Leaping into 2015 with great expectations, high hope
The Year of the Horse has ended after many ups and downs and has given way to the Year of the Goat, which will bring new hopes and aspirations. Thu Trang spoke to people born in the earlier years of the Goat and asked them about their expectations for 2015.
Le Quang Liem, 24, Vietnamese chess grandmaster and the 2013 World Blitz Chess ChampionDuring 2014, I mostly concentrated on my studies at the Webster University. I had a very successful academic year and got excellent grades, while adjusting to a new environment that involves American culture, college life, etc.
Regarding chess, I did not participate in too many tournaments the way I used to before I went to college. I reported mixed results in various competitions: winning two national championships with the Webster Chess Team, winning a gold medal at the Viet Nam National Blitz Championship, finishing fourth at the World Blitz Championship; but I played poorly during a couple of tournaments, such as the Millionaire Open in Las Vegas and the SPICE Cup in St Louis. Consequently, my chess ratings suffered a slight decline.
It currently stands at 2678. As for my family, I am always very grateful for them as they support all my decisions.
I certainly hope that the Year of the Goat will bring me luck. I plan to take chess more seriously, train harder and continue improving. My goal is to take my rating back to the 2700 level by the end of the year.
I owe all of my success to my hard work and guidance from my teachers. I think luck brought by fate plays only a little part.
I wish all of my family and friends good health, happiness and big successes! Again, I would like to thank everyone for supporting me. This has been a strong motivation for me to do my best.
Source: http://english.vietnamnet.vn