Vietnamese grandmaster exits int'l chess tour

So wrapped up the game with a score of 4.5-0.5. Of the five matches, Liem had the chance to win three but instead allowed So several comebacks. In the fifth match, Liem missed a golden opportunity to place So in checkmate.

In the semifinals, So will face world chess king, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, who defeated Venezuelan grandmaster Eduardo Iturrizaga 4.5-2.5 to advance. Liem has missed the chance to play Carlsen again, after their draw in 2020.

San Fermin Mundial is a knockout rapid chess tournament that takes place in Pamplona, Spain on July 10-11 with prize money of $60,000. Its eight-man field features four players from the world’s top 10. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, players have the option of competing online.

Each tie will consist of eight rapid matches. In case of a 4-4 score, two blitz games would act as a tie-breaker, followed by an Armageddon match should the tie persist. White will get five minutes while black gets four. The latter would advance in case of a tie.