Le Quang Liem stopped at the 2025 Chess World Cup after a nerve-wracking tie-break match

Le Quang Liem failed to reverse the situation

In the first game of the rapid chess event with a time limit of 15 minutes plus 10 seconds for each move, Le Quang Liem held the white pieces (go first) but did not play well, made mistakes and was successfully exploited by German player Alexander Donchenko. After 39 moves, the number 1 Vietnamese player accepted defeat and had to win in the rematch.

Lê Quang Liêm dừng bước ở World Cup cờ vua 2025 sau loạt đấu tie-break cân não- Ảnh 1. — Le Quang Liem (left) fought a mind-bending match with chess player Alexander Donchenko in the tie-break round 5 of the 2025 Chess World Cup

Pressured to win and having to play black (last) in the second round of rapid chess, Le Quang Liem played very well. His efforts to complicate the game, including some "strange" moves by Le Quang Liem, made Alexander Donchenko falter. The advantage created by Le Quang Liem clearly in the endgame forced the German player to accept defeat after 38 moves.

Lê Quang Liêm dừng bước ở World Cup cờ vua 2025 sau loạt đấu tie-break cân não- Ảnh 2. — Le Quang Liem lost to Alexander Donchenko in the first game of rapid chess but quickly won the second game to tie the score.

After being tied in the first two rapid chess games, Le Quang Liem and Alexander Donchenko entered the next rapid chess series with a shortened playing time of 10 minutes plus 10 seconds for each move. The scenario in the first round when Quang Liem held the white pieces was quite similar to the previous round 1. This time, Vietnam's No. 1 player played tightly, creating a more balanced game, but missed a move in the endgame, so his opponent pressed him, winning after 88 moves. Once again in a difficult situation, Le Quang Liem showed his expertise in holding the black pieces and his "superb" competitive spirit. After 47 moves, Vietnam's No. 1 player forced Alexander Donchenko to surrender, bringing the match back to a balance.

After 4 rapid games, Le Quang Liem and Alexander Donchenko entered a mind-boggling blitz match with 5 minutes plus 3 seconds for each move. In the first blitz game, Le Quang Liem held the white pieces and tied with his opponent after 31 moves. This was the first tie-break between the two players. Unfortunately, in the second game that followed, Le Quang Liem held the black pieces and was defeated by Alexander Donchenko after 48 moves.

Overcoming Le Quang Liem with a final score of 4.5-3.5, Alexander Donchenko won the right to enter the quarterfinals of the 2025 Chess World Cup. Meanwhile, Le Quang Liem stopped in round 5, leaving the tournament with a prize of 25,000 USD (about 650 million VND). This is also the best achievement of the number 1 chess player of Vietnam compared to all previous World Cups.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/le-quang-liem-dung-buoc-o-world-cup-co-vua-2025-sau-loat-dau-tie-break-can-nao-185251116181606598.htm