Le a tour of the Uzbek national chess academy, and they discussed potential collaborations between Webster University and the Uzbekistan Chess Federation. Umurzakov is also the Minister's Advisor of the Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment of Uzbekistan.  

Le and Umurzakov.

Coach Le also had the opportunity to meet with the head coach and students of Sky Chess Academy in Tashkent, where he provided students with advice on how to improve their chess skills and played a few friendly games with them.   
 
“Uzbekistan is an obvious location for the expansion of Webster University’s chess talent and reputation,” said Webster University President Julian Schuster.  “The chess motto – Gens Una Sumus (We Are All One) – epitomizes Webster’s mission and values: bringing together people from across cultures and nations. Webster is already the top chess program in the US. It would be phenomenal to see Webster win collegiate chess titles in two countries where competition is fierce.” 
 
To learn more about chess and the SPICE team at Webster University, visit webster.edu/spice.