GM Lê Quang Liêm wins in play-off to seal FIDE World Cup's second round slot. Photo of FIDE

Việt Nam’s No 1 Lê Quang Liêm advanced to the FIDE World Cup’s second after beating Aleksandrov Aleksej of Belarus in a playoff early this morning in Russia.

Grandmaster Liêm drew with Aleksej in the first two matches of the first round. They had to compete in a three-game tie break in which the former world blitz chess champion Liêm won one and drew two.

As one of 64 competitors in the second round, Liêm has pocketed a US$10,000 bonus. He will next play Anton Korobov of Ukraine.

Việt Nam have two representatives at the World Cup but GM Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn has been knocked out.

Nguyễn Anh Khôi is Việt Nam's 11th Grandmaster. Photo UAE Chess

In other chess news, 17-year-old Nguyễn Anh Khôi became Việt Nam’s 11th Grandmaster on Friday morning.

Khôi, the former world U10 and U12 champion and the Asia winner received the title after finishing second at the U18 rapid chess event during a world open tournament in Spain.

Khôi and the winner Lucas van Foreest of the Netherlands both had seven points, but Khôi lost due to tie-break points.

Also at this competition, Nguyễn Thiên Ngân won the U14 girls title, Võ Phạm Thiên Phúc grabbed a silver in the U14 boys and Lê Thùy An had a bronze in the U18 girls. — VNS