Vietnam's top player takes second win at major chess tour

Vietnamese grandmaster Le Quang Liem claimed his second win at the Oslo Esports Cup after defeating Canada’s Eric Hansen in the fourth round only after three games on Tuesday.

In the first game, Hansen played white while Liem defended well. 

The result was a draw after 60 moves.

Playing white in the second game, Liem dominated and eventually won it after 57 moves.

Hansen had no choice but to win the third match, where he played the advantageous white side.

However, the Vietnamese chess ace gradually cornered the Canadian, forcing him to surrender following 52 moves.

The result marked Liem’s second victory, including one against chess king Magnus Carlsen on Sunday, along with two defeats after four rounds of the Oslo Esports Cup.

In the fifth round, Liem will face 2021 world champion Jan-Krzysztof Duda, whom he beat at the Charity Cup 2022 in March.

Oslo Esports Cup, taking place from April 22 to 28, is the first major event of the grand series Champions Chess Tour, which features eight grandmasters. 

Of these, four are among the world's top 15. 

They will face each other in a round-robin format.

A player will get US$2,500 for each point they earn and $7,500 for a win. 

The prize pool for this tournament is $210,000.

Each match is a set of four rapid chess games, lasting 15 minutes each - just 10 seconds for each move.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!