Vietnam chess ace takes down world champion

After losing the first two rounds against the world top six including Levon Aronian and Alireza Firouzja, Liem finally got his first win. Duda, the 2021 FIDE World Cup champion, let Liem claim victory in two games and only managed a draw.

In the first game, Liem played white and lost a pawn in mid game. But he was able to trap his opponent’s queen and gain the upper hand, then converted his advantage to a victory.

Duda went all out in the second game when he put his knight on the line from the opening. But Liem used it to his advantage and won again after 53 moves.

By the third game, Duda couldn’t create an advantage because of Liem's solid defensive style. This game ended up in a draw, with Liem winning 2-1 without needing the fourth game.

This victory will be a motivational boost for Liem as he will play chess king Magnus Carlsen in the fourth round on Thursday night. Carlsen is one of only two players to win all games so far at the tournament, alongside Indian prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

This is not the the first time that Duda suffered a defeat against Liem in a Champion Chess Tour tournament this year. In April, at Oslo Esports Cup, Liem won 4-2 against Duda after an intense tie-break.