Quang Liem secures a spot in the esports World Cup.

Grandmaster Le Quang Liem participated in the qualifying round of the EWC 2026 tournament held in Atlanta, Georgia from May 15th to 17th. This qualifying round had a prize fund of $50,000 and was played in a double-elimination format. In his first match, the 35-year-old easily defeated an amateur opponent 2-0, then beat International Master Carlos Perdomo by the same score. Quang Liem then defeated Grandmaster Jules Moussard 1.5-0.5 to advance to the quarterfinals of the winners' bracket.

Quang Liem, Chithambaram, Esipenko, and Sarana (from left) secured their spots at the Esports World Cup after qualifying in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on May 17, 2026. Photo: EWC Extra

There, Quang Liem defeated Grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk, but lost to Grandmaster Alexey Sarana 1-2 in the next match. If he had beaten Sarana, Quang Liem could have secured his EWC spot earlier. In the loser's bracket, Quang Liem met Moussard again, and this time the Vietnamese representative won both games. That result was enough to secure his EWC spot through the qualifying round in Atlanta, along with Aravindh Chithambaram, Sarana, and Andrey Esipenko. The top four players in the qualifying round qualify for the EWC.

Quang Liem then defeated Esipenko, but lost to Sarana. Therefore, the player born in 1991 finished third overall in the qualifying round, receiving $5,000 in prize money. Chithambaram came first, receiving $15,000.

The chess tournament at the EWC 2026 will take place in Saudi Arabia from August 11th to 15th, with an expected 21 players competing for a total prize pool of $1.5 million. In addition to the four players who qualified in Atlanta, other representatives will include Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja, Denis Lazavik, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Thirteen spots remain to be filled, with further qualifying rounds to determine the winners.

This is the first time a Vietnamese player has qualified for the EWC. The tournament will be held for the first time in 2025, with 16 players. At that time, Carlsen won after defeating Firouzja in the final, receiving $250,000. Players who participated in last year's EWC are guaranteed to receive at least $50,000.

The EWC 2026, featuring 24 sports and boasting a prize fund of $75 million, is the third edition of the event. Athletes compete in teams , vying for team or individual prizes. The winning team receives $7 million.

According to vnexpress.net

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/quang-liem-gianh-suat-du-world-cup-the-thao-dien-tu-a240975.html