Career
He is the younger brother of General Motors Kjetil A. Lie. Lie plays for the chess club in Porsgrunn. In the 2007 Norwegian championship, played at Hamar, Espen Lie and Geir Sune Tallaksen (also representing Porsgrunn) shared first place with 6.5 points out of 9.
The result was viewed as surprising, for Lie and Tallaksen were ranked as number 9 and 10 (out of 20) in the tournament, behind a number of grandmasters.
Espen Lie has two General Motors norms, the first one after 5.5/9 in an international tournament in Reykjavik, and the second after 7/9 in the 2012 Norwegian chess championship in Sandefjord, where he tied for first with IM Frode O. O. Urkedal. Lie lost the play-off for the title after losing the first game and drawing the second.
Apart from chess, Lie"s training to become a teacher.