Following a 1-1 draw in the two standard time control games, Le Quang Liem (Elo 2729) and Alexander Donchenko (Elo 2641) were forced into a rapid and blitz tie-break series in round five of the tournament.

According to the World Cup format, the tie-break begins with two rapid games of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move. If still tied, two more rapid games are played with 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. If no winner emerges, the players proceed to blitz - starting with two 5-minute games with a 3-second increment, and if still necessary, two 3-minute games with a 2-second increment.

In the first 15+10 rapid game, Le Quang Liem played white but made a critical error, allowing Donchenko to claim victory in 39 moves. Liem bounced back strongly in the second game, playing black, and defeated Donchenko in 39 moves to level the score.

The match then proceeded to the next set of rapid games (10+10 format). Playing white in the first of these, Liem showcased impressive moves but ultimately lost after a grueling 88 moves. He equalized again by winning with black in the second game after 47 moves.

After four rapid games, the two grandmasters remained deadlocked and entered the blitz stage (5+3 format). In the first blitz game, Liem played white and held Donchenko to a draw in 31 moves.

The decisive moment came in the second blitz game. With black pieces, Liem put up a strong fight but succumbed to Donchenko after 48 moves. This result handed Donchenko a 4.5–3.5 overall win and a place in the quarterfinals.

Despite his exit, Le Quang Liem made history by reaching the fifth round of the World Cup for the first time - marking the deepest run ever by a Vietnamese player in the tournament. His performance earned him a prize of $25,000.

Dai Nam