The first game of the final ended in a draw, with both Liem and Anand achieving a 99% accuracy rate compared to computer analysis. The turning point came in the second game, with the 34-year-old Liem playing white and opting for the Ruy Lopez opening. In this opening, white typically sacrifices a pawn on the c-file to launch an attack on the kingside. In the middlegame, the former world champion from India made a careless move, leaving his queen trapped.
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The position after the move 24.d5. The computer evaluates the position as equal, only if Anand (black) pushes the f5 pawn. Instead, he pushes the e4 pawn. This is a mistake that leads to a losing position for black. BCF |
The position after the move 24.d5. The computer evaluates the position as equal, only if Anand (black) pushes the f5 pawn. Instead, he pushes the e4 pawn. This is a mistake that leads to a losing position for black. BCF
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After more than a minute, Liem finds the only winning move for white, which is queen d4. He threatens rook a1 on the next move, leaving the black queen with no escape. BCF |
After more than a minute, Liem finds the only winning move for white, which is queen d4. He threatens rook a1 on the next move, leaving the black queen with no escape. BCF
Anand had no way to avoid losing material in this position. He found the move knight e5 to recapture the white queen. But then, the black knight would also be lost, meaning white would have a material advantage. From there, Liem converted his advantage into a victory after 58 moves.
The next game ended quickly, after just over 20 minutes. Liem, playing black, chose the Berlin Defense against the Ruy Lopez opening. The Vietnamese number one player captured a white pawn in the endgame and advanced his black pawn, threatening to promote it. Anand would once again lose a knight if he wanted to prevent the black pawn from promoting to a queen. Therefore, he resigned on move 34.
This result meant Liem secured the championship with a 2.5-0.5 lead, with only one game remaining. The final game, a mere formality, ended in a draw.
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Quang Liem after winning the Biel Grandmasters at the Biel Congress Center, Switzerland on 25/7/2024. BCF |
Quang Liem after winning the Biel Grandmasters at the Biel Congress Center, Switzerland on 25/7/2024. BCF
After 10 rated games against Anand, Liem remains undefeated with 5 wins and 5 draws. Most of their encounters took place when Anand was past his prime. However, Anand's Elo rating in all three chess formats (standard, rapid, and blitz) is currently higher than Liem's. In rapid chess, Anand's rating is 2,727 compared to the Vietnamese player's 2,655.
The 55-year-old Anand was the first Asian world chess champion, holding the title from 2007 to 2013. He is currently ranked 13th in the world in standard chess, 11th in rapid chess, and 18th in blitz chess.
The Leon Masters is a traditional rapid chess tournament in Spain, inviting 4 players to compete in a knockout format. This year's tournament, held from 4/7 to 6/7, featured Anand, Liem, Jaime Santos Latasa, and 11-year-old prodigy Faustino Oro. This was Liem's first time participating, and he emerged victorious.
In the semi-final, Liem defeated the home player Santos Latasa 4-2 after a blitz tie-break.
Xuan Binh
