Vietnamese grandmaster Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son

Despite having the disadvantage of holding the black pawn, Son, Elo rating 2636, successfully beat Zhao Chenxi, Elo rating 2400, of the host nation China after 23 moves.

The positive result keeps Son top of the tournament’s rankings after enjoying two wins.

Elsewhere, Le Quang Liem, the nation’s highest ranked chess player with an Elo rating of 2713, held his Chinese opponent Dai Changren to a draw after 43 moves.

The nation’s highest ranked chess player Le Quang Liem (Photo: FIDE)

After competing in two draws against lower-rated opponents, Liem has lost five Elo points.

The Vietnamese player needs to enjoy some better results in the following seven matches in order to stay in contention for the championship title.

VOV