Vietnam grandmaster accelerates in online chess tour

Liem won both games when he played white against Poland’s Jan-Krysztof Duda and Azerbaijani grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. He drew against American GM Levon Aronian and lost to Dutch GM Anish Giri when playing black.

He collected seven points after four games.

After two days of competition, Liem got 11 points and placed ninth.

Chess king Magnus Carlsen also had a slow start, but also won nine points Monday to rise to fifth. World number two Ian Nepomniachtchi is leading with 19 points, followed my China’s top player Ding Liren with 15.

Airthings Masters is the first tournament of the grand series 2022 Champion Chess Tour. The Feb. 19-26 event is being held with 16 players, six of whom are in the world's top 10.

Eight players will advance to the knockout stage.

The prize pool for this event is $150,000, with the champion pocketing $25,000. A player will get $750 for a win and $250 for a draw.

Each player will have just 15 minutes per match, with 10 seconds added after each move.